Formation Group Series: Introduction & Chapter 1
Introduction: Cutting the world in two
Jesus offers a way of being human…
This portion of a statement in the introduction hits me. We all have a way of being human. A way of interacting in the world, of communicating and engaging with others. But as Pastor Rich points out, our way of being human is riddled with flaws and faults that tend to tear down more than they do build up. Yet Jesus’ way of being human is perfect. Leading humans into a way of interacting that are “soul healing, enemy-reconciling, truth-telling, justice embodying, and sin-conquering.”
There is no shortcut to love.
A core part of this book that is pointed out from the very beginning is the call to “love well.” It could be said that Jesus’ way of being human is the way of love. I often wonder if we truly understand the power of love.
Reflection
In your own words, what does it mean to love well?
What are your thoughts about “taking a knife and cutting the world in two - and see what worms eat at the rind?”
In this stage of your life, what are the biggest obstacles to loving well?
Bible Passage for Meditation
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. Matthew 12:33
Chapter 1: A Failure to Love
Love is the fulfillment of faith; sin is the negation of it.
It’s amazing how simple this may sound yet so hard to grasp without someone telling me. I have always thought of sin as missing the mark of God’s law, but not really equating God’s law with love. But it really does make sense. Stealing is a sin not because God said so and that thing didn’t belong to me but to another, but rather because stealing something reveals a lack of love for the person I am stealing from. Lying is not bad because its dishonest, lying is a sin because it reveals a lack of love for those my deception impacts.
If the greatest commandment is centered on love, then perhaps the greatest sin is failure to love.
Sin is not just something we do, but a power we fall under…
Remembering what Paul says in Romans is important - that even he was often dismayed at what he found himself doing. He knew the right thing to do but often found himself doing the opposite, or doing that which he knew he shouldn’t. Paul knew that sin was more than an act he committed - it was a power he fell under.
Sin is destructive because it causes us to live self-seeking lives over and against others.
Sin is the antitheses of love because of its work of “curving us inward,” thinking mainly of our own satisfaction, our own success, our security, our own power, our own influence, our own good.
Reflection
What does the Bible say about love? Is there a definition of love?
In what ways have you connected sin and love in your own spiritual life?
How have you seen this reality of being “curved in on oneself” playing out in your world?
How does “confession” as a spiritual practice work against being “curved inward?”
Bible Passage for Meditation
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well. 1 John 4:18-21
