a great prayer

Good morning brothers and sisters,
First two quick announcements/reminders: today from 2-4 is Laurelton's Big Lunch chicken barbecue. Not only will we serve free chicken and fixins from 2-4 (or so, we may go through the food earlier if lots of people show up), we'll also be hosting The Mighty High and Dry for some awesome live music. It would be great to see you. If you can come a little early (anytime from 11 on) to help with food prep and set up, that would be great. If you have a large cooler you can bring, that would also be great.

The second announcement is about Sunday. We'll be starting what I hope will be an exciting series on the early church and the Book of Acts so Sunday is an introduction to the book. We'll also be electing officers for the church, so if you're an active member, your vote is very important tomorrow.

Today's reading is the beginning of what Bible scholars call Jesus' "Great High Priestly prayer." Jesus talks to God on behalf of the disciples, including us. He asks God to bless and protect these folks as they prepare to continue Jesus' work. The prayer is a little challenging to read, but it's beautiful and inspiring. It's pretty cool to have this extended prayer of Jesus to his Father.

I hope the prayer and the weekend are a blessing to you,
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.

Sam Picard

Pastor, Laurelton United Presbyterian Church

laureltonchurch.org

Daily Bible readings in interactive format: laureltonpastor.blogspot.com

Sermons: laureltonsermons.blogspot.com

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.