Day 225: Loving What God Commands

DAY 225

                     Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic                     

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

pastorrobert@paxpres.org

Week Thirty-three    Sunday 25 October 2020

Reformation Sunday

Loving What God Commands

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer: prayer for the Sunday closest to 26 October.

‘Loving what God commands’ could easily be a summary of the life of Martin Luther, Reformer, 1483-1546. Throughout his tumultuous (at times) life, his deepest desire was to honor God and love what He has commanded in His Word.  

Today millions of Protestant churches around the world are marking Reformation Sunday, reflecting on a movement of the Holy Spirit through flawed but sincere individuals seeking a  course-correction for the Body of Christ on earth, the Christian Church. It loosed religious, educational, economic, and political change that revolutionized Europe, launched Protestant countries into empire building and economic development, and fueled what was to become the United States of America, a unique experiment in democracy funded by an economy based on the Protestant work ethic articulated by Reformer John Calvin. 

Today we pray that God will “increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love” - a tall order if we are serious in our praying it, and asking that we might ‘obtain what he promises’ is equally demanding for it is contingent upon our ‘loving what he commands.’ There is only one problem: we, by nature, do not love what God commands; rather, we find his commands uncomfortable at best and onerous at worst. Hence, we pray that he ‘make’ us love what he commands. It is a matter of our choice. Whether Anabaptist, Lutheran or Reformed, the Reformers were driven by a burning desire to do what God commands in His Word, and in His Word alone.

Reflective question: Will you pray this prayer sincerely, knowing it will change your life?

Reflective Scripture: Psalm 46 – the paraphrased text for Luther’s great hymn, below.  

Reflective hymn:

“A Mighty Fortress is our God” – verse 1 - Martin Luther (1483-1546)

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.