February 2020 Newsletter

Love Is The Cornerstone

Like many of you and millions around the world, I watched the Super Bowl yesterday. It was a good football game: evenly matched, hard fought and decided in the final minutes. Not everyone cares for football though, so the NFL tries to cater to all with their season finale. You can tune in for an interview with the President, ogle the halftime show or watch the high-priced commercials.

My favorite commercial this year was New York Life’s “Love Takes Action” 60-second spot. I was hooked the moment I saw them flashing the four Greek words for love on the screen. I’ve mentioned them numerous times in sermons: filia, storgi, eros and agape. Agape, the voiceover said, is the most profound, admirable type of love, involving courage, sacrifice and strength.” (But FCCers already knew that!) It was a refreshingly thoughtful ad amid its frenetic counterparts.

It turns out New York Life’s Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO is a Greek-American. The ad focused on the Greek word agape as the type of love that cares for sick family members and celebrates milestones like weddings and graduations. It boiled insurance down to its irreducible minimum, love. “Love is really the cornerstone of all our relationships that we have,” commented the ad’s director.

And the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Love is the reason someone buys insurance. You care enough about someone to pay for a policy that will take care of them if you die. New York Life is on to something. They understand there’s a higher form of love. But, their examples didn’t seem to capture the heights to which it could ascend.

As Christians, we do. We understand agape. Agape is the love that motivated God to act in our best interest ensuring we will be taken care of for all eternity. That’s the selfless love that God has for us and the love we should strive to emulate for Him and others. Agape is potent and profound. And the more you think about it the more you realize it is indeed the cornerstone of all our relationships.

- Pastor Richard

WOMEN OF FAITH

Join us for our 2^nd Annual Movie & Jammies Night! See details below. Also, mark your calendars for our Ladies Paint Night on March 14, details coming soon!

YOUTH GROUP

VALENTINE’S DAY BOWLING

Youth Group will be sharing an extended time together on Friday, Feb. 14, 6pm-10:30pm; a good opportunity for parents to spend extra time with each other! The group will spend the evening at the bowling alley and in the gym, playing games and hanging out. Pizza will be provided at the bowling alley. Emergency contact and permission forms must be filled out to attend. Cost is $10.

SHACC

We are excited to share that SHACC registration is open for the summer. This year we are going July 5-10 and you can sign up by clicking here.

MISSIONS CHILI & CHOCOLATE CHALLENGE

Prepare your chili recipe; it’s time to award the Golden Ladle again! And for dessert: your chocolate creation! Featured speakers are Dan & Ginny Bryant, missionaries to the Landuma tribe of Guinea,  W. Africa. February 16, 5pm in the Gym. Get your free tickets in lobby!