“Inspire Imagination: Simple Messages” by The Rev. Stephanie Kendell

Beloved Church,

I hope this week’s new inspire curriculum piqued your imagination. It contains one of my favorite short stories that I have read in the past year. I hope it inspires your imagination to engage in new things and people the way the gospel charges us to. Our inspire curriculum is one that can be engaged both personally and communally which is good because that is a lot like church right now. I hope your personal faith journey is rich with love and joy and I hope you will bring all that you are into our communal spaces of worship and fellowship.

Friends, there are a lot of complicated things in the world today. We are all juggling a million things. Some expected and some we are woefully unprepared for. Even our scriptures are layered and require multiple readings. Which is why I am grateful for this week’s scripture’s simplicity. I think we can all use something that is uncomplicated and straightforward right now. So join me in reading this week’s lesson from the book of Romans.

Owe no debt to anyone—except the debt that binds us to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you have fulfilled the Law. The commandments—no committing adultery, no killing, no stealing, no coveting, and all the others—are all summed up in this one: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love never wrongs anyone—hence love is the fulfillment of the Law. (Romans 13:8-10)

That’s it. That’s the message and the call. Love.

Love yourself.

Love your neighbor.

And when you do- you love God.

Shalom Y’all,
Rev. Stephanie

A quick prayer for your week: O Lord, help me love fully. Amen