I bid you grace and peace from sunny and breezy Chuckatuck in the middle of January. We are continuing our Epiphany journey as our eyes are being opened to the new and unexpected ways our Parish interacts with God. We continue to be a haven for those who are looking for a place to get away and be present with God – even when they don’t realize that’s what they’re looking for. We continue to pray for the health of our nation in the middle of Coronatide and the new beginnings in our nation. Please pray with us and send us your prayer requests.

In worship we prayed that God’s Word and Sacrament (physical signs of God’s ever-present grace) would shine through us to bring healing and wholeness in our community. The Psalmist reminded us that God searches for us and has known us since before we came into being; that God knows what we are and what we are capable of – each and every person. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians points out that “all things may be lawful” for us but that doesn’t mean that all things are beneficial for us. Paul’s words remind us that we are God’s people, redeemed for life not death. The gospel of John issues the invitation from Jesus (and Philip) to us (and Nathanael) to come and see the amazing things prepared for us.

Our sermon this morning focused on the passage from 1st Samuel where Samuel is called by God, even though Samuel doesn’t specifically know God. In this passage we are invited to reflect that we might not (probably won’t) know how things will work in the future just because they worked a specific way in the past. We are also invited to be open to new things that unsettle us because it is God that is calling us forward.

I invite your comments,
Les+

Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-20; Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51

Today’s worship service video: https://youtu.be/cUY5rIkL8VI

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