SUNDAY SERVICES:

I love these words from Raymond Brown, a prominent New Testament scholar.  “How did the following of Jesus which involved love for him survive after he died? 

The answer, I suggest, is that it survived only because love for Jesus was looked on as an ongoing element, even among those who never knew him during his ministry.”  (From The Churches the Apostles Left Behind, by Raymond E. Brown p. 97)

Sometimes the love for Jesus is extravagant.  Here are a couple of images of extravagant love from John’s gospel.  

One is Mary, the sister to Lazarus and Martha, anointing Jesus at dinner. And the other is Peter being asked over and over again if he really loves Jesus. I think something beautiful was going on inside the heart of both Mary and Peter.

At the end of my days, I would like my epitaph to read something like, 

“Here lies Carl, he loved well.”

Perhaps even before the end of my days. It is said that Annie Dillard said, “The way we live our lives is the way we live our days.“ 

So I have decided that I would even like to hear at the end of Lent’s days, “Carl Loved Well this Lent.”  

 Yes, at the end of Lent and Life, I’d like to have loved well.

How do you love others well?

I like to add to Annie’s saying, that the way we live our days is the way we live our moments.  So nowadays, I try and keep an eye out for “holy moments.”  

I saw one while visiting family in North Carolina a few months ago. 

A Friday Message from Sara Buffington, Worship Leader 5-9-2014

I believe this is a word for all would be followers of our Savior.