Recap – Last month was vision month and each year we take the time to enter the new year by both taking stock and discerning where God is calling us. Vision is a clear mental picture of a preferred future. In some way things are hazy in this season as the world burns around us literally and figuratively the smoke can cloud our vision. But we cannot just sit idly by. We are called to action directed by God who can see what is happening in a way that we cannot

Exegesis

--Jesus asks 3 times. At first it seems like a point of emphasis but on the 3rd time - Peter’s

feelings are hurt because it seems like Jesus doesn’t believe him

--Jesus wants to get the point across but also - Peter denied Jesus three times

--Jesus is God in the flesh so our faith has to be an embodied presence in people’s lives.

--Jesus invites Peter to recognize that true kin(g)dom faith is not just about how close you

are to Jesus but how you show up for the other people that Jesus loves (which is

everyone – there is no restriction in Jesus’ love)

Key Points

1. Meet their physical needs

2. Meet their spiritual needs – including belonging

3. How you treat others is the most tangible sign of your love of God!!!

That is why what is happening in this country is so obviously not in line with Jesus. Folks who claim to be followers of Christ are hurting folks. We are decrying this moment, AND – for those whose backs are up against the wall – is our witness any different? Are we an embodied presence in their lives. We cannot meet everyone’s needs, but are we meeting the needs of the people in this congregation and are we meeting the needs of those beyond this congregation. If not – then we cannot say we truly love God.

The AME Class system is one mode of meeting the real needs of the bodies that are right here in this congregation. If we cannot love up on one another then we are probably not going to love up on folks beyond these walls. In this month we are going to look at how these pieces all fit together but what we know is that God’s love should radiate out to the ends of the Earth we love God – which allows us to love ourselves – and be in loving relationship with our church family which allows us as a body to love people beyond our congregation. We become conduits for God’s love!

In the AME/ Methodist Movement the Small Group (Class Group) is the first unit of love and movement. It has a leader/co-leaders who bring folks together to share in collective love of God through Spiritual practice and then love of each other through relationship building and showing up for each other and finally to do works of love in the world. (That is a New Roots adaptation that didn’t fully exist in the Methodist formulation). We will keep talking about it, but the key is that we are not just called to be here in pontification we have to put our love into practice and we need practical systems to help us do that! If there was ever a time to get practical and tactical – the moment is now.

Questions –

1. Jesus is really clear that perfect love shows up in an embodied way. Meditate on

moments of embodied love that you have received or given. How are you called to be

embodied love in this time?

2. Jesus also talks about tending to a flock – which is a unit of belonging. It is clear that

many people in our world do not feel like they belong. Do you feel like you belong? If

yes, how can you invite others in and if not, what do you need to do to commit to

finding your tribe?

3. In Lent we are going to ask everyone to commit to joining a small group as a unit of the

New Roots and the Jesus movement. Spend some time thinking about how you might

do that and what small group you feel led to be part of.