December 19, 2020

 Dear Road Church Friends,

Advent blessings to you all,

        Tomorrow we light the Advent candle of LOVE. In so doing we look at Christmas through the lens of love. The four weeks of Advent are dedicated to Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE. Love defines Christmas because Jesus is the incarnation of love.

Love came down on Christmas

Love all lovely, love divine,

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and Angels gave the sign,

Love to God, and love to all men,

Love our plea, and gift and sign,

That God is with us for all time.

 One of the greatest chapters in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13 which is Paul’s Hymn to Love, praising the practical beauty and power of Love to forge unbreakable bonds between people. It is most often read at weddings. But it was originally written as a prescription to secure peace and harmony in the life of the church. The Church is a Community built and knit together by Christmas love. It is the love of Christ in us that makes the existence of the church possible. God’s banner flying over the church is Love.

The readings for tomorrow’s message are 1 Corinthians 12:14-31, which reminds us that the church is a living organism with many diverse members. Then Paul follows up that image with 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 in which prescribes love as a most excellent way of creating and preserving harmony in the church.

The Christmas love we celebrate annually is an opportunity to renew our commitment to love each other with our whole heart all year long.

Jesus’ parting words to his disciples were, “I give you a new commandment, that you should love one another just as I have a loved you. By this everyone one will know that you are my disciples.”

Grace, Peace and Christmas Love to all,

Pastor Norm

Advent week # 4 LOVE YouTube video: https://youtu.be/NsrA4CIm_L4