2024 Wesley Community Lenten Devotional
Let Love Lead the Way
Week Three
Revs. Megan & Joel Walther
Community ConnectionsMegan: WTS MDiv 2011, Wesley Council Donor; Clarkston UMC in Clarkston, MI
Joel: WTS MDiv 2011, Wesley Council Donor; Director of Conference Benefits & Coordinator of Human Resources for the Michigan Conference of The UMC
Love ConnectionMegan and Joel met during orientation at Wesley -- both lived in Straughn Hall (dormitory). Joel would always find a reason to wander down the hallway to where Megan lived so that he could talk to her. Talking in doorways turned into talking on dates and the rest, as they say, is history.Love LanguageMegan: Words of Affirmation
Joel: Acts of ServiceFavorite Love SongMegan: P.S. I Love You by The Beatles
Joel: Swimming in Your Ocean by The Crash Test DummiesFavorite Love Quote“He is now to be among you
At the calling of your hearts.
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on His part.
The union of your spirits here has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is love”
-- Wedding Song (There Is Love) by Noel Paul Stookey
Marital Mercy
Micah 7:18–20
W
hat is the best way to load a dishwasher? Which way should you load a roll of toilet paper? How soon should you turn on the furnace for the season…?
Marriage is strange, because you can love your partner deeply and still be irritated by the way they approach a mundane household task. Even in the healthiest of relationships, it is easy to convince ourselves that we’re automatically in the right. Whether we’re setting the thermostat or delving into more serious conversations like finances or politics, it can be easy to become self-righteous. Self-righteousness, then, can easily morph into being sulky or crabby or even vindictive.
But marriage is all about mercy. We’re called to consistently approach one another with compassion, humility and forgiveness, even in times of disagreement. If you’re anything like us, it’s a daily work in progress.
God consistently offers us this kind of life-giving compassion. Each one of us is loved deeply by the Creator. At Wesley, we studied scripture passages like Micah 7 that point to God’s faithful and merciful nature. To paraphrase the UMC communion liturgy, even when we turn away and our love fails, God’s love remains steadfast. Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of God’s covenant and God’s invitation to be in relationship with us.
Relationships are a chance to live into the image of love, compassion and mercy that God models for us. Whether it’s marriage, friendship or any other relationship, when we live in God’s way, it’s all about mercy.
Reflection: Today, pause and consider just how deeply God loves you and how God’s mercy is always present for you. Intentionally find ways to offer mercy to those with whom you are in relationship.
Praying Through The Seasons With Wesley
Journey with Wesley Theological Seminary (WTS) through the seasons of the liturgical and academic year. Connect through prayer with the Wesley Community, on campus and in ministry around the world.
Please return here each season to rekindle a rhythm of prayer that unites the Wesley Family, no matter where we are.
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