To be the most loving place in town; you have to have the most loving people. So do we have the most loving people? We have been told that we are warm, welcoming and we do good coffee hours. Our potlucks are even better. We have small groups; adult Sunday school; do mission projects and many of our members are involved with community organizations. By all appearances, you would have to say we certainly have the looks of a loving place.
So let's look at what the Bible says about Love. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13: 4, it list 6 component of love: 1) Love is patient, 2) Love is Kind, 3) Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude, 3) Love does not insist on its own way; 4) Love is not irritable or resentful; 5) Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth; 6) Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. So are you a loving person and do we have the most loving place in town?
I once thought that if I practiced maybe 3 out of the 6 components of love, I would be doing pretty good. If I practiced patience, kindness and not being boastful, arrogant or rude, I would be on my way to pleasing God. What if I am sometimes irritable? And, I have to admit that it is nice to see people that I don't like doing poorly. I'm not perfect; but I am a nice guy. Is CCUMC just a nice place? We are not perfect, but we are warm, welcoming, and friendly. We are certainly busy; we have meetings all the time and the church calendar is full. We say the right things and quote the right verses so we must be a loving place.
In John 13:35; it states that all men will know that you are his disciples if you love one another. It does not say that it is okay to love one another with 3 or 4 of the 6 components. Maybe one week you can love one another with component 1, 4 & 5 and the next week 2,3 & 6. Maybe during Valentines day; you do 4 of the 6 and Christmas shoot for 5 out of 6. Did Christ just practice some of the components of love? I certainly wouldn't blame Him the way some people treated him. No, Christ loved us completely without reservation. To be the most loving place; we must all practice all 6 components of love. I did not say it was easy; but I do know that it is necessary in order to become the most loving place in town. Maybe one
day people will say, “Come to CCUMC. They are a very loving community.”
To be the most loving place in town; our first & utmost priority is to love God & one another. Everything else is secondary. We can open schools in Africa, feed the poor; dress the naked; give drink to the thirsty; but if we do not have love; we have nothing.