JOHN 13:31-35
When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
I’m starting a new church
NALC
Never Allow Losers Church.
This church won’t be like those others.
We won’t have ANY of those folks who are so disagreeable.
Just uniformity here.
Just uniformity here.
We’ll find unity in the Bible.
Yup
Now, one great advantage about starting your own church (I know you're in with me here)
-- in addition to being unburdened by that terrible difficulty, diversity --
would be that you could start your own lectionary.
-- in addition to being unburdened by that terrible difficulty, diversity --
would be that you could start your own lectionary.
No more RCL for us, no sir.
The NALC will use the official NALC lectionary, which will have a few basic rules.
Rule #1 - If it is from the Gospel of John - we use it once every three years.
EXCEPTION: We’ll use John for the Passion Reading on Good Friday, and the Christmas Day reading.
EXCEPTION: We’ll use John for the Passion Reading on Good Friday, and the Christmas Day reading.
That’s plenty of John. In fact more than enough.
Rule #2 - If it is read for the Passion Reading in ANY of the three years, you won't have to read it in Easter.
Rule #2 - If it is read for the Passion Reading in ANY of the three years, you won't have to read it in Easter.
From there it is pretty dang easy to make a lectionary. Must be.
We’ll take the RCL, and when there’s a text from John, replace it with something else.
We’ll take the RCL, and when there’s a text from John, replace it with something else.
And, I guess, we'll keep John 3:16 when it shows up in Lent Year A, OR when it shows up 4 Lent Year C Or Holy Trinity Year B. We’ll decide on that.
AND we’ll have complete agreement. No dissension. That will be easy.
AND we’ll have complete agreement. No dissension. That will be easy.
Done.
You know, as annoying as I find John to be, the one good thing about having this text for Sunday, not much can get me to preach from Revelation. It’s something I wouldn’t do, without John’s . . . . encouragement.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
Interesting, isn’t it, that I don’t really feel like preaching on that.
Sorta seems like what we’re supposed to be about.
Sorta seems like what we’re supposed to be about.
I got yelled at the other day. Seems the folks who run the preschool at our building opted to upgrade the sand box in the play area. Poured concrete around it. Didn’t ask for permission.
They should have. That’s true.
They didn’t.
Hmmmmmmmmm
Yell at the pastor.
Makes sense in someone’s world.
Don’t feel like preaching love to him though.
Revelation's "Behold I make all things new" proclamation seems fitting.
Need to be made new.
Need to be made new.
Its sorta cynical to say that.
Sorta cynical of you to agree with me.
Heckity.
Love one another.
What’s new about that?
That’s the question, isn't’ it?
4 comments:
That's funny. How about Never Allow Lepers Church. Or Never Allow Lip Church. Or better yet. Never Allow Liars Church!!! Woo hoo!
Love is difficult. But we can't get around it. So here's what I get out of your post: We can only love by the power of the one who makes all things new.
Never Allow Liars Church.
woo hoo indeed!!!
THAT's funny.
Interesting that loving others does not lie in their being loveable
We're not to love them because God created them, or for any reason in them -
The loving of others lies in God's command
We're supposed to love
I think
It is gift, and it is law.
Maybe part of the issue hear is that often, talk of love is a mistaking the law for the Gospel
I like what workingpreacher has to say this week on their blog about the john text
Never Allow Lemons Church
Every year about this time I begin to wonder if I can make a living doing anything else. Maybe I could get that job where the guy delivers flowers to funerals and so on. That might be nice. Flowers instead of people.
I used to think this was because I'm tired at this point in the church/school/work year. But instead it may be that the overabundance of readings from John is sapping the life out of me. Talking in circles makes me weary. Unless it's rambolalia.
The Underminer has posted a piece of creative genius. Wry, sarcastic, and oddly hopeful at the same time. However, I too will be preaching on Revelation. I have to. I really have nothing new to say on the subject of loving one another. It all sounds boring to me. (Actually the part about is it law or gospel is interesting to me but I don't have the energy right now to turn this into a sermon. Maybe next time.)
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