Well, Happy Valentine’s Day! The airwaves are saturated with love. From commercials that remind you of what your sweetie wants (and by the way it’s at their store!), to Hallmark movies that bombard us with the ooey-gooey, sappy romantic love that only happens, well, in the movies! And then there are the songs of love: The Look of Love, All You Need is Love, I Will Always Love You, and Endless Love.
There are TV shows about love such as Love, American Style. It came out in the 70’s and had scenarios of folks in various stages of falling in and out of love. Then there was The Love Boat, another tv show with various scenes of love. Now we have Love Island, The Bachelor, and Love at First Sight. Seems everybody’s looking for love.
But what is love? Beyond the goosebumps, butterflies in the stomach, batting of eyes, what in the world is love? In the church world, we often refer to 1 Corinthians 13 as a model for love. But many times that text gets relegated only to weddings. But the Apostle Paul didn’t write it for weddings.
Paul wrote to the conflicted Corinthian church. reminding us all that the true evidence of a Spirit-filled life is evidence of the spiritual fruit of love. The mark of an obedient Christian community, one that is truly following Jesus, is that its members’ lives are overflowing with love.
It's the difference between a pitcher and a fountain. A pitcher has a limited supply. There’s only so much that it can hold. But a fountain, such as the kind you see in gardens, can flow constantly. You see, the water is poured out, circles around, goes through a drainage system, then is recycled back into the fountain so that it can flow out again. I love that image of love!
We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, are like the fountain. We shower our love upon others, even those who make it hard! The love flows from us to them. And while you may not get it back from that same person, at some point, the love that flowed out from you will come back to you! Don’t believe me? Try it! It’s what I call Love, Discipleship Style! Paul said it this way:
8 Love never ends… 13 And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:8, 13
This Sunday we will celebrate love with the message: Love, Discipleship Style! Love is a mark of discipleship, which fits in with our 2025 vision - Deeply Rooted: Growing Through Discipleship! We will also celebrate romantic love as we acknowledge the Puyears on their 65th wedding anniversary! Love is in the air!
State of the Church will be this Sunday, February 16, after worship. You’ll hear from the leadership board on how we did in 2024, goals for 2025, as well as the budget for 2025. And I will have a special video recap of 2024!
President’s Day, Monday February 17, the church office will be closed.
Ron Weiss Memorial will be held on Saturday, February 22, at Green Trails. Visitation at 10:30am, service at 11:00am.
Board Meeting will be held on Monday, February 24, 6:30pm.
Ash Wednesday Service on March 5, 6:00pm. Receive the imposition of ashes on your forehead or hand and celebrate Holy Communion together as we go into the sacrificial season of Lent.
Churchwide Bible Study! Our Lenten Bible study will begin on Wednesday, March 12, 6:30-7:30pm. The study is called: Essentials of Faith. It will take us through some of the basics of our faith such as: what is a Christian? Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? Whether you’re a long-time disciple or new to the faith, this course is sure to strengthen you on your faith journey! No book is required for purchase. Study guides will be made available for each of the 6 weeks. Potluck dinner will be available from 5:45-6:15pm. Let’s pack the MPR, because the church that studies together stays together!
Vision for 2025:
Deeply Rooted:
Growing Through Discipleship!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
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