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Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the way of the Lord. Happy are those who keep the Lord’s decrees, who seek the Lord with their whole heart. *Hymn 366 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Prayer of Confession Almighty God, you gave the law to guide our lives. May we never shrink from your commandments, but, as we are taught by your Son, Jesus, strive to fulfill the law in perfect love, aware of our occasions of hard-heartedness and sin. Forgive us and set us free to live in the fullness of your love. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God is love. Those who abide in love abide in God and God abides in them. Friends, God’s word is true and completely reliable. We are loved, forgiven, and freed. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Psalm 119:1-8 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Morning Message “I like steak, but, I love chocolate!” We’ll come back to that. On this Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day, our thoughts turn to love. You have probably heard many times that there are a number of meanings for our word “love.” In the Greek, the New Testament’s original language, we find these descriptions: Philia refers to the love between close friends, or literally, brothers. It shows a personal attachment, it engages our emotions. This is Super Bowl Sunday, ironically played by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. There will be a lot of love-the philia type-on display today, plus a bunch of other emotions, depending on how the game goes for your team. Another word for love is eros, or romantic love, the love of passion and intimacy. One of my favorite stories about this kind of love was shared with me by a church member years ago. He had grown up in a different generation, with different expectations. So, he went to college, earned a degree, served our country during the Second World War, and eventually returned home. He was a person who acted deliberately. He didn’t wait for life to happen to him. He would set his face toward a goal and work toward it. So, one day when we were talking about our families, he said when it came time for him to be married, he approached it with great care. He made a list of all the potential candidates and proceeded to get to know each of them, one at a time, so as not to rush into things or miss something important. His method was successful and he and his wife enjoyed many years together, his profession taking them to many parts of the US, being active in church and good to their neighbors, and raising two fine sons. All the result of eros. Another word for love is storge. It refers to the love between family members. It is the love that calls us together at Thanksgiving. It points toward love that can withstand hardships and trials.The love that testifies to length of years and devotion. And then there is agape-probably the word with which we are most familiar. It means unconditional, sacrificial love. It is the word that describes God in scripture-God is essentially love and God demonstrates love toward his creation. Agape is a love of choice, a love that serves others, and does it with humility. Back to that comment about liking steak but loving chocolate. It was made by one of my seminary professors at the beginning of a class on church growth. His theory was that we should endeavor to learn the favorite activities, hobbies, interests, and foods church members really loved, and build a ministry around those things. Then people would flock to the churches and witness to their friends and neighbors that they loved the church. I admit, I resisted that model, but, the professor did have a point. People who are actively engaged in their churches often say, “I love my church!” in the way someone may say, “I love chocolate!” I’ve spent some time this week considering just what it is the prompts our love for the church. That is as individual as we are. Recently a member shared with me that he loved sitting by one of our stained glass windows, reading scripture, and meditating. In those moments, he draws closer to God. Closer to God. That is what I hope you love about your church. That being here each week and the dozens of other occasions you find yourself about the Lord’s work, wherever it may be, you grow closer to God. That in this fellowship of faith, you find meaning and purpose. That is what I hope to leave with you when I retire in a few months. That you have grown closer to God and that process is eternal. We have walked through the valley of the shadow here with Covid, with the passing of beloved members, with life-changing events here and around this vast world. Many of those things cause us grief for a time, but, they don’t steal our joy or diminish our love. Why is this so? The letter of First John says, “We love because God first loved us.” What we do as a congregation, what we focus our attention on may change with time and circumstances, but the origin of our life of faith is birthed in God’s love for us. I am one of those people who has always known that God loves me, Jesus loves me. One of my earliest memories is of Sunday School when I was just four or five. We were Enslow Park Presbyterians back then. I remember the room, the curtains at the windows. I remember the way the room smelled. It smelled like spring. The teacher led us in a little game. It went like this: “There’s someone in this room that Jesus loves, and that person….”and then she named something that would identify one of the children. Eventually she said, “There’s someone in this room that Jesus loves and she is wearing new black shoes.” I remember we all looked at our feet. I suddenly realized I was wearing new black shoes. It was me! Jesus loved me! Being assured of God’s love has been the blessing of my life. My deep desire is that you know that Jesus loves you. And that you find security in his love. Rachel Held Evans is one of most significant Christian minds of our day. Rachel was an author, preacher, church organizer, wife, and mother. She kept a busy schedule. Rachel returned to her home in Tennessee from a conference at which she was a keynote speaker and leader. She was not feeling well, quickly ending up in the hospital. Her health declined rapidly and Rachel died a few days later, leaving a husband and two young children, the youngest not even a year old. Rachel struggled with her relationship to the church. She grew up in a fundamentalist church, her father was a pastor and professor in a church-related college. She and her sister attended a private Christian school from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. She went to the college where her father taught. As Rachel entered adulthood, moving out of the family nest, she found herself wanting to leave the church of her childhood and look for another type of faith community. It caused a life crisis for her, but, as a result, she wrote about her experience and the joys and repercussions of that change. Rachel left us with many gifts through her books and blogs.. She wrote these words: “If I’ve learned anything in this journey, it’s that Sunday morning sneaks up on us-like dawn, like resurrection, like the sun that rises a ribbon at a time. We expect a trumpet and a triumphant entry, but as always, God surprises us by showing up in ordinary things: in bread, in wine, in water, in words, in sickness, in healing, in death, in a manger of hay, in a mother’s womb, in an empty tomb. Church isn’t some community you join or some place you arrive. Church is what happens when someone taps you on the shoulder and whispers in your ear, Pay attention, this is holy ground; God is here. May it be so for all of you. *Hymn 693 Though I May Speak *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 692 Spirit, Open My Heart *Blessing Go now, with your trust in the Lord. Do not be influenced by the ways of cynics and scoffers, but delight in the Lord’s company, day and night. And may God raise you to new life with Christ. May Christ Jesus heal you of all that troubles you. And may the Holy Spirit nourish you from the deep well and keep you faithful and fruitful in all you do. Amen. *Postlude Comments are closed.
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PastorCinda Harkless Archives
April 2025
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