commandments and leadership

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today after worship some of us will head across the street for lunch and some discussion of our Bible reading. If you've been reading through the Bible, it's a great time to compare notes. If you haven't but are interested in starting the journey, it's a great chance to dive in. After that there is an ecumenical worship service at St. Ambrose celebrating St. Francis of Assisi and blessing pets. If you'd like to celebrate your furry, feathered or scaled friend, bring them on over to the gym at St. Ambrose at 1 for a blessing.

Our reading from Exodus completes the Ten Commandments and shows how visibly impressive the appearance of God was for Israel. Our reading from Matthew tells the parable we'll be discussing in worship today. This is a favorite of mine because it warns us of the danger of believing we own the religious community rather than guiding it on God's behalf. Today in worship we'll listen for God's calling and seek strength at Christ's table for the journey that lies ahead. I hope you'll be there.

Blessings,
Sam

Exodus 20:21-21

12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13You shall not murder. 14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal. 16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.



18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 19and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.” 21Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.



*Sunday

Matthew 21:33-46

33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.



40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”



42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? 43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”



45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.