Meditations with Pastor Tom (6/27/20)

""We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another." ~ 1 John 3:16       

            There are certain things that I repeat often in my sermons.  I repeat them because I am convinced that they are the life blood of the faith life.  One of them is this: we are called to love like God loves, and God loves unconditionally, extravagantly, and sacrificially.  Loving sacrificially is not easy business, though.  Just ask Jesus who loved sacrificially all the way to the cross. 

            As a church, we've been doing a little bit of sacrificial love lately.  As much as we love our church and as much as we love gathering, we have all been willing to sacrifice our regular worship services in order that we might not be part of spreading this awful virus.  I have not heard one single complaint, and not one person has ever pressured me to reopen the church.  I am so incredibly impressed by your love and patience.

            And now, I'm going to ask you to engage in one more act of sacrificial love.  I am going to ask you to wear face masks when we return to church when we begin to gather again on July 5th.  (I also hope that you will honor all of the guidelines that our consistory has endorsed.  I have published all the pertinent information through three vehicles: Facebook, my email lists such as this one, and our church newsletter.)

            I know that wearing a mask is not exactly comfortable for all of us, and I know that some of you might have certain personal or political convictions about wearing masks.  So, you won't be required to wear one.  However, whether it is to help others actually be safe or just feel safe, we ask that you all wear masks to church.  We want everyone to feel as safe as possible so that they feel comfortable coming to services.  (We will have some free masks available if you don't have one.)

            Wearing a mask even when you don't want to is an act of sacrificial love.  It is an act that says I am willing to set aside my personal feelings so that everyone might feel comfortable worshiping together.  It is an act that says I am willing to sacrifice my personable comfort in the hopes that everyone can be safer.  It says I am looking out for the most vulnerable, and it says I am trying to love my neighbor as myself.

            Wearing a mask isn't exactly laying down our lives for each other, but it is a significant act of sacrificial love.  I hope you will prayerfully honor this request, and I am so looking forward to seeing all of you again!

The Sermon this Sunday:

Special Places, Thin Places, and Church - with a twist!