We use the word love to say a lot of different things. Love is a feeling we have for one another. Love is a verb, an action, that we do for one another. We talk about giving love and receiving love as though love were a commodity. A lot of things we do express love. We care for one another, nurture, forgive, offer compassion, pray for and with, or simply offer a hug. Loving someone could mean paying attention, listening carefully or sitting with them in a tough moment. Love is an action, but not one specific action. Love is an action that arises out of compassion, regard, caring, or a desire to be close. Love is the expression of relationship in which we want the best for one another.
The Mission of St. Dunstan’s Church is:
Inspired by our worship together
we grow in Christ through
welcoming the stranger,
feeding hungry bodies and spirits,
giving of ourselves, and
inviting others to join us in this journey of faith.
Our mission is an expression of love. We start by loving God in worship. That worship is an expression of love given and received and we are inspired to grow spiritually by growing in Christ. We grow in Christ by welcoming the stranger. Welcoming is how we express love when we encounter someone new. We grow in Christ by feeding hungry bodies and spirits. Sometimes the most powerful expression of love we have to offer is as simple as a meal. We grow in Christ by giving of ourselves. That is, perhaps, the most pure expression of love we know. Finally, we grow in Christ by inviting others to join us on this journey of faith.
We love by worshiping God, growing in Christ, welcoming, feeding, giving of ourselves and inviting. That is the doing of love we are called to as a congregation.
Yours in Christ,
David+