Hearts

             February is “Heart Month” (it’s the month with Valentine’s Day and all the heart-shaped valentines and all.  A bit cutesy, but easy to remember!) .   Obviously, I have a somewhat different perspective on it after my cardiac bypass surgery in 2007.  (Have you seen your doctor recently? Watching your diet?  Exercising at least 30-45 minutes three or four times a week?)  Still, all the publicity about “Heart Month” got me to thinking about what is at the heart of a congregation.  Sharing the Gospel of God’s love is the central core of a church.  Everything arises from it and everything should serve it.  

 

Worship is often the first thing we think of, from the reading and preaching of the gospel message of hope, life, salvation, justice, and peace through the music and singing and the prayers, all clearly devoted to expressing our commitment to the Good News of God’s love.  But the other things we do serve the gospel, too.  Our Christian Education program both shares the gospel with our children and youth and helps them grow up to be able to share it themselves.  The ministries of care for members and of care and service to the community reflect our calling to share the gospel with love and compassion in tangible ways as well.  This congregation is deeply involved in ministries to alleviate hunger from supporting Kitchen Cupboard and Feed My Starving Children and the Weekend Backpack program and on to Heifer International, taking very seriously Jesus’ call to feed the hungry.  Our choir, choir director, and liturgists can direct our hearts to God from quiet contemplation to heart-thrilling glory.  Even the Building and Grounds committee demonstrate the gospel by making our building available to outside groups and community organizations.  Everything we do should rejoice in the good news and share it.  It’s the heart of the matter.

      Today is Valentine’s Day, which “ain’t all hearts and flowers,” as most of us know, being ostensibly based on a 3rd century martyr.  But the romantic overtones really got going in Chaucer’s time and was big for Shakespeare; the custom of exchanging messages with your loved one was popular in 17th century England and came to the American Colonies.  The first mass-produced valentines were in 1840.  A certain Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO first printed valentines in 1913. The massive merchandising and headlong rush to extravagant gifts naturally followed!    I sometimes think it would be nice if all the money that went to Jared went to Jesus’ least sisters and brothers.

      Let me suggest that you take a moment today or this weekend to wrest the heart of the matter back from the chocolate and pressed-sugar hearts and red foil and white lace and back to reminding the people around you that real love takes the other person seriously and hopefully, and that we are to care about and rejoice in everyone, not just the ones we feel warm and sentimental toward.  Come up with something that might truly show someone— even someone you don’t know very well— that you, we, and God loves them.  For real.  For life-changing real.  Put some heart into it, some Christian heart.  Be the way God says “I LUV U” to someone who needs it.

                                                                                    In Christ,
                                                                              
                                                                                    David



Texts For Sunday Worship: 
      From the Hebrew Bible          Deuteronomy 30:15-20
      From the Epistles                  1 Corinthians 3:1-19
      From the Gospels                  Matthew 5:21-37