SAINT LUKE'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

401 Scammel Street Marietta, OH 45750 740-373-1716

  An ELCA Congregation

"Embraced by God's love, we connect, worship and serve."

From

the Pastor:

Pastor’s February 2012 Newsletter Article

 

♫ Love is in the air ♫ As we now enter into the month of February, filled with little Cupids, roses, pink and red hearts, and valentines, love will undoubtedly be on many of our minds. As Paul tells us in Galatians, The Spirit produces . . . love. He also goes on to write his famous treatise on love in 1 Corinthians, reminding us all of the virtues of love, and that of faith, hope, and love, love is the greatest. The Bible, in fact, has much to say on the topic of love, so it’s only appropriate for us to ponder it this month.

That being said, most of us will be thinking about the love we have for our spouse, significant other, or girlfriend/boyfriend. But as your pastor, I’d like for you to think of another love . . . a more challenging love, if you can imagine there being such a thing! Jesus says, “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you . . . If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” “Ah,” you’re probably thinking, “that kind of love. That is a more difficult love!” When was the last time you thought about “loving” your enemy? When was the last time you considered doing good for someone who despises you? Seem extreme? Yes, and extremely difficult!

Well, that’s just the kind of love Jesus wants us to practice and aspire to . . . for that’s the kind of love that we witness in God. God didn’t come to us in Christ to love only those who love Him back . . . God came to “reconcile us all.” Scripture teaches us that God’s love is for all, for all to know Him, for all to come to Him, for the world and all of God’s good creation to be glorified through Him. That seems pretty radical and inclusive . . . and that’s just what it is.

I always tell the young couples getting married that Paul, in Corinthians, is describing God’s love, first, and in our marriages we should do our best to imitate this love, God’s love, toward our spouse. “God’s love is patient and kind. God’s love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. God’s love doesn’t insist on its own way, nor rejoices in wrongdoing, but in the truth. God’s love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. God’s love never ends.”

It’s much easier to direct this type of love toward someone who’s doing the same back toward us, like a spouse or family member. But try doing this to someone who’s always ignoring you, who doesn’t listen to you, who insists on having their own way, who says and does hurtful things toward you, who doesn’t even acknowledge your existence . . .and you might just begin to understand God a little better!!!

Love IS indeed in the air . . . and in our hearts and lives. Thanks be to God for this gracious love!

On another note, I want to thank each of you for your thoughts, prayers, graciousness, and yes, love, over Christmas and New Years. Your thoughtfulness is always appreciated by both me and my children, and I continue to give God thanks for the opportunity to serve and love you in return.

“For it is in giving that we receive, it is in loving that we are loved, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” St Francis of Assisi