Sunday is coming

Most people think that the idea that you can stay passionately in love with someone for the rest your life is a myth. That's why screenwriters rarely let the star couple in an ongoing show actually "get together," because after that we think the relationship gets boring. It's also why when you see two people totally into each other at a restaurant or something you think "they must be dating," or "they must be newlywed," or "they must be having an affair."

My goal this Sunday is for you, when you see a couple all over each other in a restaurant, to say, "they must be one of those married couples who has just gone through the Song of Solomon Exposed series.

And if you're single, Solomon has a lot of good points for reflection about character, trust, and commitment that are good for us all to think about.

Also, this week is the STARBUCKS offering. Just in case you haven't caught it yet, the Starbucks offering is our challenge to you to, for one month, give up some "luxuries," like a cup of Starbucks, for a month and channel that money toward blessing those in our city who are "without." This month, Veronica and I have had a good time making coffee at home most mornings, and our pastoral team has foregone eating out together at lunch. It's been a good exercise, and God has showed me how much money I personally waste on things that I really could do without.

If you haven't really done anything yet on the Starbucks offering, perhaps this Sunday you could do a "faith promise," meaning you figure out what you could do without in the coming month and give that amount. At any rate, I hope you'll take this chance to experience the joy of sacrifice and giving. I think you'll find that seeing the Gospel of Jesus' sacrifice go forward is a greater joy than life's luxuries.