Be There.

Action to consider this week: Grab a pen and paper and make a list of the ways you could love your neighbors (or a specific neighbor) as yourself this week.

Jesus is our example for many things, including what it looks like to be generous and compassionate.

40A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” 41Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” 

(Mark 1:40-41, NRSV)

Jesus’ ability to heal people through touch is not something you or I can do; however, there is still a question from the story of Jesus and the leper that we should ponder. Are we willing and prepared to be filled with compassion and offer up what we can when a neighbor cries out?

The first part of the question - are we willing and prepared to be filled with compassion - is hopefully something you can say “yes” to based on the work you’ve been doing for the previous few weeks. The second part of the question - offering up what we can - is something you will have to be prayerfully considering as an individual and with your Arborlawn neighbors.

Some of you will choose to be more proactive, seeking out ways to help people in your neighborhood. Others of you aren’t as comfortable being proactive and instead will use your energy for the occasions that a neighbor reaches out to you directly. Either way, whether it is through your time, your resources, or both, we each can do something that helps us to be better neighbors. Imagine that your actions through this sermon series leads to your neighborhood becoming the kind of community where everyone loves their neighbors as they love themselves. No action is too small. God can take ordinary people and actions and transform them into something beautiful. Your kindness today might be planting seeds in your neighborhood that you’ll never see grow into fruit, but know that God is working in the midst of what you are thinking and doing. God will nurture the seeds you plant, and your neighborhood will be blessed by your faithfulness.

Prayer:

Good and loving God, you don’t have to think twice about it when we cry out to you. Like the leper, we feel inadequate and unworthy of doing your work. Yet you choose to love and cherish us; you bring us closer into the fold and make us clean and whole. Encourage our hearts to be generous with our compassion, so that our neighbors will see you and know you more. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

Be Genuine.

Thought to consider this week: Spend a few minutes dreaming about what it would look like, in your neighborhood, to love your neighbors as you love yourself.

One of the most important parts of building an authentic relationship with someone is being your genuine self, flaws and all. It can be incredibly uncomfortable to admit your imperfections, but we don’t need to be quite so embarrassed about our cracks - we all have them, and God can still be glorified through them.

14“You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, CEB)

Imagine being in a dark room with a vase sitting on a table. Imagine that inside the vase is a light. All of the light inside the vase would be projected upward toward the ceiling, but you and the walls remain in the dark. Now imagine that same room and vase with the light, only now the vase has cracks and holes in it. Light is still shining out the top of the vase, but now you and the walls are also gleaming.

Not in a dark room, the first vase is the one that many people would gravitate towards; it was without flaw! The second vase would likely be deemed trash because of its imperfections. If you had to choose one to decorate your home with, it would likely be the first vase. However, wasn’t it the broken vase that was able to let more light shine into the darkness?

Now imagine yourself as the vase. You are not the first vase, the one that was void of flaws. As much as we might not like to admit it, you and I are the vase with cracks and holes. Each of us, as a vase, has our own unique pattern of cracks and missing pieces because of our individual stories of being. What we share, though, in our brokenness, is the brilliant and warm light of Christ that rests in each of us. If we were the first vase, the light of God would only be able to shine through one opening. Because we are broken, more of Christ’s light is able to shine through us. To be clear, God is not the cause of our brokenness; God does not put us in situations that result in damage. Instead, when we turn to God with our hurts, God is able to transform and redeem our brokenness into deeper relationship with God. The light shining out of our brokenness shows God’s love to others.

As you are preparing to take a deeper dive into your neighborhood, remember that you are a beloved child of God, perfectly imperfect, and called to share who you are with others so that they might know who God is. We’re not asking you to share your deepest secrets with your neighbors, but we are asking that you be your genuine self, because God’s light shines most directly onto others through your imperfections.

