God Loves You This Much

I remember being with an older, retired pastor who had started a small congregation near the end of his life. I didn’t know him long before he passed away, but I had agreed to help with his ministry. I’ll never forget his final worship service. At the end, as he gave the benediction, he turned to his congregation and said, “Never forget—God loves you this much…” And he stretched his arms wide, as though he were on the cross.

It was a beautiful, moving gesture—a reminder of Christ’s love for us.

I’ve often thought that his final benediction was a sermon worth hearing over and over again. If only we could let that message sink deep… if only we knew that unconditional love in the very fiber of our being—a love for us not as we should be, but as we are right now. That would be a gift worthy of sharing with a world that so desperately needs it.

Let us pray: God of grace, I pray today for those who feel far from you, For those carrying guilt or shame, and for those burdened by worry or pain. Meet us in this moment. May we sense your presence and know your love— a love that does not have to be earned, only accepted. As we receive it, may we share it—loving others as you have loved us. Through Christ we pray. Amen.