agape love

GOD’S PRECIOUS CONCERTO!

(September 22, 2023) Norman and Margaret Moss reflect…

Listening to the introduction to a BBC Prom the other evening, we learned that Schumann’s Piano Concerto has a romantic secret.

The Clara Code
A key theme of the concerto is a series of notes which represent the name of Schumann’s beloved Clara. Sometimes this is referred to as the Clara code.

What a precious tribute to her! Schumann had written a whole concerto through which Clara’s name is enshrined forever. A very precious concerto indeed!

But – there is another concerto that is even more precious!

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THE MOST POWERFUL THING IN THE WORLD

(September 11, 2022) Carol Round encourages us to think of others…

Recently I came across an article titled, 10 Of the Most Unexpectedly Powerful Things in The World. Scanning the article, I was amazed at the information provided by the author.

Evidentally some of the most powerful things in the world are related to the animal kingdom.

And on a mission trip to Costa Rica several years ago, I was to experience one of the most powerful things in the animal kingdom.

Watching ants marching in a line across the dry soil, I was astonished to see each one toting a leaf on their backs. Later, I learned they are called leafcutter ants. These ants can lift up to 50 times their body weight, which – according to this article – is the equivalent of a human casually lifting a truck!

I’m convinced, however, that love is the most powerful thing in the world. Not the love of romance novels and movies, but the kind of love that led Jesus to surrender to a bloody death on a wooden cross. It’s called agape love.

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WORDS OF LIFE (#G2) LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS – AGAPE

(May 11, 2017) Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, continues his series on selected Greek words…

The word ‘love’ is a very busy one in the English language and is used to cover many things. We can say that we love our car, dog, fish and chips, our parents, children, wife or girlfriend/boyfriend.  We describe that warm fuzzy feeling for people we like as ‘love.’ Or we may use the word to describe a raging emotional or sexual passion.

Clearly ‘love’ is used to describe a wide range of experiences. But the Greeks used at least four words to describe some of the things we call ‘love.’

(i) They used the word philia, which is a word that expresses friendship (The verb is phileo). God did not make us to be socially self-existent – we need to have friends. But there is also a selfish element in philia – it is largely based on the premise that if you like me, I will like you! This mutually positive attitude is the basis of friendship. That is not to deny its value as friendship is an essential ingredient to enrich our lives and without it we are impoverished. Therefore philia is a love that we all need for friendship and is vitally important. (more…)

YES TO LOVE?

Jim McClure

Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, shares concernedly on ‘real love’…

‘These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13).

In the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians 13 Paul wrote what has been described as the most beautiful poem on love ever written. It is certainly the best known and is often used in wedding services, wall art and greeting cards. (more…)