Tag: Love

The Ten Commandments

Published on by Karolee LarsonLeave a comment
Some birds to lighten the mood

This Sunday, the lectionary focuses on the Ten Commandments. As I studied for my sermon, I began to think about all of the hullabaloo in the news today over these ancient laws and I wondered if legislators really understood what they were forcing upon the walls of their classrooms. Did they understand the culture surrounding these laws? Did they see how the ten were part of a larger story of transformation? Did they read all the other laws that build upon and help interpret these rules? Did they view these commandments through Jesus’s hermeneutic of love?

I find it interesting that this reading in Exodus is paired with Matthew’s story of the wicked tenants. I always wonder what the RCL committee had in mind as they chose scripture, because I might have paired the Ten Commandments with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. But instead, they use a story about some tenants who killed the owner’s son.

But isn’t that what we do when we take God’s commands and use them to harm and oppress people? Jesus taught that the entire law hung on commands to love God and love our neighbors, and yet we focus on justice over mercy and law over grace. How do we reconcile our reading of the law when Jesus tells us that whatever we do to “the least of these” is what we also do to him? Are we guilty of killing the owner’s son?

My guess is that the Philippians also struggled with the law because Paul needed to tell them how zealous he was for it before he met Jesus. I find it interesting how the same people who post the law also teach a freedom from the law. At least, this has been my experience. But Paul was not ditching the law, he just learned to interpret it through Christ’s hermeneutic of love. Paul’s rigid zealousness for obedience was now rubbish to him in light of Christ’s grace and mercy and love.

The laws are good, but they need to be handled with care. We miss the greater message when we reduce God’s word to ten simple dos and don’ts and we are wrong to think these bullet points represent all of God’s teaching on how to relate with God and other people. Only when we use God’s law in light of God’s love will we truly understand these ancient commands.

Definitely something to ponder.

Grace and peace

Parson Larson, 2026

Ruth

Published on by Karolee LarsonLeave a comment
Camping at the rodeo grounds

For the third year in a row, our church has done something we call “Camping in July.” We do it for all those who don’t have the luxury of disappearing into the land of summer vacation. To make it feel like we are kids at camp, we set up a camp ground in our narthex, make some fun crafts, and sing a lot of camp songs. We also do a fun sermon series.

This year, we focused on the book of Ruth, and specifically on four Hebrew words.

(Shuv) שוב which means ״to return” was repeated several times in chapter one as Naomi and her daughters-in-law debated about returning to Bethlehem. Because Ruth was a Moabite, and because she is know as someone who “returned” (even though she had not been there before), I began to understand her return as a return to God. The history between the Israelites and the Moabites is filled with deep meaning which lends itself to this idea of a return to faith. I heartily recommend you read the following:

Genesis 19: Moab’s origin story

Numbers 21-25: Moab’s treachery in the wilderness

Deuteronomy 23:1-8: Moabites not allowed in the temple

The second Hebrew word that we studied was (la.qat) לקת which means “to glean. Chapter two was all about Ruth gleaning in Boaz’s field. As I pondered on this word, I thought of all the blessings we glean from God.

Our third word for the month was (hesed) חסד which is a difficult word to translate since it represents more of an idea than an action. English translators use words like steadfast love, loyalty, and faithfulness, but those words fall short and can change the act based on which word was used. It’s best to think of the word as a relationship between someone in need and someone qualified to provide, like a child with power of attorney who cares for an elderly parent.

Our final word from Ruth, (ga.al) גאל, meaning “to redeem,” plays an important role in chapter four as Boaz barters for the right to redeem Naomi’s land. But the word doesn’t just appear in the book of Ruth. The entire Old Testament is the story of a God who loves and desires to redeem. It’s a story that points to Jesus, his death and resurrection, and a story that continues to show God’s redeeming work through Christ’s church.

Ruth is not just a love story between a man and a woman, but a love story between God and God’s created people. I encourage you to give it a fresh read.

Grace and peace,

Parson Larson (2026)

Kingdom People

Published on by Karolee LarsonLeave a comment

While I am not surprised to see how divided our country has become, I am sad when I see Christians participate in the division.

Our political climate has become a war between two gods who demand total allegiance from their worshippers. Battle lines are drawn on every political front. No longer can people travel safely between positions for fear of being called a traitor. We are compelled to choose a side.

But there is a third option. As Christians, we are not called to be republicans or democrats, but to be Kingdom people who follow the commands of our king. We are to live as ambassadors in this land as we wait for our king to return.

As ambassadors, our role is to show the world a better way to live – a way that is rooted in King Jesus’ commands to love God and love our neighbors, including our enemies. We are to look for signs of the Kingdom and then participate in Christ’s redemptive work, which unites instead of divides. But instead, I see Christians staunchly supporting the political positions of their preferred party without any thought to how those positions may or may not further God’s Kingdom of love.

Unfortunately, division among Christians is nothing new. When asked if he was the devil, Jesus responded, “A house divided cannot stand.” Have Christians become their own devil by fighting against one another? Is it any wonder why people want nothing to do with the Church?

Let’s put aside our false gods and rally around our king! Let’s look for signs of love and unity which point toward the Kingdom of God. Let’s follow King Jesus’ command to love God and love our neighbors – all of our neighbors. Let’s participate in Christ’s work of reconciliation and redemption for the glory of God.

Let’s be Kingdom People.

Grace and Peace

Parson Larson 2025