2007 Devotional Guide
for ELCA Congregation Councils and Committees

The Holy Cross — Keeping Love in Mind
September 2007 by Margaret Payne

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. —1 Corinthians 1:18

Wisdom is hidden all around us and sages are found in ordinary places. One oracle is the seat of supermarket carts where tiny gurus often reveal more to us about love than we can learn from all the books and advertising in the world.

A mother was standing in front of a shelf in a supermarket, intent on price comparison, and her small son sat enthroned in the cart. He was providing a running commentary on the weather, his need for candy, the importance of his stuffed bunny, and the weariness of his task of assisting with the family grocery shopping.

Then he paused and remembered love. He said, “Are we going to see Gramma and Grandpa today?” Without turning her head his mother replied, “Yes, we are.”

“Good,” he said, and sighed. “They love me so much; I want to go and be with them.”
Do we keep God’s love in mind amid the distractions of the world? And do we allow our longing for it to guide our work as leaders of the church?

The sign of the cross looks foolish to those who do not understand its message, and sometimes we get so lost in Christian busyness that we forget to keep love in mind. It is God’s great love shown through the cross that is our greatest wisdom. The world sees the cross as a sign of death, but we know that it is the sign of a love so amazing that we live in daily gratefulness for its gifts. We take a day during the church year— September 14—to meditate on the meaning of the cross because it reminds us that God’s power comes from sacrificial love and forgiveness.

Leaders in the church work at the foot of the cross. In humility and gratitude we offer ourselves as instruments of God’s love and forgiveness so that the power of selfgiving love can be offered to the world through our lives and through the ministry of the church.

Prayer
O God, by your cross you have redeemed the world. Keep us close to the cross in our speaking and acting so that we depend on its power more than worldly power. Help us to keep your love in mind. Amen.

For Reflection or Discussion
How can we use the power of sacrificial love and forgiveness more fully in our ministry?

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