Tag Archives: Love

The Love of G*d, the Love of Christ who commands us to love one another

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on April 7, 2015
Tags: , Love   

Living in Relationships – Rev. David J. Schreffler

April 7, 2015

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments…He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” John 14:15, 21

“We cannot love G*d unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know Him in the breaking of bread, and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone anymore. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship. We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. It all happened while we sat there talking, and it is still going on.” Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980) The Long Loneliness: An Autobiography

Jesus was taking the time, during his last supper with his disciples, to give them some lessons about life in community. Love is the overarching lesson that is necessary for a community to thrive – not just survive but to thrive. Jesus tells us to love one another – and our love for G*d begins with our love of each other. Just as our love of G*d begins and is strengthened within relationship, our love for each other requires that we do the same. Dorothy Day is stating that exact point in her comment, “It all happened while we sat there talking…” Relationship begins with talking to one another. Talking with one another begins with respecting each other enough to listen to one another – which means we allow the other to speak.

One of the ways that we can be in community with one another is to break bread frequently. When my wife and I were first married, we were members of a large Lutheran Church. When you are a member of a large church, it is hard to develop relationships with other members – because there are so many people – it becomes overwhelming. It is easy to slip into worship un-noticed – and to slip away after services un-noticed. So, the church must work hard in developing opportunities for members to get to know one another. At this church, we were placed into a group that would get together once a month, in one of the member’s homes (which rotated every month) to have a meal and time to talk. The groups were developed by age, marital status, and life activities. For example, we were put together with other young couples who either had no children, or were just having children. This gave our group some common ground for our discussions – and allowed our relationships, and our love for each other to grow. As Dorothy Day said, “…to love we must know each other.”

But all relationships take work. If you are willing to work on your relationships in church, strengthened by your relationship with G*d, then all of your relationships will benefit. You can live life alone — but your life will be lonely. But if you take the time to allow the love of G*d to fill your life, your relationship with G*d will grow, and your relationships with others will also grow.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 5:01 am on April 3, 2015
Tags: , Love,   

Good Friday – Rev. David J. Schreffler

April 3, 2015
Good Friday

“Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” John 13:36-37

“Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. Around three oʼclock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Letʼs see if Elijah will come to take him down!” But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was Godʼs Son!” Mark 15:33-39

Good Friday. Why is it called Good Friday? There is no clear answer of the origin of “Good” Friday. Some say it comes from the phrase “G*d’s Friday”. That seems reasonable. But others point to the fact that what Christ did for all of humanity was so “Good”, that even though it involves his death on a cross, it is Good for all people. There are many ways to honor the day of Good Friday. Some congregations hold a service from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm – the traditional hours that Christ hung on the cross. During those three hours, sermons are delivered on the seven last words of Christ. Those seven last words from the Gospels include:

“Father Forgive, for they do not know what they are doing.”
“Today you will be with me in Paradiise”
“Woman here is your son; son here is your Mother”
“My G*d, My G*d, why have you forsaken Me”
“I am thirsty”
“It is Finished”
“Father, Into Your hands I commend my Spirit”

In my congregation we will participate in a Tenebrae Service – traditionally known as a service of light. Tenebrae is Latin for “shadows” or “darkness”. It is used to recreate the emotions of the events of Good Friday. Another tradition the churches of 17043 have continued is processing the cross through the town of Lemoyne. Any opportunity we can do to bring the centrality of the cross in our lives to the communities of the West Shore is a good thing – something good to do on Good Friday.

Pastor Dave