A man named Paul wrote a few letters to a church in Corinth that was experiencing many trials.  Words are hard to hear when there are troubles, yet love seems to make its way through.  Paul teaches the readers of long ago and the readers of today, that when status and possessions fade away, these three remain; faith, hope, and love. Learn more about love, the greatest of these three words, by turning to the letter of 1 Corinthians, chapter 13.

  

Faith is best described as trust in God.  I grew up in the mountains and took vacations to the beach.  On these trips each summer, perspectives would change with the ocean breeze and the walks along the shore. One day, I imagined my faith journey as my feet touched the soft sand that lead me to the waters edge. As I looked behind me, God’s loving footsteps existed as far as my eyes could see.  When I looked in front of me, those same footsteps extended into the farthest distance.  In glancing down, one foot overlapped the indention of the sand where God’s love was present, granting me peace.  Our faith journeys all take different paths, but the same God abides with us along the way.  Discover more about faith by reading the letter of Hebrews, chapter 11. 

 

Hope is an anchor that connects our faith to God and holds us steady in the greatest of storms. Hope is bigger and stronger than wishful thinking.  Hope resides deep within the heart, mind, body and soul that affirms God’s truth and loving ways.  We abide in a hope that is not found in us but found in God.  Read more about this type of hope in the letter of Romans, chapter 5. 

 

Faith and hope rest in love. If you have not opened the gift of God’s love yet in your life, try unwrapping it today to experience a love that has been prepared for you since the beginning of time, a love that was shown on a cross freeing you from the weight of sin, a love that formed you in your mother’s womb, a love that chases after you along the shores of life, a love that dwells within you through the Holy Spirit and a love that abides during brokenness and celebrations in your journey. 

 

Each Sunday, a small portion of God’s family known as the church gathers to share gratitude to God in worship and listen to God’s voice for where to serve in the world.  At Westminster, the last words heard in a worship service are a blessing. May these words bless your life to know God’s love in a journey of faith that gives you hope and a future through Christ our Lord.

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Grace and Peace,

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Rev. April Cranford

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Benediction - A Blessing

And now may the Holy Spirit sustain us in our faith

through our redeemer Jesus Christ who gives us hope

and until we meet again,

may the love of God our creator abide with us all. Amen