Good morning sisters and brothers,
I'll be spending today working on a house with Habitat for Humanities as part of the UPT Boots on the Street week. This is a chance to get out into the city and show that Presbyterians are serious about caring for our neighbors. There are still opportunities available to work with Habitat Friday and probably tomorrow and Saturday as well (contact John Smalt directly: jhsmalt@rochester.rr.com, or call him at: 924-8624). There are other opportunities this week as well including some home repairs for a disabled neighbor near Calvary St. Andrews this afternoon from 4:30-7 pm for those who work during the day. You can check out the possibilities here. I hope you'll join me in serving our neighbors in a visible way this week.
Our reading this morning begins Jesus' prayer to his Father. He prayer that the disciples might be protected in unity and faith. He says that eternal life is knowing God and knowing Jesus. When we know God intimately we are already living the life of God's righteous kingdom. We can take part in that powerful life now through faith, love and service. Today is as good a time as any to put fear aside and start living eternally.
God bless,
Sam
John 17:1-10
After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
6”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.
Showing posts with label Boots on the Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boots on the Street. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
service opportunities and a continuing story
Good morning sisters and brothers,
I'd like to tell you about a great opportunity coming up in June. Laurelton, along with our other Urban Presbyterian congregations, is participating in Boots on the Street, an intensive week of community service opportunities. There are chances to serve neighbors as varied as serving meals at Third Presbyterian's dining room ministry and building a house with Habitat for Humanities. Here's a link with the different opportunities and who to contact to get involved. I'd love to see strong participation from Laurelton. It's a great chance to serve others and get to know our Presbyterian neighbors.
Stephen has been telling the story of Israel's journey with God. Today his account begins to take a critical turn. He tells about Moses meeting with God and liberation of Israel from slavery. He also emphasizes the trouble Moses had with the people of Israel because they were reluctant to accept him and had trouble following God in the wilderness. This critique will get sharper in tomorrow's passage.
God bless,
Sam
Acts 7:31-41
30“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’
35“It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up.’ 38He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 41At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.
I'd like to tell you about a great opportunity coming up in June. Laurelton, along with our other Urban Presbyterian congregations, is participating in Boots on the Street, an intensive week of community service opportunities. There are chances to serve neighbors as varied as serving meals at Third Presbyterian's dining room ministry and building a house with Habitat for Humanities. Here's a link with the different opportunities and who to contact to get involved. I'd love to see strong participation from Laurelton. It's a great chance to serve others and get to know our Presbyterian neighbors.
Stephen has been telling the story of Israel's journey with God. Today his account begins to take a critical turn. He tells about Moses meeting with God and liberation of Israel from slavery. He also emphasizes the trouble Moses had with the people of Israel because they were reluctant to accept him and had trouble following God in the wilderness. This critique will get sharper in tomorrow's passage.
God bless,
Sam
Acts 7:31-41
30“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’
35“It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up.’ 38He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 41At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.
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