Grace and peace to you on the first Sunday of July and the day we celebrated our return to the sanctuary after more than a year. It was nice to be back in the sanctuary but it was a little odd after 15 months away, things sound different and it was a change in the way we have done church in the Parish Hall. We had a good turn out and had some nice refreshments on the lawn. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new chapter in our Parish’s history.
We began worship with the reminder that our responsibility to God is to love God and love our neighbor. We were assured that God’s grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit bridges the differences in our society and brings us closer together. Fitting for our return to our sanctuary, the Psalmist reminds us that God’s habitation is one of refuge and sustenance. Because we dwell with God, we can be protected from the things that truly afflict us. Our Hebrew scripture from the 2nd Book of Samuel spoke of the joining of all 12 tribes of Israel under the leadership of David and the radical departure from the past that was exhibited in David’s rule. Our New Testament scripture from the 2nd letter to the Corinthians was a reminder that our strength is found in our ability to recognize that we are weak in comparison to God – that God’s grace is what wins in the end. Today’s sermon dealt with the gospel reading from Mark. Jesus had returned to his home church and wasn’t given credit – because the people “knew” him. Jesus ushered in the new era – the disciples were more crucial for growth of the Jesus movement than was Jesus. We are reminded that we don’t need to be “high and mighty” just faithful and observant of who and whose we are.
I invite your comments,
Les+
Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; Psalm 48; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13
Video of service: https://youtu.be/c3Wko861mtI
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