Greetings from the Rector’s Study at St. John’s Chuckatuck. I am thankful that you are reading these words as the middle of October passes through. It has been a wonderful time in Suffolk this past week, the chestnut is dropping nuts aplenty, the temperature is falling nicely, and things are settling in for fall. We have been blessed to have more people joining us for worship over the past couple weeks and pray they continue to help the parish move forward in the coming months. May you be blessed as October begins to wane and All Saints’ Day arrives with our time of remembrance of those past in our lives.

In worship we were reminded that God’s grace not only leads us on the road, God’s grace follows us a protects us from being overcome from the past. We also remember that the good work we do is part of God’s plan to bring wholeness to our fractured society. Our reading from Hebrew Scripture was from Exodus and is the account of the Israelites forcing Aaron to build the golden calf idol. It is a reminder that we can be seduced to turn back when things become challenging. Our Psalmist reminds us that God is good and worth giving thanks for. Yet, God’s standards can be disruptive of the life the world wants us to live. But we choose to follow God along the chosen way. Our New Testament from Paul’s letter to the Philippians serves a reminder that in God we find wholeness and faithful leadership. The leadership we share is one where we cooperate to include all in God’s grace and plan – not serving ourselves but the greater plan of God.

Our sermon was based on the gospel account from Matthew of the king who invited people to the wedding banquet. In this story the king is spurned and, in a sense, overreacts to being rejected. But we are reminded that being called is not the end, being chosen and being part of the community and the work that demands is the end. Just showing up is not the goal – living a life of faith is our mission. How do we live faithfully into our call and the choice of following God?

I invite your comments and likes,
Les+

Readings: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14

Listen at: https://audiomack.com/fatherles-1/song/pentecost-20-sermon

Video of worship: https://youtu.be/cIaAcidu8XU

Video of sermon: https://youtu.be/pfsjOejDafI