Kerra's Last 5 Sermons - Love Poetry

February 12, 2023
Love Poetry
Song of Songs 8:6-7, 1 Corinthians 13
Kerra Becker English
(Notes on Love - a thank you love poem)

Love is stronger than death.
Love is patient, kind, and truthful.
This close to Valentine’s Day, one might think that love could be bought with flowers and chocolate.
But the love poetry of scripture reminds us that even if a person were to offer all the wealth of their house for love – it would be utterly scorned.
And that when all else comes to an end, love remains.
I wanted to talk about love today because being in this congregation for 10 years has renewed my belief in Christian love in a time when it has been desperately needed.
Too much hate has been spun as Christian truth, and too many platitudes like “thoughts and prayers” have replaced the fortitude needed for love to flourish.
As Mr. Rogers taught – love is an active verb, like struggle.
It requires us to fulfill the Presbyterian ordination vow of seeking to serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and most of all, love. And even if you’ve never been an officer in the church, the congregation promises to pray for those who make that commitment. No one gets ‘out of’ the baptismal contract to keep seeking to bring more love into the world.
I don’t know where it all got spun that Jesus’ main goal in being a human on earth was to save us from our sins, when it seems very clear from his own words that what he came to do was to teach us how to love. He outlines the pathway to salvation, to wholeness in no uncertain terms. He tells us that that love is now and has always been the foundation of religious law – that all the law flows from loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
None of us do that perfectly, but as a keen observer and participant in the life of this congregation, you have taught me some things about Christian love that I’d like to share with you. This is my Valentine to you, observing your love poetry in action.
Here’s what I have learned about love from being your pastor.
Love is.
Love is hospitality.

• Praise to the Potluck, sharing meals matters, and there’s even a great story in John’s gospel about Jesus smoking some fish (maybe to put on a bagel) for his disciples even after his resurrection
• Hosting “outside” voices well – Doug Ottati, Peter Mayer, all the Lenten Series speakers
• Welcoming Alaskans – what a weird coincidence?
• Thinking about transportation in Metropolitan Richmond
• Interns – of every kind (Think Genesis 1)

Love is Compassion.

• Working with the town on the hotel crisis (first thing I stepped into)
• Food pantry – Susan takes the time to talk to people who show up in the office
• Hosting AA FOREVER – like almost from its inception
• Seeing you serve in EVERYTHING town related
• Collecting for Charles when he was going through cancer treatments as our intern
• And what my friend Patrick calls life-cycle events – weddings, funerals, baptisms, welcoming new people

Love is Seeking Justice.

• Support of the Congo ministry (though Flo wouldn’t have it otherwise)
• Presbyterian Women’s projects – Hanover Safe Place, Adopting a young woman through working with Rebecca Glazebrook
• Ashland area clergy – Prayer walk, You know them all and see their ministries as part of our collective Christian witness in the community

Love is Friendship and Fun.

• Ash Grove retreat that has included many friends over the years – included not just your friends, but made my friends from Tennessee your friends – Christy and Brandon
• Sunday school classes – where we got to know each other’s stories
• Seeing you dance and sing and play all over town – where else but the Center of the Universe is there a town Variety Show – I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks

Love is Forgiveness.

• I know there have been times I have messed up. I appreciated it when we’ve been able to talk it through. In a 10 year relationship, there will be times of hurt, or times of making mistakes. I own those. But I also feel like you learned how to work with my quirks and accept me for me, which isn’t always the case for pastors. Sometimes the community wants to mold their pastor into a particular image. Here, I have been able to feel more fully myself – and I hope that’s a gift you will extend to all the guests who come to fill this pulpit, and to the next pastor who comes to walk alongside of you in ministry. Show them grace, and it will return back to you.

Love is kindness.

• College students – letting them study you!
• Choir – mini church within the church – they say when you sing you pray twice – you also show love for those who have aged through the years, with students who’ve shown up and sung with you, for kids who sit next to adults who bring them
• Harsh words are rare here – not that they never happen – they have – but there’s not a culture of acceptance of ugliness (That’s how church “should” be but sometimes isn’t)
• When I came here and had to interview with this Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry, rather than it being a welcome into the fold, it felt like a test that they wanted to make it extra hard for me to pass. It felt like extra trauma on top of having served a difficult congregation prior to coming here. The members of the team who offered me this job were gracious, supportive, and compassionate to me as we navigated that process together. You have the ability to do that again – as we say good-bye, God is preparing the person who will come here to say “hello.” Show your next pastor the kindness you showed me. You may not be able to fathom how much that meant to me.

Love is a place and a people.

• I am believing more and more that answering God’s calling is less about finding a job, and more about having the right place and people find you. You found me. And I am grateful for that.
• This is where the line from “Here I am Lord” always gets to me and usually makes my eyes moist. I will go, Lord, when you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart. I may be going, but the love remains. It always does.

Thank you, genuinely, from all my heart. I love you, and have learned about love from you. Amen.