In The Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight challenges his readers to pray / recite the Jesus Creed every morning and every evening for 30 days. The Jesus Creed comes from Mark 12:28-31 where Jesus is asked which commandment is the most important in God’s Law. Jesus responds, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
I’ve only been doing this for a couple of days, but I immediately realize that this is something I desperately need. I need continual reminders to love God. And lately, I’ve needed even more reminders of the call to love others. If you’re like me, daily reminders are a very good thing. I’d encourage you to think about joining me over the next 30 days in making the Jesus Creed a part of your daily thought process.
already & not yet 
McKnight was awesome! I can only imagine the power that comes from these words in our daily lives.
I find this both fruitful and difficult! The times that I have practiced the recitation of a daily prayer or phrase have been some of the most transformative! But those seasons are typically short lived.I lament that we haven’t done a better job of instilling daily disciplines into the life of our church community. Thanks for bringing this reminder my way – to take seriously repetitive and daily utterances!
I’m with you T.H. As for our reticence to embrace “creeds”, I know there are some out there who will frown upon this kind of thing. (There are people out there that frown on just about everything!) They’ll hear Matthew 6:7 (“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”) as forbidding this kind of exercise. But I see nothing vain about repeating what Jesus says are the greatest commandments in the entirety of God’s Law. Besides, if we want to start banning repetitions, then we’ll have to throw out half the Psalms, the Synoptics, Paul’s doxological phraseology and no telling how many of our praise and worship songs!
We’re not against creeds, Jason. We’re against creeds that aren’t called the Bible!I guess Tomlin, Crowder and company should either give up their day jobs, or decide to write with substantially less repetition in their chorus lines! Darn them for wanting to incorporate the Psalms into their music.
Tomlin and Crowder should quit their day jobs for entirely different reasons!
I am also taking the 30 day challenge of “The Jesus Creed”. It has already made an impact on my daily life. He was right, loving your neighbors like you love yourself is really difficult when it comes to everyday life.
Alisha,I’ve been amazed at how many times a day those words come rushing back to me, especially when I start and end my day reflecting on them. It seems like they just pop into my head at various times during the day, usually when I need them the most!
What? Are you hating on DCB? Don’t let your colleague there know you ripped on Tomlin like that!