Weekly Devotion - Forgiveness is a Choice - Community United Methodist Church of Columbia, Missouri

Community United Methodist Church of Columbia, Missouri

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Weekly Devotion - Forgiveness is a Choice

February 1, 2023 • Pastor Angie Olsen • Matthew 18:21–22

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Scripture: Matthew 18:21-22, the Voice

Peter: Lord, when someone has sinned against me, how many times ought I forgive him? Once? Twice? As many as seven times?

Jesus: You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.

Quotes:

"Actually, no one has to forgive—forgiveness is a choice. Forgiveness means that we release our suffering over difficult situations; it does not mean we have to put ourselves back into hurtful situations. Forgiveness means that even though what happened is not okay, you can move on and make peace for yourself."

“When we choose forgiveness, we release our past to heal our present.”

― Fred Luskin, Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness

Reflection:

Choice … What a powerful word. We make thousands of decisions consciously and unconsciously daily. They can be as simple as oatmeal or bacon for breakfast; and as infinitely complicated as choosing a partner for life.

As Christians, we celebrate this gift of free will. Our all-knowing and all-powerful God could have designed us to be robots following a pre-designed script, but instead, our loving Creator offers us the opportunity to respond to this gift with our lives. God could force us to play specific roles, yet instead invites us to respond to love and grace with each moment we choose what to do and think next.

Jesus, God with us, says one of the choices we are continually asked to make is forgiveness. He asks us to forgive someone who sins against us 7 x 70 times, which is an absurdly large number, to make a point. Forgiveness matters!

We are redeemed and forgiven through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This forgiveness empowers us to make more Christ-like choices. Our Creator is teaching us how unforgiveness in our past stops the fullness of life today. God is saying that when we forgive, we can live healthier lives in our present. It doesn’t mean condoning hurtful and evil action, but it does mean freedom from its hold on your soul. Jesus is offering us something incredible; we get to be partners with God in our healing by choosing forgiveness.

Questions:

- If forgiveness is a choice, why is it sometimes so hard to make?

- What do you need to let go of in order to allow for the powerful healing of forgiveness in your life?

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for free will. Guide us as we navigate this powerful and challenging gift of choice. So often the need to ask for forgiveness and offer forgiveness is a tough choice for us. Help us choose your will and your way. Please do your powerful, healing work of forgiveness in us and our daily choices. In the Holy Spirit’s power, amen.

Weekly Devotion - Christ's Presence

February 8, 2023 • Pastor Curtis Olsen • Matthew 18:18–20

Scripture: Matthew 18:18-20 18 Remember this: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 And this: if two or three of you come together as a community and discern clearly about anything, My Father in heaven will bless that discernment. 20 For when two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Quote from Leonard Sweet: "If Christ's presence is at work between members of the church, then the outcome will advance the health of the Body of Christ." Reflection: Over the past four weeks, we focused on forgiveness and the need for it in our lives as Christians. For forgiveness to be real, Christ needs to be a part of it. That's why I appreciate this scripture so much! It strikes me that in the middle of Jesus' teaching about forgiveness, he reminds us that "when two or three gather together in my name, I am there in the midst of them." It reminds us how we need to invite God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit into all our interactions. The conversations are more powerful, meaningful, and effective with God's presence. Awareness of God's presence is vital when dealing with conflict. Too often, we let our anger or anxiety overwhelm the confrontation and forget our need for the Holy Spirit's wisdom and grace. Without the Spirit's guidance, we often cannot find patience, compassion, and the ability to compromise. In difficult conversations, I realized there's no way forward without asking for God's help. Pausing for prayer has transformed the interaction during a church meeting, with my family, or with friends. These moments of transformation illustrate how working together with God; we can advance the health of the Body of Christ. No matter the situation, remember God's peace and hope is available when we intentionally wrap our conversations in prayer. Questions: - What are areas of conflict in your life you need to wrap in prayer? - When have you experienced a conversation transformed by God's wisdom? Prayer: Everpresent God, thank you for being present, even if we forget to invite you into a conversation. Remind us to invite you into every encounter. May your Spirit help us start each day with "Dear God" and end the day with "Amen" as a reminder to live each day in prayer. In the Holy Spirit's power, amen.

