Glory and Honour... and Peace

"I pray for graciousness, patience, humility, and courage as Trinity explores the questions: What does God want of us here and now?  What do we value as a community of faith?  What are we most afraid of?  What gives us profound joy as a community?  What can we let go of and still be Trinity United Church?  As we engage these questions, may we abstain from undue anxiety, discouragement, frustration, and shame.  I ask that we keep mindful the call to seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly.  We pray in the name of the Living Christ."

Romans 2:1-11

2Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. ²You say,^* ‘We know that God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ ³Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed. ⁶For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: ⁷to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹For God shows no partiality.

1) "...in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself;" "...do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience?" "...God's kindness;" "...God shows no partiality;" "...those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality;" "...he will give eternal life;"  "...you have no excuse;"

2) O boy, am I ever in trouble.  It isn't my intention to judge, but I judge.  I don't think I'm judging, just stating an observation, but even in making the observation, I'm judging.  And I'm not free of my own judgement.  I'm quick to condemn myself when I know better than to do, or say, or think what I've just done, or said, or thought.  And it doesn't actually help.  No one does what I want them to do while I'm judging them (not even me).    So where is the space beyond judgment?  How do I just stop judging myself and others? "...glory and honour and peace... for everyone who does good."  "kindness and forbearance and patience."  How do I nurture kindness, forbearance, patience, glory, honour and peace?  I want to look up forbearance.  I wonder if there is more to forbearance than tolerance.  This morning, I also read about reaping what we sow.  How do I sow kindness, forbearance, patience, glory, honour and peace so that I can reap them?  How do we do this?  We are so quick to judge.  So quick to experience anger, discouragement, frustration, ingratitude... How do we slow down the triggers?

3) What is the invitation in all this?  To breathe.  To breathe in kindness, forbearance and patience.  To give God time and space to bestow these on me.  To give God time to bestow them on others.

"Holy One, may we seek treat ourselves, one another and everyone we meet with kindness, patience and honour."

Breathprayer: "Glory and honour... and peace."