Love Is Everything: “E is even more than Anyone You Adore” (Part IV)

Sermon Title: Love is Everything – “E is even more than you adore”

Good News Statement: God’s love is everything and God’s love is for us

Summary: Love is more than something we define, more than something we say, more than something we feel: love is what lives within us and changes us every day.

Preached: Sunday, February 22^nd, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): John 13:1-11 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of John who highlights a touching moment when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples in the Upper Room. Our reading comes from the Gospel of John, Chapter Thirteen, and Verses One thru Eleven. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding to your life.

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

 

Introduction:

If you have ever been to a wedding, you probably have heard some of these songs: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “Love is All You Need” also by the Beatles, “Earth Angel” by the Penguins, “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies, “Sweat Pea” by Tommy Roe, “At Last” by Etta James, “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman, and “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel. For those of the younger generations, some of your wedding songs consist of “All of Me” by John Legend, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, “Better Together” by Us The Duo, “Marry Me” by Jason Derulo, “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, “Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton, “The Rest of Our Life” by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, “When I Say I Do” by Matthew West, “You Are the Reason” by Calum Scott, “From the Ground Up” by Dan and Shay, and possibly “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Hall and Oates. And for this current generation, I bet the song that you will hear at their wedding will be “Lover” by Taylor Swift.

I’m sure many of us have heard at least a few of these songs. But the more I ponder this list, the more I think about a certain song that was played at Emily and I’s wedding, at my brother’s wedding, at my sister’s wedding, at my parent’s wedding, and possibly at your wedding. This song was featured in the 1998 movie The Parent Trap as the viewers witnessed the wedding of Nick and Liz. Four years prior to The Parent Trap, two children named Waldo and Darla captured the hearts of the viewers as they sang this song during a talent show in the 1994 movie The Little Rascals. To be honest with you, the song that I am talking about was released 30 years before the releasing of The Little Rascals, and it was sung, not by children, but by an individual named Nat King Cole. The song I am talking about is “L.O.V.E.”

Recite it with me, if you know it: “L is for the way you look at me; O is for the only one I see; V is very, very extraordinary; E is even more than anyone that you adore…” How many of you have heard this song? How many of you have heard it played during the reception of a wedding? How many of you included this song on your wedding playlist? It is evident that this 1964 song has left quite an impression since we are still hearing and singing it 62 years later. But why? Why has this song lasted for more than half-a-century? What makes this song a song of weddings of the past, present, and future across multiple generations? What does this song teach us about love?

For the next few weeks, we are going to use the song “L.O.V.E.” by Nat King Cole to help us understand the love that Christ gives us, and how we need this love in our life. Hopefully, by the end of this sermon series, we will be able to write our own definition (and maybe song) to the love that is in our heart, in our life, and in those that love us back. If you had to spell love, what words would you use to spell something that changes your life every day?

 

Body:

Love. It’s a word that has captured the curiosity of people for thousands of years. What is love? Is love an emotion? Is love an action? Is love something we only feel inside of us? Is love an expression of our past, present, or future? How does one love someone else? How does one love themselves? How do we know that love is real? Where does love come from? Who said “I love you” first? Is love important? I bet if I asked each of you to define the word ‘love,’ many of you would have a different definition. Why? Because love is sometimes hard to describe and even articulate.

I love how Dennis Nealon begins his article on “The Science of Love” published on the webpage for Harvard Medical School. He stated, “Love has been the source of ceaseless fascination since antiquity. Artists have tried to capture its beauty and darkness in books, paintings, and songs. Behavioral scientists have explored love as a social ritual, psychologists have studied its pathological manifestations, and evolutionary biologists have sought to define it as a drive linked to the very survival of our species.”[1] Nealon then states, “…love appear[s] to be essential to our overall well-being and, indeed, survival…”[2] In an article published in Psychology Today, Lybi Ma shares that love is considered to be one of our “most basic and fundamental needs.”[3] If you are having a troubling time defining what ‘love’ is, you aren’t alone. Artists struggle to capture its core and scientists, psychologists, biologists, and hundreds of others have struggled since the genesis of time to describe and define love. However, what they have concluded is that love is essential to our overall well-being and survival: it’s a basic and fundamental need. Therefore, as The Beatles famously sang, “Love is all you need.”

