Do you ever open your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear? Most of us have been there, standing in front of a full rack of clothes and still unsure how to start the day.
Paul uses that same idea to describe our spiritual lives. In Colossians 3:12–17, he says,
“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Our Rule of Life series has been about getting dressed for discipleship. Each part, devotion, worship, compassion, and justice, is a garment that shapes who we are in Christ.
- Devotion keeps us rooted in God’s word and presence. It is our individual love of God.
- Worship aligns our hearts with gratitude and praise. It is our communal love of God.
- Compassion wraps others in mercy and care. It is our individual love of neighbor.
- Justice ensures that our faith takes shape in the way we treat our neighbors. It is our communal love of neighbor.
When we put these on together, we begin to look like Jesus. Love becomes the belt that holds it all in place. Peace becomes the fabric that keeps us united. Gratitude becomes the color that brightens everything we do.
Our understanding of a rule of life is not new; it is deeply Wesleyan. We know our mission as United Methodists is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. It is our rule of life that tells us HOW to do that?
Our rule of life can be found in The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (¶1109.8). It says: “Promote the General Rule of Discipleship “to witness to Jesus Christ in the world, and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by advocating the formation of Covenant Discipleship Groups or equivalent models applicable to varied contextual settings for all ages.”
That is our call. Our Rule of Life at Midway has helped us remember who we are and whose we are. Each week, we have practiced rhythms of faith that make the love of God visible in our daily lives through devotion, worship, compassion, and justice.
This Sunday, we will close our series by celebrating what it means to live a rule of life that clothes us in Christ. My prayer is that as you begin each new day, you will pause for a moment and ask, “What will I wear on my heart today?”
Then choose love…every single time.
Grace & Peace
(because grace goes before peace),
Pastor Sharon