More Than Chocolates, More Than Roses

From John 15, Exodus 16


• Singles Awareness Day is coming up…  (I shared statistics from http://www.theromantic.com/valentinesday/trivia.htm)

I asked the congregation for their responses:

Expressing love -- marital or friendship. In what ways? How often?

(responses included hugs, kisses, intentional time together)

For marriages lacking in the affection department Dr. Willard Harley (psychologist, marriage guru, author, owner of  http://www.marriagebuilders.com/  ) recommendations… (http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi5010_qa.html) 

• How about expressions of non-romantic love? Love of children/parents, teachers, mentors, friends, neighbors… intentional time with. And whether you’re in a romantic relationship or not, there are a lot more people you can share non-romantic love with than one…

There are many ways to express love, and does it ever get old, really? 

Intentionality is key.

• Holy Communion (literally "with unity", sharing) is holding hands with God, intentional presence with. It’s an expression and celebration of God’s love. There is an element of communion, of course, that is sober and reflective as you consider your own sinfulness that drove Christ to self-sacrifice, but to dwell on just the penitential aspect of communion without celebrating the love in communion would be like recognizing a birthday by only recounting the pains of labor. Communion is holding hands with God, or intentionally spending time with someone who’s important to you.

I don’t know about you but I want that. I think it’s the sweetest thing to see a couple that’s been married for 65 years that wants nothing but to hold hands. It doesn’t get old.

• And as we looked at a number of ways to celebrate love, there’s more than one way to celebrate communion.

Picture the Last Supper, a dozen or so folks gathered at one table. Jesus passes the bread around, each takes a piece. Maybe their hands touch as they pass the bread. Jesus passes the cup around, each takes a sip. They’re sharing not only Jesus’ life but each others lives.

Fast-forward two thousand years and we have a few ways that we have changed how we take communion... intinction, where we receive from a common loaf and cup (as perhaps Jesus' disciples did), or in the pews with the individual cups and cubes, where we all partake at the same time...

• Communion is a gift of God. We read earlier from the book of Exodus. I included that today to show how God gifted the people with manna not once in a while but every day, and exactly sufficiently. Then I read from John 15, where Jesus adjures the disciples to stay connected to him (as the Dr. Harley love list).

• In communion we celebrate God’s love and we celebrate community. And it is good. Better than chocolate and roses.

• Proceed from message into The Great Thanksgiving