Today's Lectionary Text3 John 1:9-12I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.  Today's Devotional
Whether as a senior pastor, associate or lay person with however many years we have been a Christian, one thing is clear. We are never to lord it over one another! Being a bully is obviously out of sync with who we are called to be by our Lord and Savior. We are servants of our Lord Jesus, and as such, are called to humbly serve one another in the service of our Master. Quite literally, we’re instructed to be ready to wash each other’s feet as he washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.
John is clear: (1 John 3:11) Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good…Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. When we lord it over one another, the question is clearly whether or not we’ve seen God? Surely, our discipleship must be based on our vision of Jesus as our Savior if our servanthood is to bear the fruit of our faith. And, as Jesus reminded Philip, (John 14:9b) Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Ah, there it is! We’re invited to draw close to the Master, to recognize his love, practice his grace and become his humble servants. We are not to “imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God.” (1 John 3:11) In “The Walk,” by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, we are counseled to draw closer to God through •Worship (including daily prayer)
•Study (listening for God with an emphasis on Scripture reading) •Serving (including acts of justice and kindness) •Giving (generosity toward God and others) •Sharing our faith (through deeds and words). Can we do less?
--Rev. John F. Richter Retired Elder, Great Plains Conference Resident at Aldersgate Village, Topeka john620@mac.com Prayer for ReflectionLord and Master of us all, we humbly focus our eyes upon you that we may learn and become more like you. As servants of yours, may we become servants of one another and the communities we serve, even to suffer in this time of pandemic, discord and prejudice as you did. Empower us to be as light for each other and those whose lives we are privileged to touch. In your name, Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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