God's Relentless Love

I would like to share a short story…

Before our worship service began on Monday night at The Gathering a man sitting in the front row motioned for me to come over.  I recognized him, but had never formally introduced myself.  He was wearing a knit cap and a red sweater, and was carrying a backpack.  He told me that he has really enjoyed the service the past few weeks, which in his estimation, would be a shock to his family and friends.

“My family wouldn’t believe me if I told them I’ve been going to church for the past few weeks.  I’ve never believed in God and certainly never attended church,” he said.  I asked him why he has enjoyed being at Embrace on Monday evenings.

His answer was simple, “I feel good here.  I think I have heard God speaking to me for the first time in my life.  This church is doing good work.  I just want you to know that.”

That’s what we’re about at Embrace.

“The desire of God’s heart is immeasurably larger than our imaginations can conjure. This longing of God’s to give us peace and assurance and a sense of well-being only awaits our willingness to cooperate with God’s limitless [love]…It is precisely because we have such an overactive disapproval gland ourselves that we tend to create God in our own image. It is truly hard for us to see the truth that disapproval does not seem to be part of God’s DNA. God is just too busy loving us to have any time left for disappointment.”
— Greg Boyle, "“Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion”

-Pastor John

Jean Vanier

A week ago we celebrated the life and legacy of Henri Nouwen, a man who gave up a life of prestige and respect working as a professor for institutions such as Harvard and Yale to live and work among people with severe mental and physical disabilities.  He left behind a life of recognition and honor in the world’s top academic institutions to work with the disabled folks at the L’Arche Daybreak community in Ontario, Canada.  He was heavily influenced by the founder of the L’Arche communities, Jean Vanier.

I was first introduced to Jean Vanier by Aaron Mansfield, a former pastor at The Rock/La Roca UMC.  He suggested that I read Vanier’s book, Community and Growth, when I was the youth pastor at the church.  At first glance I thought the book looked rather boring.  Don’t let the title or cover fool you; this book has impacted the way I view church and community perhaps more than any other book I’ve read.  The biggest lesson I’ve learned through reading Vanier is that a Christ-centered community must place the most vulnerable and marginalized at the center of its life.  Jesus always placed those on the margins of society at the center of his life and mission.  

“To grow in love is to try each day to welcome, and to be attentive and caring for those with whom we have the greatest difficulty; with our ‘enemies’: those who are the poorest, the oldest, the weakest, the most demanding, the most ailing; those who are most marginal in the community, who have the most difficulty conforming to the rules; and finally those who are the youngest. If people are faithful to these four priorities of love then the community as a whole will be an oasis of love.”
— Jean Vanier, "Community and Growth"

-Pastor John

Henri Nouwen

Today marks the anniversary of the death of a wonderful saint, Henri Nouwen.  I was first exposed to Nouwen about 12 years ago when a youth leader of mine, Craig Bowler, recommended that I read one of Nouwen's books on leadership, In the Name of Jesus.  As a freshman in college I cared little about becoming a better leader.  However, throughout the past 12 years that book has encouraged and challenged me to lead like Jesus.

“I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is why Jesus came to reveal God’s love. The great message that we have to carry, as ministers of God’s word and followers of Jesus, is that God loves us not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love and chosen us to proclaim that love as the true source of human life.”
— Henri Nouwen, "In the Name of Jesus"

-Pastor John

Welcome to our New Site!

We have simplified and updated our website!  We plan to update it regularly so that you can stay informed about what's happening at Embrace.  This blog will be the place where we keep you updated on news, events, stories, testimonies, links, and opportunities to go deeper with our sermon series.  We hope you enjoy!