healing and teaching

Good afternoon friends,
I want to let you know about a worship opportunity that I forgot to announce on Sunday. This evening at 6:30 at St. Ambrose (in the gym) the Northeast Church Cluster will host a worship service for blessing pets. This has become an annual tradition near the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who was famous for caring for creation. It's a lot of fun, so bring your furry (or feathery, or even scaly) friend for a blessing tonight.

Our reading today will be familiar to many of us from Sunday. Peter and John healed a man who had never been able to walk. When people saw the man leaping for joy and praising God, they gathered around Peter and John to see what was going on. The apostles used this opportunity to tell the story about Jesus and invite people to discipleship. The religious leaders aren't so thrilled. A good reminder of how we can use opportunities to share our faith as well.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 4:1-21

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, ²much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. ³So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.

⁵The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ ¹²There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. ¹⁴When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. ¹⁶They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; ²⁰for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened.

carry your cross

Good morning brothers and sisters,
I wanted to remind you of a great worship opportunity tomorrow evening. We'll join our neighbors from other denominations to celebrate our unity in Christ and pray for greater unity in the church. The service will take place at St. Mark's and St. John's Episcopal Church on the corner of Culver and Rosewood. Worship begins at 7pm and will feature leaders from several different communities of faith. I hope you can be there.

Our reading this morning reminds us that being a Christian isn't casual; it's a commitment that shapes the rest of our life. Jesus faced death for our sake and he warns us that to follow him we have to accept that risk as well. In giving up ourselves we find true freedom in Christ.

God bless your journey today,
Sam

Luke 9:18-27

¹⁸Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” ¹⁹They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” ²⁰He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” ²¹He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, ²²saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

²³Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. ²⁵What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? ²⁶Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

one in Christ

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today's reading is a slight departure from our usual pattern. We're reading an excerpt from the Presbyterian Church's constitution, in particular from our Form of Government. The Presbyterian Church (USA) has a beautiful constitution, but at times it is challenging to read because it is somewhat dense. Today's reading talks about how the church is one church even though that doesn't always seem to be the place. Because we believe we are all one church through Jesus Christ, we are called to work for greater unity in the church. One way we do that at Laurelton is through our local ecumenical association, the North East Church Cluster. With this group of Christians from different denominations we will celebrate a service for Christian Unity in January.

Blessings today,
Sam

PC(USA) Form of Government F-1.0302 a.

Unity is God’s gift to the Church in Jesus Christ. Just as God is one God and Jesus Christ is our one Savior, so the Church is one because it belongs to its one Lord, Jesus Christ. The Church seeks to include all people and is never content to enjoy the benefits of Christian community for itself alone. There is one Church, for there is one Spirit, one hope, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:5–6).

Because in Christ the Church is one, it strives to be one. To be one with Christ is to be joined with all those whom Christ calls into relationship with him. To be thus joined with one another is to become priests for one another, praying for the world and for one another and sharing the various gifts God has given to each Christian for the benefit of the whole community. Division into different denominations obscures but does not destroy unity in Christ. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), affirming its historical continuity with the whole Church of Jesus Christ, is committed to the reduction of that obscurity, and is willing to seek and to deepen communion with all other churches within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.