To be honest, we know we need love. We know, although mysterious, that love is something we can’t live without. We understand that even though we can’t define love that doesn’t mean we can’t show or offer love. We know we need love. But we also want to know what love is. Today, we focus on the fourth and last letter found in the word love. “E is even more than anyone that you adore…”

 

Movement One: A Recap of Where we have been…

Three weeks ago, we began a new sermon series focused on love; specifically, on love found within scripture. Paul, in his letter or epistle to the Corinthians, notes, “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).[4] For Paul, love is everything. As a matter of fact, love is essential, effective, and eternal which is why it never fails nor ends. It’s part of who we are. It’s part of our life.

Love is essential because we need love in our life in order to live the life that God has gifted us. Love is effective because it changes us in powerful and meaningful ways. Love is also eternal suggesting that no matter what happens in our life nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38-39) who is the “same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). And this love, what Paul describes, was present during creation and is present today.

Two weeks ago, we looked at the first two letters of the word love as inspired by the words sung by Nat King Cole in 1964: “L is for the way you look at me; O is for the only one I see.” In the very beginning, at the genesis of life, whatever God created, He not only said “it was very good” (Genesis 1:31), but He saw everything that He created. God saw everything that He created.

To this we asked the question, “What does it mean that God saw everything?” God saw Adam and Eve, God saw the stars, God saw the land and the water, God saw the night and day, God saw the vegetation, God saw the animals of the land and the creatures of the water and the birds in the sky, and God saw the goodness and the sinfulness. God saw everything that He created. Why? Because when God saw what was good, He saw the product of His love. God saw love in action. Nat King Cole sang, “L is for the way you look at me.” God not only saw His creation, but He came to love His creation because of what He saw. This means, that when God looks at you, He sees something, someone that is not just good but is loved. To be loved means to be seen by God.

Then we explored the words “O is for the only one I see.” To this we reflected on Matthew 14:22-33 which tells of the story of Jesus calming the storm and inviting Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water. Many of us have heard this particular passage used to talk about doubt, fear, faith, trust, and the calming presence of Christ during our storms, especially when we call out “Lord, save me.” But there is another lesson here that is tied to love. While Peter was walking on the water, the text says he “noticed the wind, became frightened, began to sink, and cried to Jesus to save him.” In this story, Jesus never took his eyes off of Peter. However, that is not the case for Peter. While walking on the water, Peter stopped looking at Jesus: he got distracted and began to sink deeper and deeper and deeper into the water until he could no longer see the light above the surface. Peter took his eyes off Jesus. Peter took his eyes off of the one who could save him. Peter took his eyes off of the one who could calm the storm. Ultimately, Peter took his eyes off of the one who loved him. And because of that, he began to sink.

God looks at us with love in His heart and He invites us to offer the same thing to Him and to those in our life. We will sink in life: we will doubt, we will fear, we will lose hope, we will have a lack of faith and trust, and we will get distracted. But in those moments, we must not turn our eyes away from the person or persons that we love but toward them because they will be the ones to reach down and pull us out of the water. “O is for the only one I see”: so, who in your life do you look at with love in your heart?

Last week, we read from First Samuel 1:4-8, which tells us, “On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’”

From this text we talked about how “love is very, very extraordinary.” This is an extraordinary moment in scripture that reminds us of how extraordinary and remarkable and wonderful and amazing love is. While giving portions from the sacrifice, Elkanah gives a double portion to Hannah because he loved her. Keep in mind that Elkanah had every right to be upset with Hannah, could have divorced Hannah, could have punished Hannah, could have ignored Hannah, could have locked Hannah away in the tower, and could have treated her less than Peninnah all because she was unable to perform the task of being with child. But instead, we are told that he loves her. He noticed her weeping. He saw that she wasn’t eating. He witnessed her broken and sad heart. And knowing that he couldn’t do much, he decided to stay by her side. Why? Because he loved her. Love is extraordinary because it is not about what is wrong or what ought to be, but what is right and what is present. Life doesn’t always make it easy to love, but life does provide moments in which we can love.

