God’s Love goes beyond Valentine’s Day. God’s love is more
sustaining than any “honeymoon” period in ministry. It’s not just about flowers, candy, one short
day. God’s love is sustaining and unconditional.
But that “Honeymoon” advice lingers: “Get as much done as
you can right away before the normal life sets in with all the complaints and
difficulties of really living together.” They loved your paperwork and were
impressed with the interview. And you liked the looks of them. They loved the
former pastor and will love you, too. Or, maybe they didn’t, so this will be a
better “fit.” If we all put on our best behavior for a while, Valentine’s Day
can last for a few months. Ah, beware of the “honeymoon” period in ministry and
trust that God’s love endures beyond Valentine’s Day.
Creation: Before we came, God had created the congregation. God is still creating—putting us together. Build
on those foundations. Rather than giving
in to the temptation to change things quick before people notice, we need to ask
and listen and give Valentine-like thanks to the faithful saints at work
through the years. Then, together, we can create with the Creating God. Oh, there will be suspicions that we are going
to rip up everything and plant our new ideas. We can bring fresh ideas without
totally ripping out what may simply be slow to grow. Creation involves change,
but God didn’t rip things up each month and completely start all over.
Beyond favoring those who might seek our favor with Valentine-like
flowers or candy, we need to seek out those less known people, those less
appreciated. We can walk around the
neighborhood, and as a congregation build new relationships all over the place
among those thought to be “outsiders.” We can give valentines to those who don’t
usually receive them. God’s love multiplies.
Christ: God’s love incarnate is among and between us.
Not that we need to fall in love with
each other in Valentine-card ways. We are called to love before we even know
each other. We are already the body of Christ, now being joined together, even
when old congregational wounds need to be healed by the wounded One, Jesus. This
will not be just a one-day celebration of being nice, or until the liking-each-other period runs down. Christ’s forgiving, reconciling love, which
won’t let us down, even when we let each other down, is the forever kind.
The Holy Spirit: When I was called to serve a congregation
years ago, I had to remind them I was not the coming Messiah. God had not sent
me to “save” them. However, we could expect to be surprised by the Spirit. How
would God be growing us? By pruning? By transformation? By numerical growth or
some other kind of growth? By listening to each other and hearing everyone’s
voice? By reaching out in radical hospitality without fear? (Grafting strangers
on to the tree?) By building trust and trying new healthier patterns of making
decisions? By really incorporating new people (corpus of Christ), and building
more trust?
Happy Valentine’s Day all year long, my beloved sisters and
brothers, as we live together in the trustworthy, unconditional love of God.
(based on a conversation with Rev. Christopher deForest)
(based on a conversation with Rev. Christopher deForest)
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