Good day from Chuckatuck as August kicks off. This past week has been busy around church, much-needed repair/renovation on the Sanctuary (painstaking work, to be honest) and a lot of rain. The pond is trying to fill up but well need a storm with a name to pull that off. We begin the morning with the awareness that nothing is permanent and God puts witnesses like Bette in our midst to help us, and God calls them home when it is time. Faith is what helps us weather the storms of life.
As we began our worship we offered the prayer which reminds us that God’s grace gives us the spirit to think and to do the things that are right. But not that we can think and do right on our own, we can only do that by the grace of God in Christ. Our lesson from the Hebrew bible was taken from the Prophet Isaiah. He offered a warning to Judah and Israel that if they did not return to relationship with God, they would be overcome by foreigners. Isaiah also reminds them that the good things believers do are seeking justice, rescuing the oppressed, and defending those in need. Our Psalmist sings that God is the one who declares things good and right. Our action cannot simply be going through the motions, but by offering sacrificially to help others. Our reading from Luke’s gospel encourages us to be ready for action so we can do the things we need to do for God in the world.
Our sermon was based on the reading to the Hebrews. In this lesson we begin our investigation of faith and God’s promises. While we are assured that our faith will be the thing that carries us to our eternal life, faith is more than blind belief. Our faith is found in the promises offered by God and the signs of God’s presence we see in the world. Our mission is to witness to God’s grace and faith, present today and in eternity.
I invite your comments,
Les+
Readings: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 23-24; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40
Video of worship: https://youtu.be/4HRbeTFFW4g
Video of sermon: https://youtu.be/gJg9I_xTdIA
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