While working on the message for Sunday mornings worship gathering at Centerville UMC, this song keeps popping into my head!

The text that will serve as the launching pad for the message comes from 1 John 3:16-24. Verse 18 really stands out to me…”Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” This verse has inspired the connection to the Ellington/Mills chart.

“It don’t mean a thing, if you ain’t got that swing.”

Our love, for God and others, should be more than words…it should inspire and result in tangible action.

However, too often, it does not…It’s like those who can quote every verse in the Bible, but the “head knowledge” has never translated into “heart knowledge”. In other words, we know a lot about the Bible, we know a lot about God, but it has not resulted in a transformed life. Our knowledge of God has not translated into loving service of/for God. We know a lot of Scripture, but it has not changed the way we live out our faith.

John challenges his audience and poses the question, “How can we say we love God and ignore the needs of our brothers and sisters?”

“It don’t mean a thing, if you ain’t got that swing.”