Prayer:

Creator of our being, you are not a haphazard creator, but rather you created each of us lovingly in your image. As we prepare to be the kind of neighbors that you call us to be, remind us that you don’t ask us to be perfect. Instead of focusing on being perfect, may we focus on how to love extravagantly. May we be intentional in learning the needs of our community so that we can show up for those who need a little more of your light. Thank you for transforming our brokenness into something beautiful. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

Common Ground: Your Faith in Jesus

Questions to consider this week: How were you being a good neighbor to those in your Arborlawn community pre-COVID? How can you be a good neighbor to your Arborlawn community now?

As you get to know the other Arborlawn folks who live in your neighborhood, you may notice that there are folks who worship in the sanctuary and folks who worship in Rooted; there may be people who hold some differing political views from you; you may not all agree on what the absolute best flavor of ice cream is (which is Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip, by the way)… we are asking you to continue to be in relationship with everyone anyway.

“May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:5-7, NRSV)

In your small AUMC neighborhood groups, there will be some diversity of thought present, but how much better off are you then when it comes to getting to know your other neighbors! If you were all exactly alike, then you as a group probably would not be able to reach as many of your other neighbors.

Being a good neighbor to your AUMC neighbors means focusing on the thing that drew you all together in the first place - your relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the one who taught us how to be good neighbors, after all! In your neighborhood group, you don’t all have to worship the same way or believe exactly the same things in order to love each other well. Perhaps you can consider asking someone who worships in a different space than you on Sunday morning what they most enjoy about the service, or what that worship style teaches them about God.

Each of you have your own unique stories about what has shaped you into the person you are today, you have different stories of how you found yourself at Arborlawn UMC, but at your core, you are each followers of Jesus. You are each called to be loving and compassionate neighbors who don’t get caught up in the small differences, but rather celebrate one another in their uniqueness. Your love of Jesus will serve you well as you prepare to venture out into the rest of your neighborhood.

Prayer:

Jesus, the rock on which we stand, our greatest common ground--increase our capacity for love. Make it so that we are quick to celebrate each other’s quirks and personhood, and slow to grow frustrated with differences of opinion. As we, Arborlawn neighbors, are preparing to engage with our other neighbors, give us the courage to step outside of our comfort zones, and give us peace of mind in knowing that this is the work you call us to do. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

Common Ground: Your Neighborhood

Questions to consider this week: How were you being a good neighbor to those in your Arborlawn community pre-COVID? How can you be a good neighbor to your Arborlawn community now?

Some pretty obvious common ground you and your AUMC neighbors have is your physical neighborhood. Did you have any idea that anyone from AUMC lived so close to you? Ultimately through this sermon series, we are hoping to challenge you to be a better neighbor to all of your neighbors, but this is not work that any of us are called to do alone! 

“Then Jesus traveled through the surrounding villages teaching. He called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:6b-7, CEB)

If Jesus had sent each disciple out on their own they would’ve been able to cover twice as much ground, so why did Jesus send them out in pairs instead? Likely a few reasons: 1) Jesus valued relationships, and he knew the importance of fellowship. By sending the disciples out in pairs, they were able to continue to learn and grow together in faith to best serve the communities Jesus sent them to. 2) To hear a miraculous story of the healing power of Jesus from one person isn’t as believable as if two people can validate the account. And 3) Jesus would have been familiar with the idea that working in pairs alongside the Holy Spirit multiplies strength:

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work. If either should fall, one can pick up the other. But how miserable are those who fall and don’t have a companion to help them up! (...) Also, one can be overpowered, but two together can put up resistance. A three-ply cord doesn’t easily snap.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 &12, CEB)

You are being asked to get to know your AUMC neighbors for similar reasons that Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs. You have the opportunity to learn and grow together in faith with one another in your very neighborhood instead of on AUMC property; together you can proclaim the good news of your faith; and when the work of being the kind of neighbor Jesus calls you to be gets hard, when you stumble and fall, you can be each other’s companions to get back on your feet and try again.

It’s time to lean into your AUMC community in a new way, because the work of being a good neighbor is not work that you must do alone.

