"It's all cold down on the beach
The wind's whipping down the boardwalk" 

Some of you Christmas Music junkies will recognize this as the first two lines of Bruce Springsteen's intro to his version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town".  And, those are the words I wish I would have thought to say during the sermon Sunday as the AC was whistling across the stage microphone, and while Bethany was saving us by turning off the blower.  I guess I was too cold right then to think fast.

 I hope our study this Fall of the Great Chapter on Love, 1 Corinthians 13, has been helpful to all of us.  No, we are not facing the same problems as the church whose failures prompted the Apostle Paul to write this letter.  But all of us could probably improve on how we love one another.  

 Sure, people sometimes make it really hard for us to love them.  But, the truth is we have all had lots of practice loving someone who is difficult to love.  [Siblings, quit looking at each other!] 

The great 20th Century theologian, C. S. Lewis helps us see this strange truth:

    "There is someone I love, even though I don't approve of what he does. 
There is someone I accept, though some of his faults and actions revolt me. 
There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most.  That person is me."        

 I did not see that one coming.  But, it's true, isn't it?  Is there anyone who disappoints us more than ourselves?  Yet, we usually find ways to get over our failures and still take wonderful care of ourselves.  

Love is not easy.  But maybe it's not as hard as we make it sometimes.  May The Lord empower us to love as He loves.  

~Shepherd Ambrose Ramsey