Wednesday, March 03, 2010
"Free Food and a Little More Manure"*
*Don't worry . . . that's not an advertisement for an upcoming church dinner; it's the title of Sunday's sermon!
Sunday's sermon will be taken from two scriptures for the third Sunday of Lent, Isaiah 55: 1-9 and Luke 13: 1-9. We'll read the Isaiah passage in worship, but the parable in Luke will serve as its illustration. The parable goes like this:
In my reading I came across this quote by Michael Curry:
Speaking of Food, this is a First Sunday, the time when we share communion as a congregation and share groceries with the Food Pantry. Don't forget your grocery items this Sunday.
The Anniversary Celebration is just 5 1/2 weeks away! Are you ready to remember, give thanks, and dream of all that God has done, is doing, and will do with our church? It'll be a great time of renewing our friendships and our purpose as we move into the next 20 years of our church!
Keith & Kristen Getty have a beautiful hymn that I've been listening to in preparation for Sunday:
Speak, O Lord, as we come to you
to receive the food
of your holy word,
Take your truth, plant it deep in us,
shape and fashion us
in your likeness.
I'll see you Sunday,
Tracy
Sunday's sermon will be taken from two scriptures for the third Sunday of Lent, Isaiah 55: 1-9 and Luke 13: 1-9. We'll read the Isaiah passage in worship, but the parable in Luke will serve as its illustration. The parable goes like this:
A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any. So he said to the gardener, "For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?"
The gardener answered, "Master, leave it for another year. I'll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down."
In my reading I came across this quote by Michael Curry:
Facing the reality of mystery and the limits of what we can know is not an excuse to stand still and look sad. Jesus is on a mission. Those who would be disciples of Jesus, who would follow in his way in the power of his Spirit, are on that mission. Much is unknown. Many questions will remain unanswered. In the end, the future is God's. As the late Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, president of Morehouse College, says, "faith is taking your best step, and leaving the rest to God.I hope to see you Sunday, so we can talk about manure and free food . . . all in the same sermon!
Speaking of Food, this is a First Sunday, the time when we share communion as a congregation and share groceries with the Food Pantry. Don't forget your grocery items this Sunday.
The Anniversary Celebration is just 5 1/2 weeks away! Are you ready to remember, give thanks, and dream of all that God has done, is doing, and will do with our church? It'll be a great time of renewing our friendships and our purpose as we move into the next 20 years of our church!
Keith & Kristen Getty have a beautiful hymn that I've been listening to in preparation for Sunday:
Speak, O Lord, as we come to you
to receive the food
of your holy word,
Take your truth, plant it deep in us,
shape and fashion us
in your likeness.
I'll see you Sunday,
Tracy
# posted by thankyoudarlin @ 9:23 AM 
