Good afternoon friends,
In our passage for today the writer imagines wisdom in human form. It's worth noticing that wisdom is female, and she calls out offering her blessings to everyone who seeks her. The other thing to notice here (and basically everywhere the Bible talks about wisdom) is that wisdom is closely connected with seeking God and doing the right think. Ethics and wisdom are inseparable, and both are available to everyone.


God bless,
Sam


Proverbs 8:1-13

Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
2On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
4“To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.


5O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
6Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right;
7for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9They are all straight to one who understands and right to those who find knowledge.
10Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
11for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I attain knowledge and discretion.
13The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

forgiveness and love

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading is the second passage from worship yesterday and one of my favorite passages about forgiveness. God forgives us out of love. That forgiveness is an invitation to love God, love our neighbors and forgive others.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 7:36-50

³⁶One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 

³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” ⁴¹“A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 

⁴⁴Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ⁴⁸Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

gentiles and Israel

Good morning brothers and sisters,
First, for our vacation Bible school celebration today I would like to remind everyone to bring a non-perishable food donation for Cameron today. With the kids we've been focusing on "Kid friendly" foods, but any non-perishable food is welcome. Jelly should be in non-glass jars for safety.

Paul continues this important section of Romans that deals with how Israel fits into God's plan, not that gentiles are included in God's kingdom as well. He is clear throughout: God's covenant with Israel stands, even though when Paul was active many Israelites opposed the church. In this challenging passage from Matthew, the point is also on who is part of God's mission. For Jesus and the early church the question was: are gentiles a part of God's ministry. Here, reluctantly, they are. There will be more about this in worship today; I hope you'll be there.

God bless,
Sam

Romans 11:1-10

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.



6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8as it is written, “God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” 9And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and keep their backs forever bent.”



*Sunday

Matthew 15:21-28

21Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

partners for life

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today God gives the man a home and work to do. God also notices that people are better off in community, so God seeks a partner for the man. There is a real joy in that kind of deep partnership. Maggie and I just celebrated our anniversary and I'm grateful to God for the relationship we have. At the same time sometimes in the church we haven't done such a good job welcoming those who are single. Paul makes it clear that God calls some people to a single life and that too is a gift. Relationships are important in our life, but they can be damaging as well. God gives healing grace for all of us, so the church can be a place of welcome, healing and wholeness for people in every life situation.

God bless,
Sam

Genesis 2:15-24

15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”



18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.



21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” 24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.