There is hope!

On Sunday we concluded a two part sermon series on Love: An Extraordinary Kind of Love.  Over two weeks we looked at the story of Jesus’ dear friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

This story tells of a time when Jesus grieved. There are so many facets to the story of Lazarus. Jesus knew him — this wasn’t just someone who pursued Him in a crowd or heard of His miracles. This was a friend Jesus spent time with. We know Jesus loved everyone, but the Bible specifically says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5). 

Jesus had dinner with Lazarus. Jesus even found Himself in the middle of sister drama with Martha and Mary. He knew this family, and they knew Him. Personally.

That was one of the many reasons why the death of Lazarus was such a shock. It was hard to understand why.

We all know how the story ends — Lazarus didn’t stay dead long. Jesus displayed what He proclaimed: He is the resurrection and the life.

But in the middle, between death and life, something else happened. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). This is scripture’s shortest verse—and one of its most profound. Imagine the Son of God, who would defeat death forever, weeping with mourners at the grave of the man he was about to resurrect.

This begs the question … why? Jesus knew Lazarus would live again. Why weep? He could have started with “Lazarus, come out!” but He chose to shed tears with Mary and Martha instead.

Why? Because God is present.  God is there in the midst of our grieving and grieves with us in our pain. It is all about this Extraordinary Kind of Love that God has for humanity — for you and me.

Ash Wednesday (Feb 17th) marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent (find out more here) is a time that invites us to grieve as Jesus grieved, and to glory as he gloried—in the death of death. There is HOPE!

You are Loved!

An Extraordinary Kind of Love_part 2

This Sunday is Valentine’s Day! 

Valentine’s Day gets a lot of hype in our consumerist society doesn’t it? Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the retailers are not missing a beat to entice you to make the perfect online purchase.

Do you know the origin of Valentine’s Day?  One source cited that there was a priest by the name of Valentine who lived in Rome about 250 AD.  At that time, Rome was ruled by Emperor Claudius II who desired a big army but found many men just wouldn’t volunteer– they did not want to leave their wives and girlfriends.  This infuriated Claudius II, so he got this crazy idea that if men were not married, they would join his army.  Claudius II decided not to allow any more marriages. 

Young people thought his new law was cruel. Valentine thought it was ridiculous!  One of his favorite jobs as a priest was to marry people.

Well after Emperor Claudius II passed his law, Valentine kept on performing marriage ceremonies – but secretly.  

He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.  One night, he did hear footsteps.  The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught.  He was thrown in jail and told that his punishment was death.  

And do you know what happened?  

Many young people came to the jail to visit him.  They threw flowers and notes up to his window.  They wanted him to know that they, too, believed in love.  One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard.  Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell where they often sat and talked for hours.   On the day he was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty.  He signed it, "Love from your Valentine." That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine's Day.  It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.  Now, every year on this day, people remember and think about love and friendship.

“Love” and “friendship” are huge themes in the Word of God.   For instance 1 John 3:18 says: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”   We are told that our love must be true love and that we should show that love by what we do. 

Our words have to match our actions if we really mean them.  St. Valentine backed up his belief with action.  He continued to perform marriage ceremonies even though he knew he could die for doing it.   As we know, St. Valentine’s actions were not so unique. God showed His extravagant love for us first.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

God did this for you and for me – before we even knew that God existed.  God gave us the greatest “Valentine’s Day” gift ever given!   

But how do we show our love for God? 

The Bible is clear that God calls us to love others as Jesus loves us.  We can say that we love others – but what does it look like?  And does it only happen once a year on Valentine’s Day.  I don’t think so.  

It means that in our daily, everyday lives we need to treat people the way we want to be treated.  With love.  I suppose what I am trying to say is that actions sometimes do speak louder than words!   

So, on Valentine’s Day, remember that you have already been given the greatest Valentine’s gift of all. And as a response to God’s extraordinary love let us love others just as God loves us!

An Extraordinary Kind of Love.

It’s February!  I am not quite sure how it got to be February. Time sure does fly when you are locked up in your home, am I right?

So in honour of Heart Month, Valentines Day and National Wear Red Day, I thought we should maybe talk about what makes the heart go “pitter pat”.  Let’s talk about LOVE!

On Sunday we will begin a new two part sermon series entitled:  An Extraordinary Kind of Love.

Maybe when you read that you immediately think of your extraordinary love. Maybe you think of a parent, or partner, or child. Maybe you think of your best friend or maybe your faithful pet. Whoever you are thinking about, celebrate it! Let them know. Time, as we know, has a way of marching on — don’t miss an opportunity to love on your extraordinary love.

On Sunday we will be looking at a passage of scripture taken from the Gospel of John. It is the story of Mary and Martha and their seriously ill brother, Lazarus. As we look at this story together we are going to discover another kind of love.  The love of God for Lazarus; the love of God for all humanity; and the love of God for you and me.

God’s love for us is not fickle, nor in need of reciprocity. God’s love for you and me is not dependent on us doing something to please God. God’s love is unconditional; it is relentless; it is persistent — regardless of what we do, and even if we don’t love God back. That is a crazy, not-of-this-world, extraordinary kind of love.  And that is God’s love for you.

At a time when we might feel the weight of isolation and loneliness, please know that you are not alone. As you are reading this there are people at Amberlea praying for you. 

You are not alone. 

We are here and ready to Zoom, email or text. We are even happy to go old-school and chat on the phone. We are here but more importantly God is here. 

The Lord is near and you are loved unconditionally by God. 

David said it gloriously and confidently, in Psalm 73:25-26:

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

May we be satisfied with God and in God.

In God our joy will be complete!

************

“But you, my Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy; you are very patient and full of faithful love.” — Psalm 86:15

“Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his faithful love endures forever.” — 1 Chronicles 16:34

“Your faithful love is priceless, God! Humanity finds refuge in the shadow of your wings.” — Psalm 36:7

“This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.” — 1 John 4:9-10