Prepared Hearts for September 8th

Hello Friends,

Welcome back to Prepared Hearts, the online Bible study of the Wacousta Community United Methodist Church. This Sunday I will be stepping away from the lectionary to address the topic of forgiveness, one that was suggested by a member of the congregation. The text I’ll be using is below, followed by some starter thoughts.

Colossians 3:1-17 (NRSV) 

3:1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

STARTER THOUGHTS

There’s obviously a lot to this passage. The portion about forgiveness is found in verse 13, but all of it supports us in this endeavor we call forgiveness. How does dying to earthly desire and being born again in Christ help in your journey toward forgiving others? What does it mean to you to forgive “as the Lord has forgiven you?” 

Forgiveness is an incredibly difficult topic to explore. For starters, there are different levels of harm and maltreatment that we experience in life. What are the things that you have found most difficult to forgive? What are some of the things that keep you from being able to forgive those hurts or losses? 

Forgiveness is often described as a journey. Rarely does it occur immediately, and it usually takes cycles of anger, grief and sadness for us to work through the pain we have experienced in order to find peace. What are some of the things you have learned in your journey of forgiving others? Has forgiveness gotten easier for you to practice over time or not? Why do you suppose that is?

In my work with survivors of domestic violence I often encountered women who heard messages of “forgiveness” at church on Sunday and interpreted this to mean that they needed to stay with their abusive spouses. Can forgiveness be a dangerous thing to preach and teach? 

As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reflections. Please feel free to email me or post a message here.

Peace,
Pastor Amee