from my heart

last night at Vespers (Antioch Way’s Sunday night worship gathering) I shared some thoughts on one of the lectionary passages of the week.  Below is the manuscript of my talk. My hope is that you are either inspired or comforted by these words.

Vespers Sharing                                                                                                 10-26-08

When deciding what to share on tonight, I read over the various lectionary scriptures for this week.  I wanted to find a passage that I could relate to through my own life experiences. The passage that is most pertinent to me is from Matthew 22.  In this passage the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus with tricky questions.

Matthew 22: 36-40 says:

          “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?  Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Let me re-read verse 39 because this is the part that I want to focus on tonight.

          “A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.”

I’ve always valued this command and tried to keep “loving others” at the forefront of my mind and daily actions. Yet, I’ve recently come to a realization: I never placed emphasis on last bit of the command. “Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.”  It seems that Jesus is saying that we are to love others the way we love ourselves.

When I talk about ‘loving ourselves’ I am not talking about a conceited, selfish, self-centered love; one where we arrogantly “toot our own horn” or place ourselves on a pedestal.  I am referring to a balanced love where we value ourselves and affirm ourselves as God’s worthy and beautiful creations.  A love where we nourish ourselves—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, and accept the things about ourselves that we cannot change.

After spending some time in deep thought and prayer, it begins to make sense to me. How can we genuinely love others if we don’t respect and love ourselves? How can we give love away if we don’t have any inside of us to begin with? If we don’t value ourselves how can we fully and healthily value and love those around us? 

Speaking from my own experiences and beliefs, (and I’m sure many of you can relate) I find it difficult to fully accept and love myself in this world we all live in.  A culture where the standard of female beauty is the photo-shopped image of a flawless woman on the cover of Vogue magazine, and the male ideal is the ruggedly handsome guy with the washboard abs on Men’s Health or the savvy, polished man posing for GQ. A culture where beauty is virtually unattainable, rich is never rich enough, thin is never thin enough, and none of us “real” humans feel we can measure up.

The culture we live in values achievement over integrity, performance over principle, power over sincerity, and materialism over relationships. No wonder it seems impossible to measure up and feel satisfied with ourselves in this type of environment?  

But, this illusive idea is not of God.  It is Satan’s crafty tactic to keep us stuck in self-criticism, jealousy, and fear. When we can see beyond the media’s lies and embrace the fact that we are worthy human beings because of God’s perfect love, we can begin the journey of self-love and acceptance.  And this journey, which leads towards personal fulfillment, opens the door to truly and wholly loving others. Loving others AS OURSELVES.

And how do we learn to love ourselves?  It can be a difficult undertaking, a slow process, a journey we actively choose to take. To love ourselves means to accept ourselves as we are; to embrace the things about ourselves that we cannot change—the size of our nose, the length of our legs, the color of our skin; To cultivate our strengths and work to improve our weaknesses.  Loving ourselves involves self-respect and a positive self-image.

Personally, a huge barrier to self-love was lifted when I delved into scripture and started viewing myself from God’s perspective.  Really reinforcing that I am a hand-crafted creation of the Creator of the universe. 

One of my favorite verses to pray is Psalm 139: 14

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.”  

When we love ourselves, we invest in our own personal growth and development.  We strive to be the best that we can be, to reach our potential, and to fulfill the purpose God has planned for us.  And in doing so, our love will overflow to those around us.  We will be able to truly “love our neighbors as ourselves.”  

I want to close tonight with two readings. The first being a familiar passage on love and the other a written prayer from the 12-Step Prayer Book:

I Corinthians 13: 4-7

          “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

My Worth

I pray to remember that my worth is not determined by the show of outward strength, or the volume of my voice, or the thunder of my accomplishments. It is to be seen, rather, in terms of the nature and depth of my commitments, the genuineness of my friendships, the sincerity of my purpose, and the quiet courage of my convictions. This I pray.

 

Changing gears, Saturday night Craig and I hosted a party to celebrate me turning 24. It was a themed “S” party where people are to dress up in costumes starting with the letter S.  We had a great turn out of friends and family, some of which went all out with their attire. 

Some of the creative outfits were: Stuntman, Seventies Chic, Swat Team Member, Surfers, Southeast Asian, Student, Sportsplayer, Sailor, and Sleepwalkers.

Here are some of the highlights:

Craigs brother-in-law David, sister Selina (in a red wig!), nephew Christian, me, Craig, and housemate Ian

Girlfriends: Jess, Kristen, Ali, Louisa, Brittany, Marissa, and me

My lovely housemate and friend Hayley and I

The delicious heart-shaped, cream and jam filled sponge cake Hayley made for me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good times all around. Thanks for making my birthday so special, friends!

-Sarah Kate-

Oh, the memories!

I’m currently curled up on my comfy couch back in Australia as the summer sunshine streams in through the windows.  A slight breeze coming through the open front door helps to ward off unbearable temperatures. I am surprised at how quickly the summer heat has arrived.  I left Perth in late September; the nights still possessing a slight chill. Spring’s temperamental forecast has evolved into clear skies and sunny days.  Time to don the bathers and slather on the sunscreen!  

It’s day 3 back in Perth.  My holiday in Nashville was a whirlwind of fun and excitement!  I enjoyed introducing Craig to all my friends and family and showing him around my hometown.  Seeing familiar faces was a breath of fresh air.  Oh how I cherish the handful of friendships that pick up right where they left off, no matter how long the time lapse.  Family game nights, dinner with friends, strolling through Hillsboro village, sleeping in my own bed, cheesecake factory…could it have gotten any better?  Craig got to experience many of his firsts while in Nashville. 

His first American football game.  The overwhelming ambiance of Vandy beating Auburn.

Carving his first pumpkin:

Our finished products: his scary face and my spooky ghost:

 

And having an open house held in his (and my) honor! Thanks to all who came over. It was great fun!

 

Mom’s big helpers and best friends, Renee and Theresa!

Friends forever: Allie, Me, Julianna, and Jessi

The three weeks we spent in Nashville will forever be a beautiful memory etched in our minds. Thanks to all our friends and family who made the trip home so special for us both.  You welcomed us with open arms and we are eternally grateful!

Below are some of my favorite photos.

I love my brother and sister!

Our dear (married!) friends Andrew and Lindsey!

My momma and me, my sweet pea…

My lovely family overlooking downtown Nashville. We had a wonderful photographer, thanks Ms. Renee!
A girls’ Night out on the town! 
Our last night with dear friends…Kim, Aimee, and Lindsey

Love. Love. LOVE.

Blessings,

Sarah Kate