Evan Kreider, speaking on John 15:9-17 opened with a word-picture from university life. In the weeks leading up to exams, professors begin to cram many valuable nuggets of information into their teaching, feeling that students are finally prepared to receive this important work, while students feel that professors are disorganized for not planning this out better. Evan speaks of John’s gospel - the Love Gospel - in the same way. John has spent 14 chapters telling the basic story of Jesus’ life, and then the last 3 chapters is crammed with these gems: God’s love, often so abstract an ideal to us, contrasts with following God’s law to receive his love; if you follow Him, God will have joy in you and your own joy will be complete; no greater love is there than this - to lay down one’s life for one’s friends, a Gentile concept; I do not call you servants, but call you friends because I have told you everything; you did not choose me, but I chose you; you will bear fruit that will last, so that you will receive anything you aks for in God’s name. Some reflections on loving one another: do you love those around you? if yes, what do you mean by that? if not, are you being too hard on yourself? How did the early church love? Remember James and John wanting to sit by Jesus’ side and judge others - did this demonstrate love? Stories of church members in Acts giving all they had contrast with stories in Pauline letters of church members pitted against each other. Evan made evident that we can scarcely imagine how much God loves us, so we guess - we study what Jesus did, to try to figure this love out. Jesus died for his friends, he reprimanded them periodically, and he treated his friends with respect, honouring their opinions. He looked after their basic needs - fed them when hungry, looked after them on the stormy sea - he prayed, travelled and wept with his friends, healed his friends. [AP]

Passage: Jn 15:9-17
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event: 6th Sunday of Easter
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Evan Kreider
Worship Leader: Jackie Bolen
Song Leader: Edwin Hintz
Pianist: Kathryn Schmidt
Usher: Rovin Karuna
Zoom Coordinator:
Children's Feature Leader:

Bring Flowers: HENRY & LOUISE KLIPPENSTEIN
Coffee Helper:
Sound Helper:

Child Care Volunteer: