Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! I want to add to what I had already written here two notes to keep in mind for tomorrow: one is that the afternoon “spooky concert” IS tomorrow, Sunday the 29th, at 4:00pm.
The other additional note follows on what has been a nerve and spirit-racking time for all of us in Maine. Several individuals had expressed concern about our gathering for worship while the perpetrator of the tragedy in Lewiston was still at large. Sadly, for his family, he was found dead last night, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. So, that immediate concern is allayed. While Card’s death eases the worry people around the state have been feeling, we continue to pray for the victims and their families. We pray as we look forward with the earnest intent of making necessary changes to stop incidents like this being repeated. I hope that we can be a center for conversation and action to end gun violence of any kind and certainly on this scale.
We do this as people of faith in a loving God who calls us to love, which is the challenge presented in this week’s scripture lessons. Although the leaders of the temple pose questions to Jesus with the intention of tripping him up, of making him appear sacrilegious or ignorant, his responses steer them and us in a different and challenging way. What does it really mean to love others as ourselves? We will have the opportunity to consider this together during our worship, which also invites us to sing together an old and familiar song as we pray in harmony.
Blessings and peace, Lisa.
Continue reading Sunday Worship October 29, 2023