Dear Friends,
Charles Wesley wrote a hymn titled, “Gentle Jesus, Meek, and Mild.” To be honest, I’ve never really loved that hymn nor the reduction of Jesus to being only gentle, meek, and mild. It’s clear from Scripture that Jesus was bold, confrontational, awkwardly direct, and at times angry. In addition to that, there are many, many, many passages of Scripture where God speaks to his people in ways that we probably wouldn’t say were gentle, meek, or mild.
But it is true that Jesus was often gentle. It is true that we worship a God who has been, is, and promises to be gentle with us. As followers of Christ, the Bible regularly exhorts us to be gentle with each other in Christ and gentle in our interactions with the unbelieving, harsh, and even persecuting world around us. Our increasingly angry world needs more of that gentleness that turns away wrath. And, yes, gentleness is a Fruit of the Spirit. It’s a gift of God – not a personality trait that some just have more than others. It’s God’s own gentleness that we are empowered with.
How has someone’s gentleness impacted you? Take some time to reflect and remember when someone’s gentleness made all the difference. Maybe they were gentle with you in a difficult time or a time of conflict. Or maybe they were a constant gentle presence. Reflect on the power of gentleness and its impact.
As you do that, take some time to read and reflect on the following passages as we prepare to worship together as a church family this Sunday: Hebrews 4:14-5:3, Galatians 6:1-5, and 1 Peter 3:14-18.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Ewan
