God loves you. No Exceptions.

Dear Friends,

What we say at Epiphany is God Loves You. No Exceptions. Perhaps that inspires us to seek to understand and to be intentional about how we express Love in the world – with each other and with the community around us, friends and strangers alike.

Maybe what we say is an invitation for us to explore what our work of Love is to look like and why it matters.

20th-century artist and writer, Kahlil Gibran wrote a poem, from his most well-known work, The Prophet. It is called On Work, which seems to explore that same question. It sheds light on an idea that all our work, paid or not, is meant to be done in Love. It is what makes work ministry by infusing it with the energy that makes the work stretch and serve best as intended.

Below is a portion of that poem for your reflection:

Then a ploughman said, Speak to us of Work.
   And he answered, saying:
   You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.
   For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life’s procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite
….
Work is love made visible.
   And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
   For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.
   And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distills a poison in the wine.
   And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man’s ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

In Peace,
Dina+

Blessing of the Animals is this Sunday 10/8 at 6pm!!
Pizza will be offered and treats for our pets as well!
God Loves You. No Exceptions.