Musings Along Lifes Way: God's Love
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.., 8 for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us.... 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
What makes your heart sing? What do you love? For many of us, members and friends of First Congregational UCC, our church makes the heart sing, but even more so, we are in a love affair with God.
Love is a wonderful thing! Let us be glad and rejoice in just that, we love God. But, check things out in John’s first letter: it is not that we loved God, that is not the big deal – the unbelievable, great news is this: God first loved us. Our love for God, for our church, our love for our family and friends is a gift because God first loved us. God’s love for us is our first love – primary, predating even the love our parents have (had) for us. Now, isn’t that interesting: all love proceeds for God. This is a very good thing, showing us that love itself, God’s self, reaches further than we can imagine – embracing all. God’s love is basic, underlying the love a mother has for her child, the love that two people who are considering marriage have for one another, the love a child has for her parents, the love that we have for our friends, the love that we carry for people we haven’t even met yet. God’s love supports all this – supports everything. This first love is THE TRUTH attested to by all the spiritual teachers of all time. This first love is the midwife’s hand helping you out of the womb. This first love is the hospice nurse as he holds you while you take your last breath. There is no where that this first love does not reach.
Even our grumbling and grousing, our moaning and complaining--is held in God’s love. The gospel is Good News, pure and simple: there is an unending supply of God’s love, ours is a rhythm of abundance. You cannot escape this love that reaches everywhere. So what do you with it?
Your heart sings, you raise your voice, give witness and testimony. Everyone needs to know of God’s undying, unending, limitless unconditional love. The Church uses a particular word when talking about sharing God’s love with others: evangelism. Yes, yes, I know that is a hard word. We have seen others turn this word around where the good news seems to become unwelcome burdensome news – having something to do with being able to repeat a certain belief. But No! Evangelism is simply telling Good News. What do we tell? That there is a first love, a love that gives meaning and life to all loves. Evangelism is really an invitation to fall head over heels into this first love, so that we can become all that it is humanly possible to become: reflections of divine love in the world.
So, what makes your heart sing? Who do you love? Who loves you? Remember Jesus summing up all spiritual knowledge—two rules: Love the lord your God, heart mind and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself. That’s good news. Love, David
What makes your heart sing? What do you love? For many of us, members and friends of First Congregational UCC, our church makes the heart sing, but even more so, we are in a love affair with God.
Love is a wonderful thing! Let us be glad and rejoice in just that, we love God. But, check things out in John’s first letter: it is not that we loved God, that is not the big deal – the unbelievable, great news is this: God first loved us. Our love for God, for our church, our love for our family and friends is a gift because God first loved us. God’s love for us is our first love – primary, predating even the love our parents have (had) for us. Now, isn’t that interesting: all love proceeds for God. This is a very good thing, showing us that love itself, God’s self, reaches further than we can imagine – embracing all. God’s love is basic, underlying the love a mother has for her child, the love that two people who are considering marriage have for one another, the love a child has for her parents, the love that we have for our friends, the love that we carry for people we haven’t even met yet. God’s love supports all this – supports everything. This first love is THE TRUTH attested to by all the spiritual teachers of all time. This first love is the midwife’s hand helping you out of the womb. This first love is the hospice nurse as he holds you while you take your last breath. There is no where that this first love does not reach.
Even our grumbling and grousing, our moaning and complaining--is held in God’s love. The gospel is Good News, pure and simple: there is an unending supply of God’s love, ours is a rhythm of abundance. You cannot escape this love that reaches everywhere. So what do you with it?
Your heart sings, you raise your voice, give witness and testimony. Everyone needs to know of God’s undying, unending, limitless unconditional love. The Church uses a particular word when talking about sharing God’s love with others: evangelism. Yes, yes, I know that is a hard word. We have seen others turn this word around where the good news seems to become unwelcome burdensome news – having something to do with being able to repeat a certain belief. But No! Evangelism is simply telling Good News. What do we tell? That there is a first love, a love that gives meaning and life to all loves. Evangelism is really an invitation to fall head over heels into this first love, so that we can become all that it is humanly possible to become: reflections of divine love in the world.
So, what makes your heart sing? Who do you love? Who loves you? Remember Jesus summing up all spiritual knowledge—two rules: Love the lord your God, heart mind and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself. That’s good news. Love, David
posted by FirstUCCSR at Thursday, June 26, 2008
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