Dear Friends in Christ,

This past weekend we launched our new worship series, Love Your Neighbor and as I was preaching, I kept finding myself repeating one phrase: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I almost took time in the sermon to unpack those last two words—“as yourself”—but I realized that would have kept us in worship for another 30 minutes! Still, as I was preaching, I became more and more convinced that those two words need our attention.

So many of us struggle with the idea of loving ourselves. Sometimes we think it sounds vain or self-centered. Yet Jesus included it in the commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. To love others well, we must also be able to see ourselves as God sees us—beloved, worthy, and made in God's image. So, we're going to unpack these two little words this Sunday.

As I prepare, I’d love to hear your reflections. How do you love yourself? Do you think it’s okay to love yourself? What does that look like for you?

Your thoughts and stories are a gift to me and to our church as we learn together how to embody Christ’s love more fully.

Many blessings,

Pastor Angie