Love is very, very extraordinary because it allows us to do things that we never thought we would be able to do: as Paul said, “It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). And you know why it seems as if love can do the impossible and so much more? Because the love that you have been given, the reason why it is extraordinary, has come directly from Jesus Christ—the very person who left the people amazed. We are nothing without love, but with love we are more than we can imagine and can do more than we ever thought possible. We can see people in their darkest times.

Today, we explore the fourth and last letter of love: the letter “e”. According to Nat King Cole, “E is even more than anyone that you adore…” How much do you adore the one that loves you?

 

Movement Two: What is it that you adore?

In 1964, Nat King Cole ended his spelling of love by singing, “E is even more than anyone that you adore…” If you think about it, we, as humans, adore a lot of things. We adore family and friends; we adore our pets; we adore acts of service and offering kindness; we adore moments of being comfortable; and some of us adore certain smells, beverages, and foods. We adore certain aspects of nature: sunshine, the first snow fall, wild flowers, a gentle breeze on a hot day, rainy days, warm sand near the ocean, colorful leaves that blanket the trees, and freshly mowed green grass. Some of us adore quiet time, reading, sleeping, meaningful conversations, certain indulgences, music, writing, hobbies, certain sports teams, and simple joys. This list by no means mentions everything that humans adore in their life; but it does provide several things in which all of us can relate to in some way. What do you adore and why?

Much like the word “extraordinary,” we use the word “adore” without really thinking about what it is that we are saying. According to the Merriam-Webster online Dictionary, adore is defined as “to worship or honor as a deity or as divine; to regard with loving admiration and devotion; and to be very fond of.”[5] Personally, I don’t think, unless we adore Jesus Christ or God, that when we adore something or someone our intent is not to worship that thing or person, but rather to regard it or them with love. To this, another definition of adore is as follows: “to adore someone means to feel deep love, reverence, and intense admiration for them, often seeing them as perfect, and wanting to please them, going beyond typical love to a state of doting affection and profound respect, whether in romance or deep friendship. It’s a strong expression of care and appreciation.”[6]  So, from the latter definition, we see that adore is a means of deep love, reverence, affection, honor, respect, care, and appreciation. Personally, I believe this is what many of us think about when we either use or hear the word adore. So again, what is it that you adore—that you deeply love, care about, appreciate, and honor?

 

Movement Three: The Act of Adoring in the Bible…

If you remember from last week, I shared with you that the word “extraordinary” appears only three times in the Bible, according to the New Revised Standard Version that is. But by understanding the meaning of extraordinary—“something out of the ordinary”—we learned that the word “amazed” in scripture carries the same weight. The people were amazed when the mute person spoke, when the man on the mat walked, when the storm was calmed, when the blind saw, and when the sick were cured. The people were amazed because they witnessed something that was out of the ordinary—something that caught their attention. Now the word “adore” is the same way.

Doing a quick Google search, the word “adore” does not appear in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible nor in the King James Version nor in the New King James Version of the Bible but it does appear once in the New International Version—in Song of Songs 1:4 “How right they are to adore you!”—and four times in the Common English Bible—for example Psalm 112:1 “Praise the Lord! Those who honor the Lord, who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy!” I share this with you because although the word “adore” is not a profound biblical term, the definition and meaning is present in words such has love—which appears 640 times, honor—which appears 169 times, care—which appears 142 times, and respect—which appears 36 times in the Bible. Although the word “adore” is not there, the meaning and action of what adore means is still present in scripture.

