Valerie Rae Hanneman
John 13:34-35 (The Message)"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are My disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (Jesus speaking)
This past weekend I had the joy and privilege to serve on the Action Team for a Walk to Emmaus Women’s weekend retreat. It was the first time that I had been able to work on one of the weekends and I was excited to be doing it. Our main job as the Action Team is to serve the needs of the women who are taking their Walk. We set tables, cooked food, did dishes, and cleaned. When somebody at work asked me what I was going to be doing for the weekend retreat I jokingly replied, "I am scrubbing toilets for Jesus" Little did I know that I had the gift of prophecy - because part of the Action Teams duties were to clean the bathrooms - including scrubbing the toilets - four times a day. I scrubbed out a lot of toilets over my weekend - and you want to know what? I loved it!
I loved it because I was serving Jesus as I did it - and my service to Him is my greatest act of love for Him. I have done some pretty unique things because I love Him and serve Him - so scrubbing toilets in His name and for His purpose is not that far-fetched for me.
I loved it because the focus never wavered off of Jesus. There were women who were directly involved with the women taking their walk. There was the Lay Director who was in charge of the whole shebang. There was the table leaders, the clergy and the speakers. And there was the Action team that served in the background and had little contact with the women taking their walk. At no time, either from my Savior and my God or any other woman involved, did I feel that my work in scrubbing toilets was any less valued than that of the Lay Director. Each of us there was focused on serving Jesus and not on the prestige of where we were serving. I laughed as I told a friend that I had experienced the mountains and valleys of serving in Emmaus on Saturday night when we went from a communion and praise service so wonderful that if I had lifted my hand I would have brushed the threshold of Heaven to 15 minutes later standing in a stall - scrub brush in one hand, scouring powder in the other. (And Jesus honoured my heart for Him in both places)
I also loved it because of the women that I was blessed to work with. There was a spirit of love for each other and cooperation with each other that I have not often experienced. There was this one point of time when I was starting to drag a little. One of my sisters asked if I was okay and I told her that my dogs (feet) were so tired that they had quit barking and were just sort of whimpering. You know what she did? She put down what she was working on, put her arm around me and prayed for my FEET! I have been prayed over for a lot of things before - but never tired feet. During the weekend we faced a number of challenges - like the food truck finally showing up a day late. Never during those times did I hear complaints. People just pulled together to solve the situation. There were no complaints about who was doing what or who should be doing what - there was no gossip. There was simply Christians working together to build the Kingdom of God.
This weekend, for me, is what Jesus is talking about in this verse from John. This was the last night of His earthly life. These were the words that were most important to Him - words that were imperative to Him that He pass on. And He told us to love one another as He has loved us. Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life for us - there are some of my brothers and sisters that I have difficulty loving until the end of church service. He hung from His hands on the cross because of His love for us - sometimes I can’t be bothered to lift a hand for another. He defeated death for me because of His love - I can’t even defeat my gossipy mouth. LORD Jesus, Help me to love as You love.
Another thing I loved about my weekend was how we talked together about the ministries we serve in, our pastors, our communities of faith. What we did not talk about was the "right" denomination, the "right" way to baptise, the "right" way to do communion, the "right" way to do anything. I do not know where most of these women that I now love so strongly go to church and to be honest - I don’t care. I don’t need to know the label on the door of their church when I can see so clearly the label on their hearts. Jesus said that the world would know that we belong to Him because of the way that we love each other. When we show the world our denomination in-fighting - the Baptist fights with the Methodist who fights with the Lutheran who fights with the Pentecostal and we all fight with the Episcopalian because none of us can say their name right - what does the world think? When our church has in-fighting over music, communion, and what the pastor wears, when we tear each other down through gossip and this spills into the world - what do they think? They call us hypocrites and want nothing to do with us.
Jesus wants so much more for us. He wants us to love each other. I experienced that love this weekend when a diverse group of women got together and worked together doing what the Eternal Church of Jesus is supposed to be doing. We served Jesus, we kept our focus on Jesus, and we loved each other. Then on our last meeting, we shared tears of joy as the women who were on the walk stood and shared how their Emmaus weekend had changed their lives forever. The Kingdom of God was strengthened, lives were changed because we chose to love as Jesus loves.
We can change what the world sees when they look at us. We can love each other like Jesus loves us and the world will wonder what is going on with us – and they will come to see. But the change has to start in individual hearts and lives before we will make a difference. I choose that change when I love my brothers and sisters more than I allow them to irritate me. I choose that when I reach out with hands of love to others. I choose that when I use my mouth and my words to build up rather than tear down. I choose to love as Jesus loves. I choose Jesus.
Lord Jesus, my Savior and God, Help us to love one another as You have loved us so we can reach this dying world in your name. And let it begin with me.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
Posted by Valerie at July 21, 2006 06:03 PM