Saturday, February 28, 2009

Agape love at Living Room

I've been blogging so little. I'm sorry about that, but I've been finding myself expressing my thoughts in emails to friends and that seems to be sufficient. Nevertheless I should share some things here once in a while and I know I should visit you once in awhile too. And once in a while I will.

We had a Living Room meeting yesterday and the meeting left me with the wonderful deep joy I so often feel after.

I will copy here part of an email I sent to my pastor afterwards:

"Tonight I'm getting to the end of the book Helen (my friend) lent me: Mark Buchanan's Hidden in Plain Sight. The second part of the book focuses on 1 Peter 1:5-7, discussing the meaning and significance of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (agape love). I'm presently starting to read about love.

Buchanan quotes G.K. Chesterton talking about "Beauty and the Beast": "Unlovely things must be deeply loved before they become lovable." in the way Christ loves us: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

And I think of how much I love my Living Room people and how even the most seemingly unlovable become so very lovable. And in a strange way I come to love the seemingly unlovable even more than those who might seem more easy to love. Does that make sense? I thank God for giving me that love to love with. Such joy it brings with it! The love of God is very present at Living Room. His presence is there and we are free to come before him the way we are - totally open, not needing to hide anything - no guilt or shame. At Living Room everyone becomes lovable. What a beautiful thing!"

At Living Room yesterday we talked about how to find meaning in life, though we might be disabled - not able to work. Towards the end I suggested starting the day with the following prayer: "God, please fill me with your love and help me to share that love with others." I believe that when we pray that prayer with sincerity and believe God can answer it, we will sense God's love and share that love and we will find our life becoming meaningful.

I hope and pray you will have a day filled with meaning and love today.

4 comments:

JC said...

Oh this is so cool! I couldn't even read your whole post yet because I got stuck- Our sermon last Sunday also talked about Agape love!!!! And, while I was on my walk, I was reading 1 Peter 4., and it seems that in my devotional, the book of Peter has been coming up quite a bit. How interesting! I always find it quite amazing how God often teaches us all similar things at the same time :)

marja said...

Isn't it, though, Jena? Being on the same wavelength is so neat! And I find it interesting too that Pastor Don's sermon about having a vision that comes from God led me - in the Living Room devotional - to talk about the most important thing in life being to live lives of love.

sbwrites said...

Marja,
You are a dear dear person!

Susan

marja said...

Thanks for visiting Susan. Wish you could come to one of our meetings sometime. It's really not so depressing at all. We have a good time.