The Scripture Readings this week are:
- Psalm 136:1-16
- 1 John 4:7-12
- John 3:11-17
The Sermon title is Love Came Down
Early Thoughts: The story of faith, the overarching narrative of Scripture, is a love story. The song of faith is a love song. This weeks we have some snippets from that story, some verses from the song.
The Psalm reading reminds the people of the ways God has shown love to God's people. It reminds of creation, of Exodus, of being led in the wilderness.
The reading from 1 John has become one of my favourite passages about God and love. It pairs well with the reading from the Gospel of John which includes that very common verse, John 3:16 (God so loved the world...).
When we take our part in the love story, when we sing our notes in the love song, we encounter God. When we enter into the Christian story: the story of Incarnation, of God-Among-Us, of the Word-Made-Flesh we meet love walking around teaching and healing.
The Gospel reminds us that the Christ-moment happens because God loves the world. It reminds us that the Jesus-story is not about condemning the world but about redeeming and saving it -- because God loves the world.
In Jesus, love comes down and walks among us. In Jesus we are invited-or commanded-to love each other as we have been loved. In Jesus we are encouraged to join in the harmonies of the ancient love song. And when we do that God lives in us, God is made known through us, God's love for the word draws closer to completeness.
As Christina Rossetti says in her poem Love Came Down at Christmas:
Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men [humanity],
Love for plea and gift and sign.
--Gord
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