For example, when reading the Ten Commandments, we come across these words, “Honor your father and your mother…” (Exodus 20:12). Adore—love, respect, care for, and appreciate—your father and mother. In 1 Peter 2:17, Peter notes, “Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” Adore everyone, including the emperor, with love, respect, and appreciation. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke we read the parable of the wicked tenants who mistreated everyone the land owner sent to collect the produce of the winepress, including the owner’s son. Matthew 21:37 notes, “Then he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’” They didn’t respect—adore, care for, honor, appreciate—the son of the land owner: they “seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him” (Matthew 21:39). On a much happier not, we witness a sense of adoration when we read from 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for—loves, adores, respects, appreciates, and honors—you.” Although the word “adore” may not be physically present, it doesn’t mean that the impact, intent, and action of it is not there.[7]

This leads us to seeing the act of adoration in scripture. There are two moments that I would like us to examine today. The first one is found in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-50, and John 12:1-8. What we read in these verses is the story of a sinful woman washing the feet of Jesus. The second encounter is found in John 13:1-11, the moment in the Upper Room where Jesus is found washing the feet of his disciples during the last supper.

First: the sinful woman who washes the feet of Jesus. John 12:1-8 asserts, “Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’” In Luke’s account of this moment we read, “A woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that [Jesus] was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment” (Luke 7:37-38, ESV).

In both of these accounts, we learn that this moment took place at the house of Simon the Pharisee, who criticized Jesus for allowing a known sinner to touch him. (That’s not the first time: remember the bleeding woman who touched Jesus? She was made well because of her faith.) We also learn that Jesus defended this woman—either Mary of Bethany or Mary Magdalene or an unknown woman—stating her sins, which were many, were forgiven because she loved much, and told her, in Luke’s account, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” In both accounts, we witness a woman, a sinful woman, get down on her knees upon the dirt floor to wash the feet of Jesus, whose feet were covered with dust, dirt, and probably mud from walking everywhere. And she weeping, wetting his feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and pouring expensive perfume on them which bought with her own money—money that probably took several days or weeks to earn—cleans his feet. There is a lot that could be said about these few verses, but for today, I encourage you to see the adoration in this story.

The sinful woman, who probably doesn’t know a lot about Jesus, was brought to this dinner as a pawn to trick Jesus, has just demonstrated what it means to adore the ones we love. Knowing that her sins were great, she focused on what was important: forgiveness. Knowing that she would be ridiculed for her actions, she chose to do what no one else thought of doing—although it was a custom for the host to wash the feet of guests. Knowing that all she had to clean his feet with was expensive oil—something she probably saved up for, for quite some time—and her tears, she did so anyways. Not knowing the outcome of her actions, she committed to them and she was saved, forgiven of her sins. This sinful woman adored Jesus: she showed him honor, respect, kindness, appreciation, and most importantly love when everyone else merely sought to trick him and turn him over to the authorities.

When we adore the ones we love, we find ourselves doing things that we never thought we would do; we commit to doing things in which we don’t know the outcome; we make sacrifices, we use what we have to make a difference in their life, we end up finding ourselves doing work, and sometimes, we volunteer to do things out of the kindness and love of our heart. I have to ask you, “Do you adore the one you love so much that you would be willing to clean their feet?” Do you adore Jesus so much that you are willing to clean his feet? Or have you put other things before him and the one and ones that you love?

The story of the sinful woman washing the feet of Jesus, although doesn’t mention the word “adore”, is a true testament to the meaning of what it means to adore the ones that we love. To adore someone means to feel deep love for them, seeing them as perfect even in their mistakes and sins, offering affection, extending profound respect, and simply showing them that you care about them. Nat King Cole sang, “E is even more than anyone that you adore…” Is that true for how you see Jesus and how you see the ones that you love? Do you adore them more than your interests, hobbies, and collections? Again, can you wash the feet of those you adore?

