Love is at the heart of everything

By mmayer
Pastor Michael Mayer
1 Corinthians 13:1-13

 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 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. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Video

I Corinthians 13 and doing a personal check-in with the God of deep love.

For the confession of sins on Sunday we did this reflective check-in, as a way of being more aware of what is getting in the way of us being more loving, and what we might be invited to let go of, so that we can receive forgiveness and do this love- life a little better. Take a quiet moment, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and then spend a little time as seems good to you. As you become aware of something, try to hand some of it over to God for guidance, help, and to receive peace and new life.

Love is patient. How am doing with those painful, frustrating people or situations in my life? What situations or people might I name?

Love is kind.  Am I thinking or acting unkindly towards anyone?

Love is not envious. Am I wanting, in a wrong way, what someone else has? Am I happy to be me, in my own skin?

Love is not arrogant. Are there moments when I am so full of my own doings, that I am unable to listen to and see what is happening for others?

Love does not insist on its own way. How am I going, with not trying to control others?

Love is not irritable. When am I Mr or Ms Grumpy? Where is God in that?

 Love keeps no records of wrongs.  How am I doing with keeping a score of past hurts done to me?

Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing. How am I going, with rejoicing when others get their comedown?

 And now silently leave these things at the foot of the cross, and ask Christ to lift them off you.

Receive again the gift of forgiveness.

‘And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13.   You are covered over and forgiven by the love of Christ.

You may wish to making a large sign of the cross over your torso..

Faith: touch forehead and then below the stomach.

Hope: One shoulder, then the other.

Love. Hand over heart. Holding your hand over your heart, take 3 breaths.

1st, breathing in Christ’s love for you.

2nd, letting that circulate in your whole body.

3rd, on the out breath, breathing out love for someone who needs it.

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