Some years ago, I was coaching a church planter. I told him from the get-go, for you to be successful in planting a church, you need three things: people need to love the vision, people need to love you, and people need to love each other. These are all essential. If you miss one of these, it won’t work. This was a gifted guy but the church plant was rocky; he would get a group of people together and they would sort of dwindle, and then it would build up again, then dwindle. At one point he called me up and said, “Do I really need a core group to plant this church?” I about lost it on him. When I stopped railing on him, I calmly said, “You are missing one of the essential things, a thing that if not present your church will fail. You have to connect this group not just to you, but, more importantly, to each other—they have to love each other.”

Essential things. That is what we are talking about this Sunday as we start a brand new series called The Greatest of These. For the next six weeks, we are looking at a chapter in the Bible that is perhaps in the top five most recognizable passages in the whole Bible—Paul’s treatise on Love from I Corinthians 13. So many things go into what we might call a God-formed life, but the tendency even in Paul’s day was to favor the flashy over the mundane, the quick over the slow and steady, the one-off over the long obedience. This was happening to the church in Corinth. This is perhaps the most gifted church Paul planted, abounding in spiritual gifts, resources and abilities, and yet Paul tells them they are missing one essential thing—love.

So as we embark on a new season of ministry, where we are using our gifts, resources and abilities to further the kingdom of Jesus in a place, it is wise to check our hearts and motives. God gives gifts and abilities unevenly to his body; but he gives his Spirit to all of us without measure, the chief fruit of which is love. Hope you’ll join us Sunday as we talk about it.

Also remember, Sunday School starts back for all ages this week. If you are new and want to know more about St. Patrick, we have a place for you to inquire in a class called “St. Patrick 101”. If you are interested in a deep dive into Genesis, we continue our study there from last year. Or if you need to be in a community that is wrestling with parenting, we also have that. Just show up, check your children in, make your way to the East wing of the building, grab a cup of delicious coffee, and join us.