1916 saw the opening of the parish church in Goldthorpe and this week has seen a variety of centenary celebrations, including a ‘carpet of flowers’ in the church.

The images include the year of mercy logo, the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, pictures of Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Mary Magdalene (patron saints of the church), Saint Wilfred’s coat of arms, the sacred heart of Jesus, the Yorkshire rose, Goldthorpe School logo, the Scouts and Guides logo and the Halifax coat of arms (since the Second Viscount Halifax built the church for the community.)

A variety of other flower arrangements were also in the church.

A new commemorative stone has also been laid outside the church and a time capsule has been placed under the stone:

The church will be open tomorrow from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and a special service will be held on Sunday at 4 p.m. to celebrate the centenary.

Paul’s description of love clearly highlights the Corinthians’ faults (and ours too…) The Corinthians were impatient, but love is patient. They were envious of others (1 Cor 3:3), whereas love doesn’t envy (‘it doesn’t want what it doesn’t have’, as the Message version puts it.) They were ‘puffed up with pride’ (1 Cor 4:6, 18, 5:1, 8:1), whereas love is not proud. They were boastful about many things (1 Cor 3:18, 8:2, 14:37), but love ‘doesn’t have a swelled head.’ Their behaviour was not always proper, for they acted selfishly in meetings (1 Cor 11) instead of thinking of others more highly than themselves. They were selfish (1 Cor 8:9), not understanding the need to consider each other, putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.

Whilst we can readily identify with the abstract idea of ‘love is…’ and can easily relate Paul’s description of love to God’s character, what is far more challenging for us is to put our own name in front of each sentence. We are, like the Corinthians, often unkind, unloving, impatient, inconsiderate, envious, boastful, judgmental and selfish. The life of Christ, however, grows within us if we are new creations in Christ. The fruit of the Spirit (which greatly resemble this description of love) develops as God works from the inside out. All of us are ‘works in progress’. The ‘complete’, ‘whole’, ‘perfection’ has not yet arrived, but when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) Instead of tearing our hair out in desperation at our failings, we need to pursue ‘the most excellent way’ of love by remaining in Christ (John 15:1-8), not striving in our own strengths.

Paul shows us in 1 Cor 13 what love looks like and what it does not look like.

Love is patient, showing a steadfastness which does not give up (see 1 Thess 5:14, Heb 6:15, James 5:7-8), reflecting God’s patience in wanting everyone to turn to Him in repentance. (2 Pet 3:9)

Love is kind, reflecting God’s kindness to us which leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4) and which gives us access to the incomparable riches of His grace. (Eph 2:6-7)

It does not envy, putting one’s own desires and needs first, allowing jealousy to corrode peace of mind (Prov 14:30), but looks to put others first, not being self-seeking (see Phil 2:3-4).

It does not boast, being big-hearted, but not big-headed! Any boasting we do should be in God (Jer 9:23-24, 1 Cor 1:28-29), because anything of value we are or have comes from Him anyway.

It is not proud (puffed up, inflated, arrogant.) Pride is a constant pitfall waiting to trip us up. Love does not have a superiority complex, nor is it keen to put others down.

It does not dishonour others. Love seeks to do the right thing in the right way, understanding the value of each person as an individual made in the image of God. It’s not rude or pushy.

Love is not easily angered (touchy, irritable, flying off the handle at the least little thing.) In chemistry, some elements are known as ‘volatile’ because they are unstable, always trying to combine with another element to find the stability they crave. Love is not volatile, leaving us permanently wary around people, wondering how they will react today. Love has a consistency and stability which reflects God’s unchanging nature. (Mal 3:6)

Love keeps no record of wrongs. So often, we keep ledgers of things people do wrong, being unwilling to forgive, holding on to grudges. Again, we have no right to do this when we consider how much God has forgiven us! (see Jer 31:34, Heb 8:12, Heb 10:17)

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.Schadenfreude (the malicious pleasure we have at someone else’s misfortune) has no place in our lives. Love isn’t censorious (being severely critical of others) or superior (looking down on people.) Instead, its delight and rejoicing is always with the truth, following the One who is Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6) and who said that only the truth can ever fully liberate.

Love always protects (throwing a covering over sin, as 1 Pet 4:8 says) and always trusts. Giving people the benefit of the doubt is not a popular thing nowadays, but we need to learn to forgive and trust people.

Love always hopes and always perseveres (bringing us full circle, for there is always patience and waiting involved in hoping and persevering!) Rom 8:24-25 reminds us of the need for hope and patient waiting; love looks beyond the present to the hope of what might be in the future.

Gifts of the Spirit, which are intended to strengthen the church body, often divide the body because members of the church elevate those who possess the more visible gifts over those whose gifts function in the background. In 1 Cor 12 & 14, Paul gives practical teaching about the gifts of the Spirit, but in 1 Cor 13, he shifts his focus to the central role love plays in a believer’s life. Love is essential for the body to be unified and for members to work together. Members of the body who are very different, with little in common, are able to appreciate the diversity of the body because of the love that comes when a life is submitted to God.

In the 1980s, there was a comic strip which started with the words ‘Love is…’ and gave us insights into different aspects of love.

Paul gives us a vivid portrait of love in 1 Cor 13:4-8, showing us clearly that love is far more than an emotion or warm, fuzzy feeling; love in action is what counts (see 1 Jn 3:18). No amount of spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues, prophecy, miraculous powers, generous giving or even martyrdom) can compensate for a lack of love (1 Cor 13:1-3), and Paul is unequivocal in placing love at the top of the pyramid (‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’ 1 Cor 13:13) Love must always be focussed outwards and be a reflection of God’s own nature (we could substitute ‘God is…’ or ‘Jesus is…’ before each of the descriptions of love in this passage without changing the meaning at all!) Ultimately, we need to understand the eternal nature of love, because all other things will pass away, but love will remain. Only when we minister in love can we hope to leave a legacy that will stand the test of time.

The state of some roads in our local area leaves a lot to be desired: they are full of potholes, bumpy, have been dug up countless times to repair pipes beneath them and now resemble a patchwork quilt of tarmac. They are uncomfortable to ride on and when speed humps are added into the equation can make for decidedly unpleasant journeys!

We much prefer smooth, newly tarmaced road surfaces without curves and corners (well, unless you’re Garry, who loves riding round bends, especially on the motor bike…!)

Life is rarely like the smooth, newly tarmaced road, however. It’s full of vicissitudes, those changes in circumstances which are rarely pleasant, full of ups and downs, bends and twists, uneven road surfaces:

There are so many times in life when we have no idea where we are going or what is happening. We may well feel abandoned by God, utterly alone and forsaken. We cannot see how life’s difficulties – bereavement, illness, pain, rejection, divorce, depression, miscarriage, unwanted pregnancy, rape, violence and so on- can possibly be used for good. As Mark reminded us on Sunday, though, our call is to trust in God even when we cannot see Him.

One of my all-time favourite lyrics is in Jeremy Camp’s song ‘Walk By Faith’ which says ‘this broken road prepares Your will for me.’ Written after his first wife’s death at the age of 21 from ovarian cancer, the song declares ‘I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see.’ The song asks poignant questions which all of us must face:

‘Will I believe You when You say
Your hand will guide my every way?
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day?’

It’s not easy to walk by faith on the roads with potholes and uneven road surfaces. But as Joseph demonstrates, it is possible. Even the broken roads prepare God’s will for us. Aaron Keyes reminds us that God is in sovereign control over us, working in our waiting, teaching us to trust (‘Sovereign Over Us’). God is faithful forever, perfect in love. Hold on to that on the broken roads.

We also had a birthday to celebrate tonight: