Churches

Christ Episcopal Church, Delaware Street, Forest City invites the community to the annual Pancake Supper on Fat Tuesday, February 17. Dinner will be available starting at 5:00pm until 6:00pm. All in the community are invited to attend. On Wednesday, February 18th beginning at 12:00pm ashes will be distributed by Father McGinty at the church. Please support Christ Church on Fridays during lent by purchasing homemade soups, Welsh cookies, cabbage and noodles or pizza. To reserve your pizza, call in advance to 570-785-3425 and leave a message. Faith, Food, Fun – we welcome all and serve all in Christ's name.

Christ Episcopal Church, 700 Delaware Street, Forest City is conducting their annual pizza, soup, Welsh cookies, and cabbage noodles sale to benefit the church's community programs. The fundraiser will run from February 20th through April 3rd and will consist of take and bake twelve slices of red pizza for $17 or take and bake pagash (potato, cheese) for $19. Please call and pre-order pizza. Also available are pints of homemade assorted soups for $5, cabbage and noodles $7 and Welsh cookies $7 per dozen will also be for sale.

Stop by the church on Fridays, from 3:00pm to 5:30pm to pick up your favorites. We recommend advance ordering pizza by calling the church at 570-785-3425 and leaving a message. Christ Episcopal Church would like to thank the community for supporting this fundraising effort and all our projects. We could not conduct our community projects without the support of this wonderful community. Faith, Food, Fun – Sundays at 9:00am. We are always seeking new members to join us in faith, food and fun!

Good day dear hearts, I love you. I hope you are all surviving and staying warm throughout one of the coldest winters in history. Love warms our heart and this is a good time to heat up. As Valentine's Day approaches, our culture turns its attention to love, flowers, cards, chocolates and romantic gestures. These expressions have their place, but Scripture invites us to look deeper. Beyond emotion, beyond attraction, beyond the fleeting warmth of a holiday, the Bible paints a picture of love that is rugged, restorative and relentlessly faithful. It is the kind of love that changes people. It is the kind of love that heals families. It is the kind of love that reflects the very heart of God. Two passages in the Bible, Luke 15:11-32 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 stand as towering reminders of what real love looks like. One is a story. The other is a definition. Together, they offer a timely message for a world hungry for something more than Valentine's Day sentiment.

When you have time read Luke 15:11-32. This is one that many of you are familiar with. In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of a young man who demanded his inheritance early, left home and wasted everything in reckless living. When the money dried up, so did his friends. He found himself feeding pigs, starving, ashamed and alone. In that moment of desperation, he remembered home. He remembered his father. And he wondered if there might still be a place for him. What happens next is one of the most powerful images of love in all of Scripture. Here are some of the words from Luke's Gospel concerning the "Prodigal Son." "While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion." The father didn't wait for explanations. He didn't demand repayment. He didn't rehearse the son's failures. He ran, ran to meet him. He embraced him. He restored him. He celebrated with him. This is love that moves first. Love that refuses to keep score. Love that sees the person before failure. Love that opens the door before the apology is even spoken. In a world where relationships often fracture under the weight of disappointment, the father's response is a radical reminder: love has the power to restore what pride, selfishness and sin have broken.

If Luke 15 shows love in action, 1 Corinthians 13 defines its character. Paul describes a love that is patient and kind, not envious or boastful, not proud or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It keeps no record of wrongs. It rejoices in truth. It bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. This is agape; self-giving, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is the love the father showed to his returning son. It is the love God shows us every day. And it is the love we are called to show one another. Paul makes it clear that without this kind of love, even the most impressive spiritual gifts or religious accomplishments amount to nothing. Eloquence, knowledge, generosity, even acts of sacrifice without love, are empty. Love is not an accessory to faith, it is the evidence of it.

When we hold these two passages together, a powerful truth emerges. Love is not merely something we feel, it is something we choose. It is something we practice. It is something we extend even when it is difficult. The father in Luke 15 didn't love his son because the son deserved it. He loved him because love was his nature. Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 13 isn't a list of emotions, it's a list of actions, disciplines and commitments. In Valentine's season, often dominated by romantic ideals, Scripture calls us to something deeper; love that forgives quickly, love that listens patiently, love that refuses to give up on people, love that restores dignity, love that celebrates truth and love that keeps the door open. This kind of love strengthens marriages, heals friendships and rebuilds communities. It softens hardened hearts. It bridges generational divides. It reflects the love God has poured out on us.

As Valentine's Day approaches, perhaps the greatest gift we can give is not purchased in a store. It is the gift of Agape love, love that mirrors the father who ran toward his son and the Savior who runs toward us. Imagine what our homes, churches and neighborhoods would look like if we practiced the love Paul describes. Imagine the healing that could take place if we extended grace as freely as the father in Jesus' parable. Imagine the witness we could offer to a world longing for something real. Love is more than a feeling. It is a force. It is a choice. It is the greatest of all virtues. And when we live it out, we reflect the heart of the One who loved us first.

God Bless. Lord, we give you praise, honor and glory. We pray for our little town and its people. We pray for healing and peace. Join us Saturday, Feb. 21st 12:00pm to 1:00pm for a complimentary dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup with a side of rice and dessert. Pastor Vince, 570-853-3988.