prepare the way

Good morning friends,
One last reminder, a group of folks from UPT are going to hold a short worship service in front of the Rochester City School District office this morning at 8. The office is at 131 W. Broad downtown; that's just west of Broad and Plymouth on the south side of Broad St. There will be plenty of parking nearby. We're worshiping there as an opening to our observance of the Children's Sabbath, a day set apart for lifting up the needs of children in our community. So come, sing, raise your voice for children and for justice.

Today's reading introduces us to John the Baptist, one of the most powerful voices for justice in the New Testament. John came to call people to repentance and prepare the way for Christ. May we hear his word for our generation as well.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

³He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁵Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; ⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

doing justice

Good evening friends,
I just came home from a truly energizing and challenging evening about educating traumatized children and youth. Truly the challenges of caring for our kids and families, especially in a city like ours with high rates of poverty and violence are serious. The good news is that we are not alone. There are great folks in the schools, churches and other community organizations who are making a difference. Whatever you love doing, God can use you to help our community. We'll talk more about that Sunday. In the meantime, I'd invite you to pray for our kids, parents, teachers and school staff.

Our reading fits right in. God isn't most concerned about our worship or our offering; God is most concerned with our attitude and our action. It doesn't get much more simple than the way Micah puts it. May we take the next step in love and humility.
God bless,
Sam

Micah 6:6-8

⁶“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ⁷Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” ⁸He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

images of jealousy

Good morning brothers and sisters,
I'd like to remind you of two events that may be of interest to you. The first is an evening discussion about the state of our schools and what we can do to help. The event will include dinner and take place beginning at 5:45 on Monday, September 24 at Downtown Presbyterian Church. Let me know if you can attend; it will be a great chance to get to know others in the area who also want to support our kids in education. On Saturday, September 29th beginning at 8am at the East Henrietta Road Church of Christ (right by the expressway and Strong Hospital) there will be a seminar on trauma and violence in the community, including sessions on gangs, bullying and organ donation. Again, let me know if you're interested.

Today's reading is from the Prophet Ezekiel. God takes him to the temple to show him that some of the leaders of Judah are worshiping other gods and leading Judah into sin. Ezekiel can be tough to read because of the strange word choices. In this case he talks about an "image of jealousy," by which he means an idol set up in the temple. God calls us to follow; we often turn away, but God will always welcome us back.

God bless,
Sam

Ezekiel 8:1-6

In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. ²I looked, and there was a figure that looked like a human being; below what appeared to be its loins it was fire, and above the loins it was like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming amber.

³It stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, to the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. ⁴And the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I had seen in the valley.

⁵Then God said to me, “O mortal, lift up your eyes now in the direction of the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. ⁶He said to me, “Mortal, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? Yet you will see still greater abominations.”

firstborn sons

Good morning sisters and brothers,
On Sunday we'll welcome our new music director, Soo Yeon Kim to Laurelton. Soo Yeon brings wonderful musical and educational gifts, and I'm excited for how she will strengthen our music ministry. Please help make her feel at home.

God and Moses both recognize that education is critical in forming faith generation after generation. That's a big part of the reason for the religious observances God commands. There's special attention to telling the story to the next generation, the folks who didn't see God's amazing action in Egypt and might not have as clear a sense for God's power. This passage encourages us to think about how we tell the story of God to our kids. When your kids or friends ask why you go to church or why you celebrate a holiday or event, what do you tell them? How do you connect God's love to your daily world and help others do the same?

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 13:11-16

11“When the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and has given it to you, 12you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13But every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn male among your children you shall redeem.



14When in the future your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall answer, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16It shall serve as a sign on your hand and as an emblem on your forehead that by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”