Good morning, Community UMC family!
Happy Sunday!
Let me begin with a simple question:
How many languages can you say “thank you” in?
English: Thank you, Gracias in Spanish, merci in French, danke in German, or arigatou gozaimasu in Japanese.
I am so thankful for your presence here today.
So I want to ask you a question: If you could describe “following Christ every day” in just one word, what word would you choose?
Maybe faith. Maybe service. Maybe hope. Maybe love.
For me, today’s Scripture gives us one very clear answer:
Following Jesus means learning to love as Jesus loved.
Jesus; love was not just words.
Today’s passage takes us to a moment when Jesus has just shared the Last
Supper with his disciples. Today is World Communion Sunday>
Before this passage, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.
And then Judas left. Jesus knew what Judas was going to do.
Jesus knew that the cross was waiting for him. And yet, Jesus washed their feet.
Jesus doesn’t simply tell us: “Love one another.”He shows us what love looks like.
He bends down. He takes a towel. He washes feet. And ultimately, He gives his life on the cross.
That is love in action, compassion, and mission. During Jesus’s ministry, he repeatedly showed
this kind of love. He touched people others avoided. He welcomed people others rejected.
He ate with people others judged. He listened to people who were ignored.
He cared for people who were hurting. And Jesus taught his disciples to do the same.
In Matthew 5, Jesus says:
“If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.”
“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well.”
“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.”
Jesus is describing a way of living that goes beyond what is required.
The writer of 1 John says it beautifully:
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in deed and truth.”
— 1 John 3:1
Christian love cannot remain only words; it has to become visible. Love has hands. Love has
feet. Love has ears. Love has a heart. Love becomes a phone call. Love becomes a meal.
Love becomes a visit. Love becomes forgiveness. Love becomes sitting beside someone who is
hurting. Love is action, compassion, and mission.
During the orientation for chaplain in a hospital, the supervisor, Rev. Shipe, said something that
Stayed with me.
He said:
“Human beings are communal creatures, designed by the divine/transcendent to live in and within caring relationships. The primal spiritual need of any communal creature is to be seen, to be heard, to be understood, particularly in moments of crisis.”
To be seen. To be heard. To be understood. Isn’t that what love does? That is holy love.
As United Methodists, we talk about love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
And this year, we are especially reflecting on what it means to love boldly.
But what does bold love look like? I don’t think bold love always means doing something great.
Mother Teresa once said,
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
It is welcoming someone who walks through our doors for the first time.
It is noticing the person sitting alone. It is calling someone who hasn’t been at church for a while.
It is forgiving when we would rather hold onto our anger. It is listening instead of immediately giving an answer.
It is making room for someone who is different from us. It is helping someone who cannot give
anything back to us. It is going the second mile. It is washing someone’s feet.
It is loving someone even when we know they may disappoint us. That is the love Jesus showed
- And today is Communion Sunday. I think there is something beautiful about love that calls us
to come to this table. Before Jesus asks us to give love, Jesus invites us to receive love.
Look at this table. The bread. The cup. They remind us: We are loved.Before we do anything for God, We are loved by God. Jesus loved us first. Jesus gave himself for us.
Jesus welcomes us to this table.
And when we receive the bread and the cup, we are not simply remembering something Jesus did long ago.
We are receiving the grace of Christ again. And then Jesus sends us out to become people who
share that grace. We receive love. And we love. We receive forgiveness. And we forgive.
We receive grace. And we give grace. We may not be able to change the whole world.
But we can change someone’s day. We may not be able to solve every problem.
But we can sit with someone in their pain. We may not be able to feed everyone who is hungry.
But we can feed one person. We may not be able to reach everyone who is lonely.
But we can call one person. We may not be able to love everyone perfectly.
But today, we can choose to love the person God places in front of us.
Do small things with great love. Who needs to be seen by you this week?
Who needs to be heard? Who needs encouragement? Who needs forgiveness?
Who needs a meal? Who needs a phone call? Who needs someone to sit beside them?
Who needs you to go the second mile? Friends, we are the people who live love, who become
love, and who share love. And that is what Jesus asks of us:
“Love one another. Just as I have loved you.” So today, as we come to the Lord’s Table, let us
remember: We are loved. And because we are loved, we can love. May our love not be only
words. May our love have hands. May our love have feet. May our love have courage. May our
love be bold.
Amen.
To view service, click link below;
Many thanks to Cal White for leading our service today in my absence. I watched the service and it all went smoothly thanks to all who played their part. I heard two good sermons today. The first at the Evergreen Baptist Church where my wife’s great-nephew brought the message and then Cal’s message later on line.
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