Prayer: Merciful God, this time of pandemic has pushed our limits of loneliness, but it has now also given us the unique opportunity to get to know our Arborlawn community in a new way. May we find joy in the journey of being the kind of neighbors, together, that you call us to be. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

Common Ground: Arborlawn UMC

Questions to consider this week: How were you being a good neighbor to those in your Arborlawn community pre-COVID? How can you be a good neighbor to your Arborlawn community now?

As you are now looking out into your physical neighborhood to find others in the vicinity who are also Arborlawn worshipers, you know that at a base level you have the physical church building as common ground between you. But you also know that the ekklesia, the Greek word we translate as ‘church’, has never actually been about the building. YOU, the people, are the church! 

“As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” 

(Ephesians 2:20-22, CEB)

The physical building of AUMC has been where many of you have been the church, but COVID has forced us into a reality that we already knew - the church, as a body of believers, must exist outside the walls of any building in order for it to grow and thrive. 

In asking you to spend a little time with Arborlawn folks who live in your neighborhood, we’re not really asking anything different from you than when we were asking you to come through the AUMC doors on Sunday morning. It may look a little different, but we are still asking you to love each other well as a community and to continue to nurture those relationships in faith.

At some point in the future, we will all be able to gather together in person in our beloved building, but until then, we must stay vigilant in our work of building community outside the walls of AUMC. Imagine a future where we come back from COVID even stronger than we were before COVID. Just because we’re not able to invite people into our space right now does not mean we can’t invite people into relationship with the one who transformed our hearts in that sacred space.

God cannot be contained by any building, and neither can God’s church. Are you, Arborlawn church, ready to meet God in your neighborhood?

Prayer:

Good and loving God, how easy it is for us to underestimate just how big you are. Let your presence and peace rest on us today so that we can be brave enough to do the work you’ve always called us to do; work which requires us to go ‘out’ to be your people in the world. May we, the Arborlawn community, grow closer together in this unique time of ‘church.’ Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

The J.O.Y. Rule, Pt. 3

Question to consider this week: Are you being a good neighbor to those in your closest circle (i.e. family members, friends, “framily”, roommates)?

The “Y” in the J.O.Y. Rule stands for “yourself.” It may seem kind of odd to be thinking about yourself during this discussion of neighborliness, but taking care of and loving yourself is crucial to being able to love others well. 

“Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, ‘Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.’ They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place.” (Mark 6:31-32, CEB)

“But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow.” (Mark 4:38, CEB)

“On the sixth day God completed all the work that he had done, and on the seventh day God rested from all the work that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2, CEB)

No doubt you have heard it before - you cannot fill someone else’s cup if you’re not first filling up your own. Even Jesus knew this to be true! Jesus himself knew his human limitations and he chose to sleep; he even encouraged his friends to separate themselves from the hectic demands of ministry so that they could rest. Even God rested.

We live in a very demanding world where multitasking is a skill worth admiring and we ingest caffeine and energy drinks to try and keep up with the impossible demands instead of actually giving our bodies what they’re crying out for - rest. Are you your best self when you’re exhausted? Do you become more loving and patient when you’re exhausted, or is it just the opposite?

“‘Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30, CEB)

Working faster and harder and ingesting liquid energy at the expense of our mental, physical, and emotional health is not equipping us to be the kind of neighbors that Jesus calls us to be. Pay attention to your body - the body that God created in God’s own image, in the image of a God who rested.

Prayer: Slow us down today, oh Lord. Remind us everyday that becoming more like you is not just about taking action, but that it is also about non-action. May we spend a little extra time resting in your presence, and may that time of rest prepare us for the work you call us to. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

The J.O.Y. Rule, Pt. 2

Question to consider this week: Are you being a good neighbor to those in your closest circle (i.e. family members, friends, “framily”, roommates)?

“Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:

Though he was in the form of God,

         he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.

But he emptied himself

         by taking the form of a slave

         and by becoming like human beings.