Second: Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Jesus washing the feet of his disciples only appears in John 13:1-11: “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already decided that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’”

This is by far one of the most touching moments of what adoration looks like. (And as a side note, did you catch how Judas was present for the washing of Jesus’ feet and now the moment when Jesus washes the feet of the disciples? Something to think about…)[8] Much like the previous scripture passage, there is much to be said about this text, but I want to highlight just a few things that I believe encourage us to think about what it means to adore the ones that we love. John notes, “And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him” (John 13:2-5).

First, Jesus, knowing very well that the meal he was eating was going to be his last meal on this earth, paused his meal to care for those in the Upper Room. He adored those present so much that he essentially allowed them to eat more than himself. Second, knowing the situation, and before he prays “not my will but your will be done” (Luke 22:42) in the garden, Jesus gives all things to be placed in the hands of the Father. Jesus understands that no matter what conspires the Father is one that he adores more than anything. Third, Jesus took off his robe. The simple act of removing ones robe symbolizes profound shifts in status, authority, or covenant, often signifying humiliation, humbling, or the transfer of power. In 1 Samuel 18:4 we read that Jonathan, a friend of David, removed his robe and armor, giving them to David. This act signified a covenant of love, the voluntary transfer of his rights as heir to the throne, and recognition of David’s destined kingship. Jesus, by removing his robe and putting on a towel, lowers his status to a servant. Fourth, identifying himself as the “fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10-14)[9]  to the Samaritan woman, Jesus then uses water to clean the feet of the disciples. The one who thousands of people bowed down to is now the one who is doing the kneeling in the filth of the Upper Room. The one who cleaned people of sickness, sins, and demons from a far is now the one cleaning the dirt off of feet. The one many people want to serve is the one serving, doing a task that not too many people want to do and he does so by using water—an extension of who he is. And fifth, Jesus wipes the feet of the disciples with the towel that was once around him: therefore, concluding the cleaning process. And keep in mind, Jesus performed this act with every single disciple: Judas, who turned him in; Peter, who would later deny him; James and John who fell asleep while Jesus prayed; and others who deserted him during his greatest hour of need. Jesus performed this task because he adored and loved those who were with him. He saw past their mistakes with hopes of making them clean.

What Jesus did in that Upper Room, hours before he would be crucified, is what he does with us every day of our life. Jesus washes our feet: he cleanses us, gets down on our level, and he serves us. Church, can we do the same thing? Do we adore those in our life so much that we can clean their feet? Is the adoration that Jesus gives us shown in what we do for our neighbors? Indicating that you adore the ones that you love means to meet them where they are, to not strive to put yourself above them, to get on the floor, in the filth of the day, to help them, to do something that they may never do for themselves, to care for them, to love them, and to remind them that the love you offer them is not concerned about what they have done or will do but rejoices in what is.

In washing the feet of Jesus, the sinful woman demonstrated what we are called to do for Jesus: adore Jesus through our actions. In washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus demonstrates his willingness to adore us: even in our disbelief, our moments of decreasing faith, and in our filth and sins Jesus still wants to adore us by washing our feet. How will you adore those in your life? How will you show that they are the ones that you adore more than anything else? Will you say “I love you” more, will you listen more, will hug them more, will you do things they want to do even if you don’t want to do that thing, will sit next to them more often, will hold their hand, will you look into their eyes and ask “How was your day?” What will you do to show that you adore the one you love?

Movement Four: Receiving the Ashes of Love…

In thinking about how Jesus adores us, we are reminded of a simple act in which we receive at the start of the Easter Season. This act comes in the form of receiving ashes, another sign that reminds us that Jesus adores us. Today, we come together to prepare ourselves for the Easter Season; and we do so, by receiving a mark, a seal, of adoration and love which reminds us that the time has come to confess our sins before God and those around us.[10] Today, we prepare ourselves for the victory that is to come walking out of the tomb; and we do so by allowing God to search our heart and by reminding us of how much we are adored.

Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “spring”—a season of preparation for many things in our life.[11] The beginning of Lent, with its curiosity and perplexes, is our time to prepare our heart for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And receiving the sign of the cross in ashes—reminding us that from dust we came and from dust we shall return—indicates that Christ is with us in the sins we seek forgiveness for, in the hope of being redeemed, and in the salvation that we can be saved. Receiving ashes is an outward gesture with an inward change.

Traditionally, Ash Wednesday, in addition to receiving ashes, is honored by giving something up that you tell yourself you can’t live without—chocolate, social media, shopping, etc.—as a means to make a sacrifice to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. However, Ash Wednesday is more than simply saying I am going to give this or that. Maybe instead of giving something up, you might add something new to your schedule, new to your life, to help you become the disciple that Christ needs you to be. Maybe you will pray more, maybe you will read scripture more, maybe you will listen to Christ more, maybe you will have a copy of the Upper Room Devotional in your back pocket wherever you go, maybe you will download a Bible app on your phone that sends you scripture reminders every day, maybe you will make it a point to pray every morning or before you eat supper or before you go to bed, maybe you will decide to share Bible stories with your kids or grandkids, or maybe, just maybe, you will do something that reminds you every day that you have been fearfully and wonderfully made and sealed by God and are adored by Jesus Christ.[12] Maybe, you will do something that demonstrates the commitment and love found in “washing the feet” of those you adore.

This Lenten Season, I challenge you to shed away the old and to put on the newness of Christ’s love, to seek forgiveness as you forgive others, to leave your pains and sorrows at the foot of the cross, and to leave the dark tomb full of your worries, stresses, and frustrations, so that Jesus’s salvation has room to live in your heart. Embrace reconciliation and redemption; and experience the restorative hope found in the light of Christ. I challenge you to remind yourself every day during the Lenten Season that the seal you receive today, the ashes, is a mark that prepares you for a new beginning. I challenge you every day to simply pray, “Lord, forgive me. Lord, search my heart. Lord, make me new. Lord, help me to adore you more.”

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of promising the Lord that you will take the time to prepare the way, you will take the time over the next 40 days to prepare your heart for the resurrection of Jesus, that you will ask for forgiveness and reflect on His word, and that you will take the time to help lead others to Jesus: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. And most importantly, allow these 40 days to be an opportunity to allow God to search your heart, to allow Jesus to see your needs, and to allow the Holy Spirit to motivate you to be a better disciple today than what you were yesterday.

 

Conclusion:

As I bring this message to a close, I want to remind you of the love that will guide you to the empty tomb during this Lenten Season. This love is seen every time God looks at you. This love is seen in the eyes of those who love you. This love is very, very extraordinary—something that changes us every day. This love is an act of being adored by Christ while adoring Christ and those in your life. And today, this love is received in ashes in the form of the cross. During the Lenten Season, I invite you—I invite all of us as a church—to live out this love in what we do, in what we say, and in the places we go. This love will never end. This love will never die. This love will roll the stone away. This love will leave the tomb empty. And this love will fill your heart.

You know, even though Nat King Cole’s song is secular—not religious—I find that it is still able to teach us a valuable lesson when it comes to love in the Bible. Love in the Bible is extraordinary! It saved people; it healed people; it changed people; and it left people feeling amazed. And no matter what happens in this life, please remember that “Yes, Jesus loves you” because he adores you more than anything else. Let it be so…

 

IMPOSITION OF ASHES

If you would like to receive Ashes, I invite you forward to receive them. If you prefer to remain seated, I will come to you. You are invited to receive the seal of Christ’s protection and love…

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Or they say: Repent, and believe the gospel.

Has everyone received ashes that would like to receive them?

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray: May the almighty and merciful God, who desires not the death of a sinner but that we turn from wickedness and live, accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and restore us by the Holy Spirit to newness of life. And may we live each day knowing that the cross of ashes, although may wash away, is still with us as we feel adored by the One and ones who adore us with love. In your loving name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

Church, you have received the mark of the cross, you have been invited to seek forgiveness, you have been encouraged to embrace newness, and you have been reminded that you are adored. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth embracing and sharing the love of Christ. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Dennis Nealon, “The Science of Love,” Harvard Medical School, published February 10, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/science-love

[2] Dennis Nealon, “The Science of Love,” Harvard Medical School, published February 10, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/science-love Nealon quotes research conducted by Richard S. Schwartz and Jacqueline Olds.

