Do not be afraid.

The purpose of creation has been revealed to us and we are held within the love of God. Hold fast to the love that we have seen in Jesus and all will be well. The Spirit of God is with us now, and the creation waits with eager longing for the glorious liberty of the children of God. It is time for us to take up our inheritance.

Our life together is built upon a falling away. We have always fallen away from the love that has been revealed to us. We fall short. We are not there. And yet. This is the Church. Three times Peter denied Jesus. Three times he fell away from the love that he knew and experienced. And yet on this falling away Jesus built his church.

Do we love him?
Yes, we do, we proclaim our love for him always. We feed his sheep by praising him.
Do we love him?
Yes we do, we proclaim our love for him always. We tended his sheep by praising him.
Do we love him?
Yes, we do, we proclaim our love for him always. We feed his sheep by praising him.

This people praises me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. Depart from me you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. For the Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you shallow creature, that faith apart from works is barren?

We have chosen to make an idol out of our faith. God has destroyed our golden calf. And now we must trust in the God who raised Christ Jesus from the dead to raise our faith from the dead, that we might walk in newness of life to the glory of his name.

In the beginning was the purpose, and the purpose was with God and the purpose was God. God acted with purpose from the beginning, all things were made through that purpose, and nothing was made without purpose. This purpose is the light of our life. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overwhelm it.

This purpose came into the world in human form, and the world did not understand him, even though that was why the world had come to be. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But for those who received him, who believed in his purpose, he gave power to become children of God, born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of humankind, but of God.

Beloved let us love one another; for love is of God, and those who love are born of God and know God. Those who do not love do not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was made clear to us, for his purpose has been revealed to us in human form, so that we might live through him. For everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the purpose of God, is a child of God. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandment is that we love one another. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith.

And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God.