When he found himself in the form of a human,

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,

        even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2: 3-8, CEB)

The “O” in the J.O.Y. Rule is for “others.” It seems pretty straightforward that prioritizing others over yourself is an important part of being a good neighbor, right? Loving others well requires us to make sacrifices. From small sacrifices like letting someone else pick the T.V. show or movie to larger sacrifices like choosing not to go to a wedding during COVID because your roommate is considered “high risk”, putting someone else’s desires and needs over your own can show them how much you care.

Oftentimes situations arise where we have the opportunity to choose to put someone else’s desires and/or needs before our own, but being the kind of neighbor that Jesus asks us to be might just require that we seek out ways to put others before ourselves instead of waiting for those opportunities to come to us.

Instead of waiting to be asked to do something, I want to challenge you this week to go out of your way to do something neighborly for someone in your immediate circle. Whether it is something as simple as cleaning up the kitchen after your significant other cooks or something more labor intensive like offering to do some yard work for a senior friend, your kindness can be contagious. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to being the kind of neighbor Jesus calls you to be!

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, provoke our hearts and minds to seek out ways to show kindness to someone close to us today. May we be so full of your extravagant love that it overflows out of us and into the hearts of others. We are so grateful for the people in our lives who show us what it means to love without conditions; help us to love them well in return so that our earthly relationships will point toward the heavenly relationship we have with you. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

The J.O.Y. Rule, Pt. 1

Question to consider this week: Are you being a good neighbor to those in your closest circle (i.e. family members, friends, “framily”, roommates)?

“Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’ ” (Luke 10:38-42, NRSV)

The “J” in the J.O.Y Rule stands for “Jesus,” the “O” for “others,” and the “Y” for “yourself.” The J.O.Y. Rule is meant to be a fun way to remember how to prioritize the people in your life; Jesus first, others second, and yourself third. Neighboring well to those in our closest circle requires that we first spend time with Jesus.

In the story above, Martha had the J.O.Y. Rule backwards; she was too absorbed in her own agenda and tasks to realize what was really the most important thing, and Martha even tried dragging Mary away from the top priority, leaving Jesus as Martha’s last priority. 

Can you imagine what it would be like to have Jesus physically present in your home? Do you grow irritated with Martha in this story for missing the mark all the while placing yourself in Mary’s shoes? I find myself wanting to wave my hands in the air at Martha while shouting, “Please take advantage of Jesus the Christ being physically in your home!!!,” but then I have to stop and think about how often I actually choose to (metaphorically) sit at the feet of Jesus in my day to day life. The truth is, I am Martha more times than I am Mary, choosing menial tasks over growth in faith. Inevitably the menial tasks also get prioritized over those who are closest to me, and I then am not neighboring well.

Being present with Jesus will allow us to focus on the more important things in our lives. Those who are in our immediate circle are who we have the opportunity be a neighbor to most often, so it is crucial that we do it well in order to help the relationships flourish! 

Prayer:

Jesus, our gentle and wise teacher--forgive us for not having our priorities in the right order. In your time on earth you always prioritized your relationship with God over anything else. You were so busy - hundreds of people wanted your attention - and yet you still made time to go be alone in prayer. May our busyness not be an excuse; instead, may we make the time to find rest in your presence each and every day. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

Pray (With the Holy Spirit)

Question to consider this week: What is your capacity to be the kind of neighbor that Jesus asks you to be?

Perhaps you have an easier time identifying your flaws than your greatest qualities - me too. You and I are each imperfect people living in a world that values flawlessness. We can thank God, literally, that God sees our imperfections as opportunities for growth and loves us all the more in our attempts to be better. We each have things that make us feel unqualified for the work of neighboring, but the Holy Spirit is prepared to intercede on our behalf:

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27, NRSV)

You might’ve told yourself any one of the following excuses as to why you’re not qualified to be a good neighbor:

• “I’m too _______.”

• “I’m not _______.”

• “I’ve done _______.” The list goes on.

In bringing yourself to the Holy Spirit in prayer, she whispers back to each of those excuses, “You are enough. You are enough. You are enough.”

When you’re considering your capacity for being a good neighbor, don’t look at yourself through your own eyes, look at yourself through the eyes of God. You are a perfectly imperfect child of God. God isn’t asking you to be perfect; God knows you will stumble more times that you care to admit. God is asking you to give of yourself to the best of your ability each day, and with the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer, you will begin to increase your neighbor capacity. As you lay your weaknesses before the Holy Spirit in prayer, she will begin to transform your heart to help you be the kind of neighbor that Jesus is asking you to be.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, with your guidance I know I can be and do better. May your loving voice be louder than the voices in my head that tell me I’m not enough. Help me to love myself well so that I can love my neighbors well. I am committed to this journey of growth through imperfection so that myself and those around me might know you more deeply. Thank you for holding me close in this uncomfortable process of laying my flaws before you. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell 

Walk (With Jesus)

Question to consider this week: What is your capacity to be the kind of neighbor that Jesus asks you to be?

In the work of neighboring well, walking with Jesus is just as crucial as tuning your ear to hear the voice of God. As you think about the kind of neighbor you have been and the kind of neighbor you want to be - the kind of neighbor Jesus calls you to be - you need not be afraid. God is not asking you to do the work of neighboring alone.

“As he [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22, NRSV)

Jesus is not asking you to do the work alone; instead, Jesus is extending the invitation to you to follow his lead. Jesus did not say to Simon-Peter and Andrew, “I’ll tell you what to do and then you’re on your own,” he said, “follow me.” 

At some point in your life you said “yes” to following Jesus, or you wouldn’t be reading this devotional. Take a moment to think about how that “yes” has changed your life. What has that “yes” taught you about yourself and those around you? What has that “yes” taught you about being in relationship with your neighbors? (No seriously, take a minute to reflect on those questions!)

When you are intentional about listening for God’s voice and following Jesus’ lead, neighborliness can become a part of who you are rather than something you have to think about being/doing. 

As you think through what your capacity is to be a good neighbor, remember that Jesus is walking alongside you for guidance - he will help you fish for people. 

Prayer:

Good and loving God, you deserve all my praise! For each stranger who has become a confidant - I give you thanks! Give me the bravery to continue to say “yes” to Jesus, especially when I am being drawn outside my comfort zone. Encourage my heart to leap for joy at the opportunity to be a good neighbor. May my actions be a reflection of your love. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell

Listen (to the Voice of God)

Question to consider this week: What is your capacity to be the kind of neighbor that Jesus asks you to be?

Being the kind of neighbor that Jesus asks you to be starts with being intentional about finding God’s voice in the midst of the chaos of life. Life has been turned upside down by the pandemic; routines have been disturbed, relationships have been strained, you’re unable to stand side-by-side with your church community to worship God, and yet, God is still present. God’s voice may have been pretty easy for you to identify when you were able to be present in the church building, but now that worshiping from home has become the norm, have you been open to the ways you might hear from God now that are different from before?

“He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

(1 Kings 19:11-13, NRSV)

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah’s norm had also shifted. His ministry as a prophet had landed him on the bad side of Queen Jezebel and he was fleeing for his life. While hiding in a cave, Elijah was expectantly waiting to hear the voice of God boom into his eardrums. Perhaps he would hear God through fire like Moses and the burning bush, or through thunder and earthquake like is mentioned in several Psalms - he waited. A great wind did blow, the earth did shake, a fire did blaze, but God’s voice was absent. Only in sheer silence did Elijah hear the voice of God. Imagine how this moment changed the way Elijah sought to listen to the voice of God for the rest of his life.

COVID19 has changed many things that might not be sitting well with you, but COVID19 has also presented us as a community with the opportunity to be creative about how we engage with God and our neighbors. As we enter into this new sermon series on neighborliness, may you be surprised by the ways God is speaking into your life without you even realizing it, and may you grow in love toward God so that your love towards others might increase as well.

Prayer:

Gracious God, it is your love that sustains me in these times. Open my ears to hear your voice more clearly; open my eyes to see the ways you're moving in my life; prepare my heart for the growth required to love my neighbors well. Amen.

Written By: Jenny Spidell