Jazz @ Emmanuel – February 9 – Love or Fear

For us humans, fear is wired in. It is mostly an unconscious welling up into our chest or a trickling down into our gut before we know it. The are many suggestions out there to choose love over fear, but is that even possible? What we can do is learn to recognize fear’s many disguises and have the courage to peer beneath them and uncover the lies that give them their power.

Still fear can be insidious. Our two Its strong pull can draw us into conspiracy theories, gossip, devious plots, and lots and lots of justification. (… I wonder how I know this…)

When fear is present, it is hard to stay rational. Our thinking brains shut down and we revert to ‘fight, flee,or freeze.” But how about plotting? Many a crime or destructive behavior has been plotted out because of fear.

And so is the sad state of the human predicament.

Enter God, stage right, arms loaded with love and grace, compassion and patience, kindness and goodness through and through. Ahhh….

“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect…Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 
We love each other because he loved us first.” 1 John 4:16-19

We are so not perfect in love. But God knows that too. And still, he continues to invite us to trust him and find peace. And do our best to love in the face of fear.

When we know that we know that we know… the truth of God’s unconditional love, that “truth will set us free” – over and over. John 17:17 

Jazz at Emmanuel explores Fear and Love Sunday, February 9th. 5 pm.
Sit back and sink into God’s love with us.

Jazz @ Emmanuel 
Where the spirited and the spiritual join in a new kind of celebration
as only Jazz at Emmanuel can.
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AS ALWAYS…
The Second Sunday of the Month, September – May
5 PM IN THE SANCTUARY

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NEXT MONTH – MARCH 9
Treasures