Royston First United Methodist Church

“You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.” – Song of Solomon 4:9

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING: Song of Solomon 4-6

On Saturday, May 10, 2003, at 3:00 PM, the doors to the back of the church opened, and Michele was standing in the back of the church dressed in white. As I stood next to my dad and in the presence of family and friends, I was fixated on this incredible woman who was about to enter into this crazy journey of marriage with me. We had met in college, been friends for almost six years, and dated for three years. As I saw her walking down the center aisle in theSanctuary at Roswell United Methodist Church, I was convinced that I could not love her any more than I did in that moment. I was wrong.

Over the last 17 years, Michele and I have experienced the highs and low that so many couples experience in marriage. We have had our disagreements. We have had our celebrations. We work together to raise our daughters, and we juggle the responsibilities of maintaining our home (I’ll admit…she’s a much better juggler than me). In all of that, I have found that I love her more today than I did on May 10, 2003. It’s a love that has matured. It’s a love that continues to mature.

This week in worship, we will explore this type of love as we discuss Song of Solomon. In his book, Solomon describes the love of a bride and groom. It’s alove that matures. It’s a love that is being perfected. But it’s also a love that reminds us of the love that Christ has for the Church. Throughout the New Testament, we discover the Church (the ekklesia) often portrayed as the bride of Christ. Just as we might experience in our earthly relationships, our relationship with Christ is one that matures in love. John Wesley often described it as being “perfected in love.” How are you maturing in your love for Christ?

I am excited to return to live worship on our church campus this weekend. We will have two services on campus — 9:30 in the Gym and 11:00 in theSanctuary. We will also continue to offer our online worship service beginning at 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings (please note the time change). It’s going to be agreat weekend and I look forward to being with you this weekend in worship at 9:30 and 11:00, and also online!

Have a great weekend!

With the love of the Lord,
Matt

P.S. This past week, we held a training for volunteers who will be assisting in the return to live worship on the church campus. I am grateful for the 20 people who participated in one of these trainings. It is not too late to sign up to help. It will require at least 6-8 people for each service every week. If you are able to help, please send me an e-mail at matt@roystonfirstumc.org.