{"id":2014,"date":"2018-03-01T15:09:13","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T21:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=2014"},"modified":"2018-03-01T15:09:13","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T21:09:13","slug":"its-all-about-the-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/01\/its-all-about-the-love\/","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s ALL about the Love"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">Sunday, February 18, 2018 | Lent<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">First Sunday in Lent<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Year B<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><i>Old Testament<\/i> Genesis 9:8\u201317<\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><i>New Testament<\/i> 1 Peter 3:18\u201322<\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><i>Gospel<\/i> Mark 1:9\u201315<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rKke3kRTQiM?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We started our journey with ashes, Remember you are Dust and Dust you shall return.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Reminded of our dependence upon God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Maybe that is difficult to take in or for some maybe it is difficult to be reminded that God is the one in charge, not them&#8230;..not us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">All three readings today contain violence.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They speak to the condition of the world then and now.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Violence is a reality but it also does not have to rule, nor does it have to have the final say.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Instead Love can be the final say.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is all about the Love.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The Love of God for us, in God&#8217;s Son, The Light of the World, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">From the Genesis reading:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Death and destruction because of all the sin in the world, God sends a flood.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God wipes out and starts the slate new.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In verse 15, is this promise:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For us or for God?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We benefit but, this covenant is for God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God will remember God&#8217;s covenant, the covenant of Love that God has for God&#8217;s people.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We benefit in this because God will do all things for us in God&#8217;s love for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God is the one taking action for us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God is the initiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">1 Peter:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In 1 Peter, we are reminded that our baptism saves us though the resurrection of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God does for us in God (The Son) in making us new in baptism so that we can do for others in our new lives in Christ.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In order for Christ to be resurrected, He needed to die.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God allows, Jesus allows for His death for us because of the covenant that God remembers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The one that reminds God of God&#8217;s love for God&#8217;s creation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Not just us humans but all creation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In turn, Jesus&#8217; death is for all creation in making us new and all of creation new.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God is the one taking action for us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God is the initiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">From the Gospel reading:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We go back to the baptism of of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There is violence in this reading as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Jesus is baptized and the heaven were TORN apart.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Jesus sees the Holy Spirit and hears &#8220;You are my Son, the Beloved&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Naming and assurance of Jesus&#8217; status.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This is for Jesus and later through this gospel, for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Jesus is then driven into the wilderness and is tempted by Satan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This is not like being driven by car to a location.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Not told to walk out to the wilderness.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>No, this is its own form of violence.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is being thrown out to the wilderness and being tempted by Satan, who is the epitome of evil and violence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">All this so that Jesus can come out proclaiming to us the Good News, the Gospel.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus comes and says, &#8220;The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>repent, and believe in the good news. &#8220;<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Mark 1:15<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God is the one taking action for us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God is the initiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Love is the most powerful force in the universe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Love created the world<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Love makes the promise to creation following the flood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Love<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>raised Jesus from the dead<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Love<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>turned Saint Paul from killing and persecuting Christians to becoming Christianity\u2019s greatest theologian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Love is the one taking action for us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Love is the initiator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">All three readings today contain violence.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They speak to the condition of the world then and now.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Violence is a reality but it also does not have to rule, nor does it have to have the final word.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Instead Love will be the final word.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is all about the Love.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The Love of God for us, in God&#8217;s Son, The Light of the World, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It will take our active love and God&#8217;s in Jesus Christ, to slow this cycle of increasing violence that we have in our world today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday, February 18, 2018 | Lent First Sunday in Lent Year B Old Testament Genesis 9:8\u201317 New Testament 1 Peter 3:18\u201322 Gospel Mark 1:9\u201315 We started our journey with ashes, Remember you are Dust and Dust you shall return. Reminded of our dependence upon God. Maybe that is difficult to take in or for some &#8230; <span class=\"more\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/01\/its-all-about-the-love\/\">[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[73,15,38,102,78,126,10,56,14,92,83,31],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-admin","4":"post-2014","6":"format-standard","7":"category-baptism","8":"category-christian-love","9":"category-evil","10":"category-god","11":"category-gospel","12":"category-holy-spirit","13":"category-jesus","14":"category-lent","15":"category-love","16":"category-satan","17":"category-sermon","18":"category-theology-of-the-cross"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-wu","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2027,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/02\/whats-in-a-name\/","url_meta":{"origin":2014,"position":0},"title":"What&#8217;s in a name?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday, February 25, 2018 | Lent Second Sunday in Lent Year B Old Testament Genesis 17:1\u20137, 15\u201316 New Testament Romans 4:13\u201325 Gospel Mark 8:31\u201338 or Mark 9:2\u20139 \u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Vdxw7ng3KOc","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Baptism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Baptism","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/baptism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Vdxw7ng3KOc\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2036,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/30\/what-is-jesus-up-to\/","url_meta":{"origin":2014,"position":1},"title":"What is Jesus up to?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Thursday, March 29, 2018 | Lent Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday Old Testament Exodus 12:1\u20134 (5\u201310) 11\u201314 New Testament 1 Corinthians 11:23\u201326 Gospel John 13:1\u201317, 31b\u201335 https:\/\/youtu.be\/-yp8qLcHP8c","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Discipleship&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Discipleship","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/discipleship\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/-yp8qLcHP8c\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3402,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2025\/03\/24\/abundant-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":2014,"position":2},"title":"Abundant Life","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"3-23-2025Third Sunday of Lent Isaiah 55:1-9 (NRSV)Luke 12:1-9 (NRSV)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Body of Christ&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Body of Christ","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/body-of-christ\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2020,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/01\/can-you-hear-me-can-you-hear-the-gospel-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":2014,"position":3},"title":"Can you hear me? Can you hear the Gospel now?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Transfiguration Sunday Sunday, February 11, 2018 | Epiphany Last Sunday After the Epiphany Year B New Testament 2 Corinthians 4:3\u20136 Gospel Mark 9:2\u20139 \u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Vt-P21V93v4 Paul tells us that the gospel can be veiled. Most specifically, to those who are perishing. Who are the ones that are perishing? Who and\/or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Attitude&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Attitude","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/attitude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Vt-P21V93v4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2569,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2021\/03\/30\/how-quickly-we-forget-christ-is-king\/","url_meta":{"origin":2014,"position":4},"title":"How Quickly We Forget &#8211; Christ is King","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"3-28-2021 Last Sunday of Lent Isaiah 50:4-9a (NIV)Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV)Mark 15:1-47 (NIV) https:\/\/vimeo.com\/530897601","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Baptism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Baptism","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/baptism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3398,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2025\/03\/19\/life-to-preach\/","url_meta":{"origin":2014,"position":5},"title":"Life to Preach","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"March 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"3\/16\/2025Second Sunday of Lent Philippians 3:17-17-21Philippians 4:1Luke 12:31-35","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Authenticity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Authenticity","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/authenticity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2014"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2019,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2014\/revisions\/2019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}