August 03rd, 2022

Beloved of God,

    This Sunday we’ll be observing the Lord’s Supper together. Please plan on joining us for this important recommitment to Christ Jesus and to one another. We’ll have a chance to examine ourselves, and to discern Christ’s love and sacrifice for us as we come to the table. 
    After the service, we are going to spend time eating together and hearing from the leaders of the different ministries in our church. We’re going to have waffles and pancakes, so bring along your favorite topping for a classic breakfast starch (apologies to hashbrowns). I’d encourage you to bring something to take notes on how these ministries are actively serving God in the church and the wider community. 

    Our Scripture reading for Sunday is from Isaiah 1:10-20. There are some troubling words there, including these: 
13     Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
        Your incense is detestable to me.
     New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--
        I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14     Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
        I hate with all my being.
    They have become a burden to me;
        I am weary of bearing them.
15     When you spread out your hands in prayer,
        I hide my eyes from you;
    even when you offer many prayers,
        I am not listening.

I often try to remind us that we always have God’s complete attention; that He is aware of all our cares and struggles. These verses seem to fly in the face of that. But it’s a word we need in order to remember that God loves us too much to play games with us. There can be a gap that grows up between what we offer and what we are. There are plenty of ways to play at offering ourselves to God without really doing it, and the only victim of this ruse is ourselves. God is never fooled. 
    Instead, we have the chance to offer our whole selves as what the Apostle Paul calls, “a living sacrifice”. We can bring God exactly who we are, and shape our lives around His kingdom. Our worship doesn’t have to be something we merely put on. It can be the core of what we are; of our daily practice. Why would we not strive to make it so?

Please join me this week in praying for:

• Grace and peace for those among us who are grieving.
• Students, teachers, parents, and staff as local schools come back into session.
• This congregation as we ponder our jointly held ministry and discern God’s call for us here and now.
• Those who respond to emergencies in our wildlands, on our highways, in our communities, and even our homes. 
• Those who are feeling the strain of loving and caring for others. Pray that God might ease that load, perhaps through us.
• In thanksgiving for so much rain. We’ve needed it badly and God has been so faithful these last weeks. 
• Each other (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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