12/21/14

Back in the 1960s the Beatles wrote a Song, “Elinor Rigby.” The lyrics begin: Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been Lives in a dream Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door Who is it for? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Loneliness is something we all experience in our lives. We part from a child or a loved one. We experience a lack in life. We move. We lose a close friend. Loneliness is different from solitude. One can feel lonely even in a crowd of people. Yet one can experience a richness and closeness to God and others in solitude. The Gospel of John is a declaration of God’s advent or coming so that we need never be lonely or feel forsaken. Today we read from John 3: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. In John 14 Jesus states: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you." In Matthew Jesus says, “Lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” God has made us to be in relationship to God and one another. It is normal to feel lonely at times, but the truth is that we are never alone. God abides with us. This part of the wonder we celebrate at this time of year. One of the greatest cures for loneliness is to reach out and serve another human being. Who is it that you might reach out to today? Studies also state that joining a church and becoming involved lessens one’s loneliness. If you are without a church community, Eastminster is here for you. Members will be received at the conclusion of the service today. If you are here but not meaningfully involved with others, I am happy to speak with you about areas of service or simply to listen. As we journey through Christmas and into the New Year, I pray that God fills all our hearts and lives with love and richness, community and meaning. Blessings, Tim