Week 3- Love
But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NRSVUE)
As a child growing up in the mid 1950’s and 1960’s, like many families back then, church was an important part of life. Sunday was a day of worship and rest. And for my family that was very true. Sunday mornings my siblings and I would go off to Sunday School. After Sunday School we headed up for Sunday Service. Later on, we’d go to the evening service. To a kid, that took up the whole day with not much time left to play. Reluctantly, we kids would go. I remember my father telling us that all God expects from us was one hour of our time a week. But the way I looked at it, it did not quite add up correctly (one hour for Sunday School, two hours for church services). But he was our father and what he said went.
We believe that Christ died for us so we might be saved. We heard it in our childhood in Sunday School stories. We sing hymns about it. We say it when we recite the Apostle’s Creed. Easter is one of the biggest celebrations in the Christian faith because Christ died and rose again so we might be saved. We’re all sinners; we were born to sin, but by faith and believing in Christ we are saved. So, with all that being said, that hour a week my father talked about didn’t really compare to what our Heavenly Father asked of His Son.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for sending your Son to die for us so we might be saved. Continue to watch over us and guide us so we might find our way home to be with you and our loved ones. In your name we pray, Amen.
Dennis – Inspire. Ignite. Invite.
Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Merrillville, IN
