Love Never Ends - February 2022 Newsletter

 

Happy February everyone! This month is special to me because I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day. I know, it seems to be a holiday made up by the greeting card companies & chocolate makers to be advantageous to them and their profits. But no - there was a real Saint Valentine, much like Saint Nicholas and Saint Patrick. I understand that the United Methodist Church doesn’t subscribe to the idea of sainthood, but connecting to larger church history may be at very least interesting.

The truth is, that historians aren’t sure if St. Valentine was one or more people? The legend goes, he was a real person, who was martyred in 270 A.D., and the story beyond that is inconsistent at best. One account says that St. Valentine was a priest who was beheaded by the Roman emperor Claudius II because he would help Christian couples wed during a time when it was outlawed. A different account says that he was a bishop, but with many of the same details. Regardless, it’s interesting that the truth of such a venerated figure can’t be known. 

St. Valentine is known in the Catholic Church as the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages, but did you know that in addition, he was a healer? Again, according to legend, the saint was under house arrest, and he was discussing the validity of Jesus. The judge over his case put Valentine to the test, and brought him his blind daughter. If Valentine could heal his daughter’s sight, the judge would do whatever he asked. Valentine laid his hands on her eyes, and while praying, healed her. The judge was humbled and was made a believer. 

We may not believe in saints, but a powerful testimony can change the heart, and witness for the rest of their life. The judge was transformed. We seek transformation. As believers, we can use our gifts that glorify God and bring transformation for the world. Our series continuing through February that - LOVE NEVER ENDS: Being the body of Christ - shows that with faith and discipleship, we can create change and transformation in this world. One way we can do that is through healing. I know you’re thinking, well that’s not one of my gifts! And - it may not be directly.

Everyone can be a healer in the ways that God wants, through healing relationships, or reconciliation. So many of our social connections have broken over the last 40-plus years. One common complaint is that we don’t know our neighbors - or maybe even - that we are scared of them. We don’t have many choices in who lives directly around us, but what we can do is nurture those relationships, even despite differences of so many kinds. One way to do this is through finding commonalities. It is so heartbreaking that differences are often highlighted to shame or belittle people, especially if it’s some perceived moral failure, even though morals are not universal, as much as some want them to be. Are we not all God’s creation? Are we not all human? Does our heart beat the red liquid through our vessels and power our bodies? 

Of all the places we expect to see diversity and reconciliation, because of a God who gave up himself to reconcile His creation back to relationship, the Church should be that place, right? But as Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The most segregated hour in America is at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning,” making the claim that the hour for church, which should be for all, is the most divided of the week, because how many multicultural churches, even now do you know? 

If reconciliation is they key to bringing heaven closer to earth, then it’s okay to feel uncomfortable. It’s okay not to know all the answers. The keys are the relationship building - the keys are found in our repentance, and our willingness to submit to loving your neighbor, no matter how different you are. Being the body of Christ may not be easy, but as we pray each Sunday, let’s try and bring heaven a little closer to earth. 

Faithfully, 

Pastor Dan

PASTOR’S PICKS: 

WATCH: The Black Church (PBS) - I think the library might have copies of it. This series recalls the history of the black church in America, even from before the Civil War. I learned so much from it and shows us that our history isn’t as distant as we think it is. 

READ: “You Were Made for This” by Dan Greider. This book gets to the heart of disciple building, and has practical tips to share your stories and live out your faith. 

LISTEN: “Can I Say This at Church?” Podcast - I love this podcast, and it’s a weekly interview show focused on faith, philosophy, and how it fits into life. I’ve been listening since the beginning and it has given lots of things to think about, from many different perspectives.