Celebrating God’s Love Through Action
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
It’s February, and our culture is ready to celebrate love. People will eat chocolate, buy flowers, or perform other gestures to show their love on Valentine’s Day. Even though some complain that the Day has become overly commercialized, expressing love to those in our lives isn’t a bad thing. It’s also very much a Christian thing. Valentine’s Day and anniversaries understandably focus on the ones we love, and we must honor them. However, those we love are gifts from God. How might we thank, honor, and praise God for these gifts? We could demonstrate it by doing as much good as we can for others in God’s name.
This year, Pendleton Center will be celebrating its 175th anniversary, which the Planning Team entitled “A Celebration of Real Love and Real Hope.” This theme is rooted in our church slogan: Real Love - Real Hope. As part of our 175th anniversary celebration, the team is asking the entire Pendleton church family, past and present, to participate in a Mission Drive. The Mission Drive invites everyone to share some of the most important gifts God gives: our money, time, and energy, in loving gratitude for what God has done in this family of faith. We hope that you will consider donating $175.00 or 17.5 hours to a community agency or cause that shows love like Jesus and offers real hope.
Our capital campaign is also about giving. It may seem more challenging to see this as love. However, generously supporting this campaign expresses love as we faithfully steward God’s gift of this place. We show love for each other by sharing the burden of these expenses. Presenting our church as a safe and well-maintained gift shows our love and respect for our community.
This may feel like a lot to ask, but remember why we give. The passage above reminds us If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. One of our church's core values is generosity. We give regularly to many organizations that may not mean as much to us personally. How much more might we offer to those we love? As we celebrate love this year, let us celebrate God’s love by sharing it in as many ways as possible to bless God’s name.
Pastor Scott
