creation, part 3

Good morning brothers and sisters,
I'd like to remind everyone that Friday and Saturday we have a rummage sale at Laurelton from 9-5 both days. Come and drop off old things and shop for new. It's a great chance to meet our community and hopefully make a little money for the church. Sunday we'll also be welcoming the neighborhood, this time for outdoor worship and a picnic lunch. If you can bring a salad or dessert, that would be great. If you would like to bring a friend, that would be even better. At 1pm Sunday we'll be joining our neighboring congregations in blessing bicycles and helmets for the summer. It will be quite a great community weekend, and I hope you'll be part of it.

In today's reading God finishes creation with the creation of human beings. The most important thing to notice is that God makes men and women in God's image. Being made in God's image is the first foundation of our worth and equality as people. All people are created in God's image, so no one should be despised or rejected. Another piece of the story I want us to think about is that God rests on the seventh day. That's one of the foundations for the sabbath we are commanded to obey, but which we often ignore. What does it mean that God calls rest holy and tells us to do the same?

God bless,
Sam

Genesis 1:26-2:3

²⁶Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” ²⁷So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ²⁸God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 

²⁹God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. ³⁰And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. ²And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. ³So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

Christ calls

Good morning friends,
I was truly blessed to be part of an installation service for my friend Cindy Rasmussen as Rector of St. Mark's and St. John's Episcopal Church on Culver Rd on Wednesday evening. It was a great celebration of Christian unity and urban ministry. The Episcopal bishop was there with his ornate robes and shepherds staff. He celebrated communion with Cindy, their Deacon Mike Finn, myself and a Catholic nun, Sr. Marlene Vigna assisting with the serving. A Presbyterian lay woman preached the sermon and shared some powerful experiences of transformation in the city through Christ's love. It was an awesome reminder of why we are in ministry.

Jesus' words to the disciples he sends out in ministry echo some similar themes. He laments for some cities nearby, because, even though he ministered powerfully in them they didn't repent. He also rejoices with his disciples about the way God's power is at work in them. Like us, they were ordinary people, but they made themselves available in trust to God. So the question comes to us: are we going to see God's love and shut our ears or will we be agents of grace-filled transformation through Christ?

God bless,
Sam

Luke 10:13-20

¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. ¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

¹⁷The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” ¹⁸He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. ¹⁹See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

heart of discipleship

Good morning sisters and brothers,
In today's reading a lawyer asks Jesus what the most important thing about following God is. Jesus turns the question around on him and gets the correct answer: love God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. When the lawyer wants to explore the limits of what it means to be a neighbor Jesus tells the familiar story of the good Samaritan. The truth is that everyone is our neighbor, so we are called to love everyone we come across as we love ourselves. That's quite a challenge, but when we look at Jesus life we see him doing just that. So our word for today is, "Go and do likewise."

God bless,
Sam

Luke 10:25-37

²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’

³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

in a manger

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Tonight is our last night of the living nativity from 6-8pm. If you've never seen it; it really brings the story of Jesus' birth to life. Come and bring a friend. In addition to the characters it would be great to have a couple of people helping Mike with hospitality. We'll be setting up hot drinks and cookies in the narthex beginning about 5:30. The evening is a great chance to welcome people to our church and, more importantly, to the story of Jesus.

That story is our reading for this morning. It's a familiar story for many of us, but it never stops amazing me. As you read, open your heart up and try to welcome Jesus into your life in a new way.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 2:1-7

¹In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.

⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

new beginings

Good morning sisters and brothers,
As many of you know, my brother and sister in law have been very active in working for peace in Yemen. Through them I've been watching the struggle to build a democratic movement in that nation. Yesterday the autocratic president of Yemen left for Saudi Arabia. Please keep the people of Yemen in prayer that this step might lead towards peace and democracy and that forces of violence and chaos might not win the day.

Our reading from John continues Jesus' last words to the disciples. Here he promises the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide the disciples. This is a challenging passage and worth reading a couple of times. Don't feel bad if it still doesn't quite make sense. I think the most important take away is that the world will be challenging for Jesus' disciples (including us), but the Spirit will give them (and us) what we need to be faithful.

The passage from Acts is Luke/Acts version of the great commission. Jesus tells the disciples that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit and wlll be his witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. That's still our story today. Today's worship service will be an important day for our witness to others. We're worshiping outside and hosting our neighbors for a picnic lunch afterward. I hope you can bring a friend, but most importantly, bring your joy to welcome new neighbors to Laurelton. Please dress comfortably and informally and keep your eyes out for chances to make someone feel at home.

God bless,
Sam

John 16:7-15

7Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.


12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.



*Sunday

Acts 1:6-14

6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.


10While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”


12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.