A Letter From the Pastor

“I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high God’s love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, that it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” -- Ephesians 3:17-19. The Living Bible translation Beloved, Love is in the Air! Or at least the marketing of it, as stores are flooded with pink and red chocolate heart boxes, flowers, jewelry and more. But, as most of you already know, love is not something that can be bought, nor is it something meant to be celebrated one day of the year. The Church knows a thing or two about love. God’s “overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love,” as Cory Asbury sings, which is incomparable. It’s a Love that unconditionally calls us and claims us as God’s beloved – a Love that we cannot earn or lose. It’s a Love that seeks us out when we feel lost and unlovable. This Love reminds us that nothing we can do or say or think or left undone will ever be able to separate us from God’s love for us. It doesn’t get better than that! And we, Church, get invited to share that kind of Love with each other. As imperfectly and beautifully as we humans do. At JFPC God’s love is in the air – every day! Can you feel it? So many of you have told me that you can  in the warm welcome at worship and fellowship  in the ways you are caring for one another (meals, calls, transportation for those who need it, prayer, words of care and encouragement)  in the fact that on any given Sunday we have life-long members, first-time visitors, new seekers, and a wide diaspora of online community (in Michigan, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and beyond!) worshipping together  In the ways God is actively preparing and providing for our summer plans (finding the right pastoral intern to cover our Renewal Time, forming an exciting VBS, etc)  In the challenging and faith-provoking discussions had at Bible Study, Book Group, Life Goes on Group, and Circle Up formation In the music and spirit of worship at JFPC This February, as we see signs everywhere in pop culture celebrating one dimension of love, remember that God’s love goes far deeper and wider. At JFPC, we celebrate God’s love every day. On Valentine’s Day, and every day, I am here to remind you that you are loved, cherished, celebrated. You belong. You are needed. Not just one day of the year, but every day. Not just when you get it “right,” or have it all together (as if any of us ever do!), but always.