Through Stained Glass: Mosaic Mirrors

Tiny mirrors were handed out Sunday at worship to remind
us that all we need is love and who we are is love. We will
bring them back to worship on Sunday, 25th of November.
If you didn't receive one or would like to, there are plenty
remaining at church. Just ask Adam for one! 

The end is near!

Alright, not really. But also, really.

Lectionary Year B is coming to an end, which means so is our artwork for 2018.

These final days have us exploring what it means when we allow the good news to take hold of our lives. Last Sunday, Jesus summed it up into 2 heavy commandments:

1.     Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, nephesh, and strength; and

2.     Love your neighbor as yourselves.

That’s it. The whole Gospel message comes down to one word: LOVE.

How do we love God, though? I imagine some people would say we do by going to church, giving to the church, or something about believing what church teaches. These are all good practices! They really are! However, Jesus never really talked about good church attendance, nor did he really teach that loving God is dependent on ascribing to certain creeds or beliefs. As someone once pointed out, Jesus never said, “Worship me.” Instead, he said, “Follow me!”

The best piece of advice I have read about loving God went something like this:

The only way I know how to teach anyone to love God, and how I can love God, is to love what God loves, which is everything and everyone, including you and including me!

We love because God first loved us. And nothing we do can ever remove us from the love of God. If we love God, God remains in us, and this love is completed and brought to perfection in us.

As we press on toward the end of our year and the completion of our artwork, we will end on the same note we began the year on: LOVE.

This is why this past Sunday you were handed a tiny mirror. You were invited to take one and carry it with you throughout your week as a reminder that you are loved. This “phylactery” is to help you remember that the world doesn’t need another Michael Jordan or Mother Teresa: it needs YOU. The best way to love God is to love the things God loves. And what does God love? No, no, no… who does God love?

Look in the mirror. Do you see it? God loves you!

And that’s the thing about this love; it is what and who we are—at our core.

Our True Selves—God’s love within us—can never be exhausted.

Love God, friends. With everything you have. Then, take time to love yourself—and the rest will follow.

On Sunday, November 25, bring your little mirror—scratched, dirty, or broken—back to worship. Together we will make a mosaic at the center of our painting.

With our many parts, we will piece together what is true about Love—we all shine like the sun.