The Connection
February 18, 2025
"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds."
~ Psalm 36:5
Mixed Bag
Friday is Valentine’s Day. Love notes are on our minds, and for those of you with young kids, stamps, envelopes, class lists, and glitter are probably all over your house as well. On Valentine’s Day, we celebrate affection with notes and candy. The holiday is not named for red roses and red balloons though, it’s named for an actual, real-life saint.
St. Valentine was a priest who lived in 3rd century Rome. At the time, Rome’s Emperor Claudius II was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join the military. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to go to battle because they did not want to leave their wives and families. In response, the emperor banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Taking a stand for love, Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages in secret. While this sounds sweet, Valentine was actually martyred for these weddings. His story is a real mixed bag of highs and lows. We remember him by sharing and opening collections of notes from our friends and loved ones.
The Psalms are a collection of notes to God, and they beautifully express experiences of God’s love. Psalm 36:5 declares that God's love stretches to the heavens. It is a love that is limitless, unwavering, and eternal. God’s love is steadfast, a foundation upon which all other love can be understood.
The Psalms share several love notes to God, but that’s not all. The Psalms, too, are a real mixed bag of highs and lows. Some share praise, others anguish, and some anger. Some Psalms share the nature of God and creation. On Sunday we will turn to Psalm 1 in our Abundance worship series to talk about the weighty wisdom of the whole Psalter.
In the mixed bag of being human, God’s love for you is vast and the lessons of the Psalms are vast. This Valentine season, remember: You are deeply loved by God and God’s love is as high as the heavens. God wants to hear your prayers. I know the love notes and the pointed notes of the Psalms help me with my own prayers. Which Psalm is your favorite?
Saint John's Library - An Excellent Source of Knowledge!
Did you know that our own Saint John's library has no fewer than 7 books on the Psalms and dozens of Bibles and Bible commentaries? The library is showcased on the first Sunday of each month with a table in the Gallery, and is available to members any time the church is open. You can also search for specific authors or titles using the online search feature found on our website: www.librarycat.org/lib/stjohnsaustinlib.