[3] Lybi Ma, “The Need To Love”, Psychology Today. Published January 8, 2014. Assessed on January 28, 2026. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sapient-nature/201401/the-need-love

[4] Paul, prior to these words, states that “If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The Message Bible notes, “So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” Not only does love in the Bible tell us what to do, but it also gives us different ways on how to love. In the New Testament, which was originally translated into Greek, there are four different words to define love. First, is stroge. Storge is defined as “familial affection.” This type of love and affection exists between family members, friends, or companions as seen in the Commandment to “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).^[4] Second is phileo. Phileo is defined as “friendship.” The city of Philadelphia was actually named with this kind of love in mind: Philadelphia means “The City of Brotherly or Friendship love.” Phileo most often describes a relationship between people focused on a common bond of shared beliefs, values, or interests, which the Apostle Paul describes to the people in Ephesus: they “[are to be] kind to one another, tenderhearted [toward one another], and forgive one another” (Ephesians 4:32).^[4] And the author of Hebrews notes, “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.” Third is eros. Eros is defined as “passion.” This kind of passionate love is meant to describe a healthy, sensual love between those that are married. Song of Solomon states, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…” (Song of Solomon 6:3).^[4] Lastly is agape, the very love that Paul writes about. Agape is defined as “charity or unconditional.” Agape love is probably the most talked about of the four kinds of love. It is the highest, most complete form of affection. Jesus gave us many lessons about and examples of agape—a strong, selfless, and sacrificial love—during his earthly ministry. And now, we are called to live out that kind of love in our life today.

[5] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adore  Accessed February 17, 2026.

[6] https://www.engram.us/vs/353/adore-vs-love  Accessed February 17, 2026.

[7] Hebrew: adore means “cherish, appreciate, treasure, hold dear, respect, worship, revere, admire, and venerate.

Greek (λατρεύω (latrév̱o̱)): adore expresses deep love, worship, admiration

[8] Jesus washing his disciples’ feet is a profound act of humility and service occurring during the Last Supper. By washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus—as Teacher and Lord—modeled sacrificial love and servant leadership, instructing his followers to likewise serve one another. This act symbolized spiritual cleansing, humility, and the reversal of social hierarchy, where the greatest serves the least. This act portrayed a deep sense of love.

[9] John 4:10-14: Jesus promises that the water He gives becomes a “fountain of water springing up into everlasting life”; John 7:37-39: Jesus declares, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” referring to the Holy Spirit.; Jeremiah 2:13: God is described as the “fountain of living waters”; and Revelation 21:6 & 22:1: The water of life is depicted as a river flowing from the throne of God.

[10] This evening, is the time when we realize what Natalie Sleeth promised in her hymn titled Hymn of Promise, “In our end is our beginning, in our time infinity. In our doubt there is believing. In our life eternity. In our death, a resurrection. At the last a victory. Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see” (Hymn of Promise, 1986).

[11] During springtime, flowers are planted and then begin to bloom, soil is overturned in the fields, birds begin to make homes in the surrounding trees, people are seen outdoors, the sun greets us earlier in the morning, and the baseball season captures the interest of many people. During springtime, God’s creation is preparing for the beauty that waits to bloom before our very eyes.

[12] In closing, I encourage you don’t give anything up this Lenten Season; instead, do something new that makes you a better disciple during these 40 days. The seal for the day of redemption begins today, all you have to do is blow the trumpet and sound the alarm that you are ready to seek forgiveness and be saved. The time has come to allow God to search your heart and to be made new in the light of Jesus Christ. Remember, Ash Wednesday is more than just another day: it is a day that begins our journey from death to resurrection, to surrender all to Jesus.