Sermon 1

Ah, L'amour . . .

Passage: 1 John 4:13-21.
" ... God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever sees God must also love his brother." (16b-21)
Love (lŭv): To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person).

These are pretty powerful words. First of all, God is said to be love. Not loving, not lovely, but love itself. He and the definition of love are one in the same (note that John doesn't say they are interchangeable. No going to your mom and saying "I God you". She may be confused).
What John is saying is that if you want to love and feel true love, you need to live (believe, have faith) in God. Don't be opposed if you are already in deep love. He also says that if you love, you live in God. Got that?
God, in so many ways, is like a perfect parent. He has that sense of humour and protectiveness that your Dad does, except He doesn't force you to go out for sports, embarrass you in front of friends/colleagues, discourage your passions or crash the computer (again). He is as loving, caring and sweet-hearted as your Mom is, except He doesn't hug you so hard you can't breathe, chastise you about losing weight, hang her bras on the clothesline when you bring your fiancé(e) over, or cling to you desperately when you try to go to England. When you are heartbroken, He cries over your misfortune. When you are happy, he does a jig with Gabriel and whoops with joy. There is so much comfort to be found in this thought, and it helps me through my darkest moments. Martin Luther, founder of Lutheranism, described God as Omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (always-present). Again, such comfort can be found in this. He always knows what you did wrong, so you don't have to hide it, but "God is love". He loves you anyway.
This is a point I stress to everyone, especially people who have never known God. It doesn't matter what you've done in life. You could have been a prostitute, drug-dealer, murderer, lawyer, it doesn't matter. He looks over your faults and into your heart, your soul, where the goodness, forgiveness and happiness of a small child always rests. Heaven's entrance isn't the Pearly Gates with Saint Peter looking at everything you've ever done wrong and deciding if you should be let in. It's Jesus, God, and all the people you've ever loved that have died, standing there with their arms open wide in happy reception. All you have to do is love and live in God.

In the next part of the reading, John goes on to say that you can't hate your brother and love God. Now, he's not saying that you have to adore every person around you. My definition of hate is that if something bad were to happen to the person you'd giggle with glee without a second of remorse. Please don't tell me you feel that way about someone, 'cause it isn't healthy. The dictionary's definition of hate is "to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest". This is pretty much the same thing. So don't have a total freak-out about John's words.
However, do look at your current relationships. Being in a constant, long standing fight with someone isn't healthy for anyone. Really think about the way you've been treating people and acting and thinking about them, and think if it is justified or necessary. There are people in my classes at school that drive me nuts, and I blocked them out. Until one day I was too tired to try that. Watching them after people shut them out, I saw the hurt register on their faces, and I recognized that they wanted to fit in. They still annoy the heck out of me at times now but I try to accept them and talk to them, and I find myself almost being friends with them. Almost. And I feel a whole lot better.
Assess how you've been living your life. Is it being wasted away on frivolous thoughts and silly emotions? Try living in love for a day, not getting angry at anyone if you can help it, and even talking to the most annoying person you know. Maybe you'll be surprised, maybe you won't. What you will be is a little more secure inside yourself, even if just for a day.

~God spede