Johnny Davis was our third stewardship speaker in recent weeks. He commented on the recent news from the United Nations of a world population exceeding 7 billion. That will mean hundreds of thousands of starving, hungry people. One response it to give more to church and voluntary organizations which are there first and are dedicated to improving the lots of people there. God expects us to love our neighbor and to carry out Jesus’ work whether in Port Royal or half way around the globe. Johnny said his passion is outreach.
Catherine added that we come to church expecting to be changed. One focus in 2012 will be a more deliberative outreach effort. Johnny, Nancy Long and Fred Pannell will be heading Outreach to help us determine a broader vision for Outreach at St. Peter’s.
Her sermon centered on service. “Matthew has Jesus take the Pharisees to task because they are set in their comfortable ways and because they do not practice what they teach…. The prophets that Micah castigates are also hypocrites, stuck in their comfortable ways. Even though they are prophets, appointed to speak God’s truth to the people, these prophets say only what the powerful want to hear. And not only that, but these prophets participate in the effort to make the rich even richer at the expense of the poor."
What do they have to do with us ? “..People want to know—is it really possible to live a life like the one Jesus shows us how to live, and asks us to live?” Catherine related a recent story that made her feel like a Pharisee in dealing with a homeless man in Washington D.C. You can read about it in the sermon posted here. Her conclusion is that we need to take the uncomfortable road and live out God’s words and it “will fill us with the deepest comfort and the greatest joy we can ever know until God brings us at last to that holy hill and into the dwelling places that God has prepared for us.”
The Sunday readings are here and the bulletin is posted.
The Rite 1 Eucharist had 13 people and the 11am Morning prayer 32 on a beautiful, glorious Sunday morning with our first frost of the season.