June 14th , 2020
It is my hope and prayer that all of you are continuing to do well, staying safe, and having some summer fun. It has been another beautiful week of warm weather. Having talked with many of you, I know you have been out and about taking walks and working in your gardens and yards. You also ask me about one another all the time, and I have to say that everyone one is well. Some of you have had some difficult falls, but you are healing well, and God is caring for you in every moment. You are also surrounded by your faith family who prays for you every day. We have a wonderous God who comes to all of us in every circumstance of our life bringing to us peace, love, hope, and wellbeing.
My sermon this week is based on Matthew 9:35-10:10. It was a joy and challenge to reflect and ponder on how this passage speaks to each of us today. In the Gospel Lesson, Jesus sends his disciples out to preach the nearness of the Kingdom of God, to heal wounds, restore outcasts, and bring the dead back to life. It is important to remember that when Jesus speaks of us bringing the dead back to life, he is commissioning us to bring them the new life we can all receive in Christ. When we accept Jesus into our lives we are made new. Our lives are restored. We become complete.
When Jesus sent the disciples out, he sent them out with no money, no shoes, not even a walking stick. He knew they did not need accessories. He had, instead, vested them with the authority to heal the sick, and raise the dead, all the while they went barefoot from house to house, depending on the generosity of others.
I wonder what it must be like, not only to talk dependence on God, but to live it everyday, understanding that reliance on God equals reliance on the hospitality of others. That kind of knowledge could change a person for good. There is a lot to think about this week.
As we gather to pray for each other, every morning, at 10:30, let us remember to also hold, tenderly and wisely, before God, the marches and peaceful protests, that are going on all over the world as people stand in solidarity with the black community and other communities who are marginalized. May we finally see an end to all systemic racism. Let us pray, without ceasing, with a certain and sure love that God holds for each one of us. We are all on a faith journey together, and we need to ensure each of us is doing okay.
Keep well and safe, and have a blessed week.
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Laura