Love Is the Way – Today we continue a post-Easter series of several weeks of focus on 1 John and the idea of love, that God loves us and that our response to that is to love God in return, but also to love others.  This is also Confirmation Sunday when we present a dozen young people who have been through the confirmation process and are ready to become full members of the church.  Delivering the sermon today is Rev. Will McLeane, our Pastor of Spiritual Formation.  He begins with examples of our needing direction, such as when we’re traveling by car and use a navigation system.  There are other times when we desperately need physical or emotional direction from a doctor or a therapist.  This letter of 1 John was received by an early church and offers guidance and direction, based in God’s love through the incarnation.  When we understand that and trust and feel God’s love, we get a fullness of self and can have our hearts and minds changed so that we are commissioned to take courageous stands to embody and spread that love.  We are open to and given direction by the love of God, embodied and exemplified in Jesus.    (NOTE: Reflecting the importance of the Word, the video begins with the scripture, but once it starts you can scroll back to the beginning of the service if you want.  The entire service is videoed.)