So it’s my tradition after the prayer of the day to bring a message to all of God’s children. And most of the time when I bring you up to these steps, I show you something cool and then we talk about it. But instead of this show and tell, what if we did something first? What if we played a bit of a game?
Now my three year old loves playing a game called “Monkey Around.” We pick up a card and do whatever it says on it. So let’s do that together. Let’s pick some cards from the game and do the actions it describes.
You all did an awesome job playing this game with me. And did you happen to notice that it’s a game without a winner? We didn’t have to raise money or fight anyone or take our game pieces from one place to the other before anyone else. All we had to do was play and move to the best of our abilities. Moving and sharing and participating is how we play the game. And that idea of being able to do something is part of our reading about Jesus today. It’s a reading we usually hear right before Easter – during the celebration of Maundy Thursday when we remember Jesus giving us the Lord’s supper. In John’s version of that story, Jesus gives his followers a commandment – something to do. He tells us to love one another. And that word love – isn’t just about how we feel. Love is always an action. When you say you love someone, that love is expressed through the ways you care and support them. Jesus wants us to love everyone – to support everyone – to help everyone – even if we don’t feel like it. It’s hard to know how love other people but one way we can do that is through our prayers. When we pray, we’re talking to God and telling God wat we’re thinking about. It’s a conversation that can feel one-sided – as if God’s isn’t listening to us. But I promise that God is and so one way we love is by praying for each other. That’s something anyone at any age and any physical ability can do. We can tell God who we’re thinking about, what we’re worried about, and the kind of help other people need. And if you can’t come up with something to pray about, use the prayers we say in worship. Save a copy of the bulletin and, every day, repeat those prayers. When we pray, we love. And the more we love, the easier it is for us to pray.
Each week, I share a reflection for all children of God. The written manuscript serves as a springboard for what I do. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, 5/15/2022.