Monday, July 13, 2009

What's in a name: Agape Community Garden

Trying to name this garden was difficult! Went through so many options, prayed about it and found out all I had to do was ask my wife. I woke up this morning and told her we needed to have a name for this garden ASAP. Still laying in bed and half awake she says, "You should call it "Agape Community Garden." WHOA! YES! It totally made sense. Thanks my wife!

In English, we really only have one way of saying "love," but with many different meanings based on the object being loved: "I love you." "I love to eat french fries." "I love to sleep in." See what I mean?

Agape defined is the kind of love God shows us through Jesus Christ. It is a kind of love that is selfless and that is passionately committed to the well-being of another. In the following verses, "love" is translated from this Greek word "agape."

"For God so loved (agape) the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." —John 3:16

"Love (agape) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love (agape) your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40

For those of you that attend The Garden, Darren reminds as often that we need to be a church community that "learns to love well." In loving others well through an agape kind of love, we show and exhibit the love of Christ that lives in us.

2 comments:

  1. My heart is filled with joy as I imagine how God will use this garden to minister to people in LB. I'm looking forward to discovering my place in the process & am so excited to see it coming together!

    ReplyDelete