Weekly Devotion - I Am the Vine

January 25, 2023 • Pastor Angie Olsen • John 15:5–8

Scripture: John 15:5-8 (The Message) “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. Bishop Robert Farr: “Growing a garden takes work, just like discipleship takes work.” Reflection: During the Covid-19 shutdown, this scripture became a prayer for me. This version says stay joined with me in intimate relations, and the version I repeated says, “abide in me, and I will abide in you.” Bishop Farr reminded us Sunday that a vine cut from the roots quickly starts to wither and die. This was what my soul was crying out, saying, “stay connected, stay connected.” Even though the pandemic has eased up some (I write that with tongue in cheek after just recently struggling with Covid-19), many life experiences can disconnect us from Christ and others. Overly busy schedules, illnesses, relationship struggles, financial hardships, anxiety over the future or the past, and/or our own self-centeredness. These are just naming a few; you likely have a few to add. It takes intention and work to stay connected to Christ and others. For United Methodists abiding in the vine is essential to who we are and how we live. This life begins with being Christ-centered. This happens through a deeply rooted faith learned through scripture, bible study, worship, serving others, and spiritual disciplines. It means we are connected to the body of Christ, we are grace-filled, and we prioritize inclusively sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus with others. This is a beautiful life. I visualize such an abundant life that we look like a vine full to bursting with grapes. Questions: How are you staying connected with Jesus? How are you staying connected with others in an intentional and Christ-like way? Prayer: Dear God, let us abide in you, and you abide in us. We long to be deeply connected to you and others. Give us the intention to do the work to be your disciples and to help your love abound in our lives. You are our source, and for this, we give you endless praise. Unite us, Lord, in your grace. In Christ’s love, amen.

Weekly Devotion - Forgiven and Forgiving

January 18, 2023 • Pastor Angie Olsen • Matthew 6:14–16

Scripture: Matthew 6:14-16 (The Voice) "If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. But if you do not forgive your neighbors' sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Quote: "We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies." – Martin Luther King, Jr. Reflection: Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was an ordinary man whose faith-led, justice-seeking focus made him extraordinary. He had a gift for communicating the brokenness and sinfulness in the world with such eloquence and honesty. Yet, thinking about the reality of his life makes his words about forgiveness take on a new level of meaning. He was a man who understood his very existence was considered by some as abhorrent to the point they wanted him dead. Due to his skin color, some saw him with hatred and as less than human. AND YET, because of his faith, he worked to forgive them, his enemies. Though these people wanted to keep him muzzled and under their control, he saw them as worthy of love and forgiveness in light of God's grace. Mind-boggling. MLK's life and today's Matthew 6 scripture remind us of God's high calling toward forgiveness. Sunday, Pastor Curtis illuminated how life as a disciple of Jesus Christ means we are forgiven and forgiving people. It is always supposed to be both/and. Forgiveness is a way of life, a state of being faithful. In the Lord's Prayer, we ask for forgiveness as we are also giving forgiveness. MLK reminds us that none of us are all good or all bad. We all fall short of the glory of God, AND YET God still seeks us to love and forgive. MLK's words echo Curtis' emphasis that love and forgiveness are two sides to the same coin. Without God's forgiveness, we will never feel and embrace the fullness of God's love for us and how beautiful it is to share with others. Questions: • Each week in the Lord's Prayer we say this about forgiveness, "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." What does this look like in our daily lives? • What do MLK's inspirational words about forgiving mean to you? Prayer: God, we are on our knees again. We need you. Release us from our unforgiveness and resentments holding us back from your complete forgiveness. Open our eyes and hearts to the places in our lives we judge, critique and even hate others. Feed us with your forgiveness and grace so we will live as forgiving, grace-filled people. We now praise you for the power of forgiveness to heal and restore brokenness in ourselves and this world. In the Holy Spirit's power, amen.