Aug 14-15, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Pastor Karen Quan
Eph. 3: 17- 19: NIV “….17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, BEING ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and how high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
It’s been a joy to meditate on this passage since Sept. 2020 with all those in Children’s Ministry & to have celebrated together on the Virtual Awana Awards Nite (June 25, 2021). Some of our leaders even memorized this passage and had their Awana Kids listen to the reciting! Hiding God’s word in our hearts is not only for those under 12.
May the following thoughts from verse 19 be of encouragement to you.
“KNOW” What is it to really know someone? Not just know about them, but truly know them deeply and thoroughly? The previous verse reveals the multi directional love of Christ and here we are told to press on and know this love for ourselves. This love of Christ is beyond knowledge. Could it be that we just know about Christ’s love on a superficial level? Or know facts about Christ but have actually missed knowing Him personally? To really KNOW this love is to get personal and to be vulnerable with Christ. To spend time with Him, know His character and strive to understand what motivates Him to love us so.
“FILLED” Have you ever blown a balloon so that it was filled with so much air that you couldn’t add any more? Or eaten so much that you can’t even take one more bite? God’s desire is to fill us with Christ’s love, to fill us just as we will up our cars with gas. And this “filling” isn’t just once and done, it’s continuous. That we would be filled with Christ’s love every moment of each day: every hour, every minute, down to the second! The thought that the boundless love of Christ is offered to limited humans like us is so wonderful. Our God is generous and demonstrates this in the act of filling our hearts to the maximum level so that we are not left wanting or in need.
“FULLNESS OF GOD” As I try to imagine the “Fullness of God”, I picture a cup that is overflowing. Abundance….Surplus… like a fountain that never runs out of water. In memorizing this passage, I use hand gestures to remind myself of each phrase and this section involves God not only filling me with the love that I so need, but going beyond. God’s love is complete and with my human limitations, I’m challenged to think on the limitless & wholeness of God. This leads me to worship Him and give thanks for this great gift of love so freely given to us.
The kids have reflected and expressed their thoughts on this passage through art. Enjoy this link for the Secret Video “Rooted & Established”: https://youtu.be/sbLdODkSyWE