Monday, April 29, 2013

Week 1 -"Called to Love as God Loves - Unconditionally"

"The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "  Mark 12:31


Welcome to our next study!  From Women of the ELCA, we are going to briefly explore how we are "Called to Love as God Loves - Unconditionally".

Session 1 looks at Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-28, Matthew 22:37-40, and Leviticus 19:18.  These verses are included in the hand outs, but I encourage you to also read them in a different translation.
Loving ourselves is probably one of the more difficult things we are called to do!  This short study will give us the opportunity to break down these verses and explore how we feel about them.

In 'for further reflection' Romans 12:3-8 touches on our spiritual gifts.  If you have not done a spiritual gifts assessment or aren't sure what spiritual gifts are, this is a nice first step into thinking about them.  This is not, however, an exercise to discern what they are.  If you completed "My One Word" and have started your journal, this is a great opportunity to journal!  Write about the things you do well, the things others affirm in you, and things you love to do.  More than likely, these are your spiritual gifts!

Take time to digest the verses in this week's reading and spend time reflecting on the questions.  While some of them are short & obvious, pulling answers directly from Scripture, others require deeper consideration.  In our fast paced lives we are often tempted to write down the first thing that pops into our head - which is often very helpful.  But it is also a good exercise to allow the questions (and our initial answers) to sit in our hearts & minds for a time and see what else there is to see (via your own writing).

Have a wonderful week!  Check-in with your friends here on the blog.  Discuss this week's session and or how you are doing with your one word!

Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly (honey)

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  Proverbs 16:24

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