Sunday, October 26, 2014 (full size gallery)
Two services on the last Sunday of the month. Attendance was lower than in similar months- 7 at 9am and 27 at 11am. The weekend has featured spectacular weather – completely clear, reasonably cool with fall sunlight.
The work on the outside to repaint the church has progressed slower due to weather. Scraping continues down to some of the original color of blue around the windows. We acquired a new donated love seat for the Parish house. Cookie planted a new cabbage plant out front and Genevieve’s tombstone has been set.
Six were in Godly Play with a similar number to watch the Bible miniseries also at 10am, also in the Parish house. We will be continuing both next Sunday
Both the 9am and 11am introduced the "Season of Giving" handout spotlighting 4 causes we are supported – Village Harvest, ECM Thanksgiving/Christmas project, United Thank Offering and the Samaritan’s Purse. The idea was to allow parishioners to pick and choose what they can support along with a "free" prayer at the end. Each week will introduce one or more on the list. Today it was the mens group’s project. Next week will be UTO and Samaritan’s purse.
The sermon featured a live tree in the church. The readings are here
Sydney and Michael help out with the sermon. The Gospel was about leading holy lives through keeping the Greatest Commandment – loving both God and Neighbor. Trees support the path toward leading holy lives.
1. "So the first step toward living into our holiness is to immerse ourselves in God through prayer, the prayer that yearns for and longs for and desires God, prayer that thirsts for God, returning the yearning and longing and desire that God has for each one of us."…
2. "And then the Apostle Paul’s list of the fruits of the spirit in his Letter to the Galatians comes to mind—the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
During the sermon, red badges representing these qualities were put on the tree by the children.
3. "Trees are a source of healing. As holy people, we too can be sources of healing and peace for others simply by being a calm presence that is rooted and grounded and immersed in God’s love." Trees foster reduced fear and violence and provide a calming influence on society.
4. " I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the best ways to love the people around me is to be with them in a way that absorbs negativity and breathes out love, just as trees take in carbon dioxide and release life giving oxygen. "
Next week pledge cards will be given out the stewardship process will begin
Biblical commentary on the Lectionary by Canon Lance Ousley of the Diocese of Olympia
"Our stewardship is directed by what we hold as having authority in our lives. When we place God as the authority in our lives we seek to steward God’s kingdom in the world. Our readings this week promote the authority of God in our lives and the world around us. But as God’s agents of grace in the world humanity must accept God as our authority to realize the fullness of God’s kingdom throughout the earth.
"The reading option from Leviticus has God conferring holiness upon Israel as God’s people. God’s proclamation of Israel as holy because God’s self is holy is an assertion of God’s authority in the world, too. And with this holy conference God instructs Israel in the way they are to live in relationship with one another and the world with God as their authority. The implications on their lives with God as their authority are comprehensive through all of their relationships, including with financial and material assets.
"Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians speaks to Paul’s submission to the authority of God in his life over all opposition and his encouragement for others to follow suit. He takes seriously the fact that he has been called, through God’s authority, to be a steward of the Gospel not for his own keeping but to share with the world. Paul is acting with God as his authority seeking to spread the good news of the Gospel and he authenticates his message with this assertion. And in this work Paul proclaims that he has given of himself for the benefit of the Thessalonians and the Gospel in the world.
"Jesus’ being "tested" by the Pharisees was a challenge to establish their authority, but Jesus’ answer to them establishes that the authority in Jesus’ life is God. Jesus’ statement, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" posits that the authority in all aspects of one’s life are exhibited through the way they love God and their neighbor with all that they are and have.
"Our stewardship of our relationships with God, others, creation, property and money all hang on the way we love God. Loving our neighbor simply is another expression of loving God. Just as we praise God from whom all blessings flow, we also love God through stewarding all blessings we receive for the benefit of God’s kingdom come. Jesus’ question of the Pharisees about David is used to illustrate that David did not assert personal authority as the Pharisees were doing, but rather David lived with God as his authority. The bottom line for Jesus is that we illustrate who has authority in our lives through stewarding all that we are and all that have for that authority. The Pharisees "stewardship" was self-serving, but Jesus’ stewardship was for the benefit of the whole world.
"How does your stewardship proclaim who is the authority in your life?"