A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering: 5/6

Good morning, good God!

In yesterday's gospel,
I heard you ask Peter the question:
Do you love me?

And in a corner of my heart,
in the depths of my soul,
I hear you asking me the very same question,
Do you love me?

I'm almost afraid to answer, Lord!

Of course I do love you
or at least I try to love you,
and I know want to love you,
and I definitely mean to love you,
but...

I do love you, Lord, but it seems,
well actually I know
I want to love you more
or at least I want to try to love you more
and I know I need to love you more...

I do love you, Lord,
but I know my love for you
is often not enough:
I know it could be stronger, deeper,
more generous and genuine...

And I'm very much aware of all the times
I fail to love you, Lord:
all the times I love myself and my things
more than I love you;
the times I don't even try to love you;
and the times I'm not grateful
for all the love you have for me...

And maybe that's just where I need to start, Lord:
I need to grow in gratitude for all your love for me,
for your gifts to me,
for your forgiveness, your help,
your understanding, your compassion, your mercy
- and for the strength you give me
when I'm too weak to go it on my own,
which is just about always...

If I 'd but open my heart in thanksgiving
for all your love for me
then I'd be opening my heart to love you,
to love you as I want to love you,
to love you as I try to love you,
to love you as I need to love you...

So this Monday morning, Lord,
I open my heart in prayer
and offer you my thanks, my praise,
my gratitude for all your love for me...

Help me see and be grateful today
and in the week ahead, Lord,
for all the ways your love comes into my life
that I, in turn,
might love you as I ought,
as I want,
as I need
and as I pray...

Amen.