Scripture
– NIV
Psalm
103:1-14 –
Praise
the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise
the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you
with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that
your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The
Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He
made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is
compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not
always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as
our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the
heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as
far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from
us.
As
a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those
who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Luke
15:11-24 –
Jesus
continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his
father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property
between them.
“Not
long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant
country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent
everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be
in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who
sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods
that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When
he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have
food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to
my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired
servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But
while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed
him.
“The
son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But
the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him.
Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and
kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Bob’s
thoughts:
Although
we were a little early, we were greeted by one man and he went out of his way
to see if there was anything we needed. I thought when we went for coffee,
maybe someone would interact with us or invite us to sit, so we took our coffee
back to a small table in the narthex till the service started. The man there
was friendly.
There
is good signage, but had I not had to dispose of our coffee cups, we would have
followed others into the sanctuary and ended up in the choir loft, I would not
have been a good addition.
The
sanctuary has a domed ceiling with stained glass and a large intricate window.
The line
I liked best from the message: the cross is like the Tide stick, not like Wite
Out. Though I thought the part about the cross would have been more powerful
with a cross present. The Associate Pastor did an amazing job: she was clear
and understandable and empathized well. She used a personal event to segue into
her message.
I
found it refreshing that she was able to recite the Words of Institution from
memory. The pastor was served though part of Communion was administered
silently.
There
were some convenient “Sermon Note” notepads in the pew…a great way to take the
message home.
Jan’s
thoughts:
This
building is beautifully decorated with many hospitable touches, from abundant
signage to small strategically placed benches and tables.
With
three weekend services at this campus alone (there are three campuses in Butler),
I was heartened when we were welcomed by several people. A gentleman cordially
offered coffee and donuts, which we gratefully accepted.
The
large choir was stationed at the back of the chancel, and their vocals flowed
with the enthusiasm of the organist.
During
the announcements the congregation was informed the pastor was ill and unable
to preach this morning, so one of the Associate Pastors would step in and the
advertised sermon series would begin next week. No one seemed to miss a beat
with these unexpected adjustments.
The
Associate Pastor who preached spoke with a touch of humor of the last time she
wore the white sweater she wore this morning. She had spilled a drop of coffee
on it and her husband suggested a Tide to Go stick, which removed the stain
completely.
She
contrasted the results of the Tide to Go stick with Wite Out, which is used to
paint over an error on paper. Unlike the complete removal of the stain with the
Tide stick, it is possible to hold the paper up to the light and still see what
is covered.
She
stated that forgiveness is like that. Jesus pursues us, and when we accept His
invitation, He forgives us completely. There is no trace of our sin that can be
seen if you hold us up to the light…it’s utterly gone. Jesus removes our sins “as
far as the east is from the west” and He chooses to forget them.
When
we seek forgiveness or when we choose whether or not to forgive others, we are
choosing between peace and joy or resentment and bitterness and others can
sense either when they meet us.
She
recommended that our prayer should be: help me be like a Tide stick and not
Wite Out.
Communion
was served by intinction, the bread silently and the juice with the spoken reminder
that Christ’s blood was shed for me. Thank God!
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray for Your continued guidance and blessing in the work of this, Your
church. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment