Beloved of God,

    I want to remind you that if you have any interest in helping us secure a couple of Christmas trees for our Great Room, there is still some space among the hunting party. We’ll be heading out from the church parking lot as soon after 9:00am as we can manage, and hoping to come back with the trees in the early afternoon.
    If you would like to spend some time helping to festoon the Great Room on Saturday, there are times lots available for that as well. We would love your help, and one doesn’t often get the chance to festoon or even use “festoon” in a sentence.

Please use this link to sign up if you are interested in doing either, or email Vanessa or myself and we can put you down. Spots are limited, and time slots are in place to make sure we are keeping each other safe.

Our Psalm for Sunday (Ps 113) closes this way:
      7
           He raises the poor from the dust
               and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
     8
          he seats them with princes,
               with the princes of his people.
     9
          He settles the childless woman in her home
              as a happy mother of children.
              Praise the Lord.

It’s hard for me to read something like this and not think of some of the mothers in Scripture who receive God’s notice and action in special ways. But this time of year, I think of one in particular. I ran across this image several years ago, and I always like to revisit it during Advent and Christmas because it humanizes the story so well:

   

Advent is a time to ponder the reality of God’s presence with us. God has come among us not just physically, but as one of us in Christ. He indeed is a God who sets the poor among princes, and calls the childless into motherhood. These aren’t abstractions or nice ideas. These are things God has done and will do. What a wonderful thing to know that “God with us” really does mean God with us.

Please join me this week in praying for:

• An end to this pandemic.
• Those who have experienced loss or harm because of this terrible virus.
• Those who are dealing with sickness in a time when medical services are stressed.
• Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics and other healthcare professionals as they work to keep all of us well.
• Those who are grieving.
• Leaders in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level.
• Those who are anxious, depressed, desperate or weary as we enter the Christmas season.
• God’s defense over those who are anticipating and celebrating the arrival of a child in these days.
• Brothers and sisters in Central America as they continue to recover from Hurricanes Eta and Iota.
• The safety of Christians throughout the world, preparing to celebrate Christmas at a difficult time.
• Those who approach the season having lost a job, or discouraged as they search for one.
• Those who are cold, and hungry, and can’t find a place to stay.
• 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

Beloved of God,

    I want to name the fact that we’re moving through a pretty high-anxiety national moment. I imagine that looks a little different for each of us, and I also imagine we are all handling it a little differently. Those of you with deep political loyalties might be feeling a different kind of strain than those of you who are unnerved by the national rise in COVID. Some of you may be feeling the strain of both. Others of you are dealing with the concerns of your own situation that have only to do with your unique hurts and cares.
    All of this is part of why I love that we are reading Psalm 85 this Sunday. Psalm 85 gives us one of the most beautiful pictures of Shalom that I know:
10
Love and faithfulness meet together;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12
The Lord will indeed give what is good,
    and our land will yield its harvest.
13
Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

    Shalom usually gets translated as “peace” but it’s a thicker concept than that. Shalom is peace that spills out and over. Shalom is completion, wholeness, the world set right. And Psalm 85 guides us into this picture of Shalom as something deeper than just a hopeful optimism. There’s a confidence here. We can expect these things because of who God is.
    Slow down a little. Weigh your cares against God’s Shalom. I promise you, there is nothing so heavy as to tip that scale away from such a sure and sturdy peace, even if you see the scale wobble a little. The Lord will indeed give what is good, even if you can’t see it over the top of your own concerns. It is who He is.

Please join me in praying this week for:

• An end to this pandemic
  
• Peace and justice in this country as we receive results from federal, state and local elections.
• Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics and other healthcare professionals working in these days for our common good.
• Those who are suffering quietly; may we see them and care for them.
• In praise for the good and extremely creative work of those involved in our church’s ministries.
• Those who are lonely.
• Those dealing with stresses, changes, and griefs made harder by this season.
• 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

Beloved of God,

Many of you will have noticed that we have been spending a good bit of time in Matthew’s Gospel on Sundays. One reason I like using the Lectionary as a tool to plan out which texts to preach on is because you are encouraged to spend time moving deliberately through one book of the Bible, but you are also spending time in other books alongside it, and can reflect on them as the Spirit leads.

But this week, choosing to preach an Old Testament text forces me to miss one of the great passages in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 22:34-40), in which Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment. Jesus’ answer isn’t in any way controversial. Deut 6:5 has always been considered one of the foundational commands within Judaism. Where this gets interesting is when Jesus offers a second commandment, because nobody asked for that. Furthermore, Jesus suggests that these two commandments are of a like kind. He tells the Pharisees and us that to “love your neighbor as yourself” somehow bears the shape of the command to Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. I would suggest you could even frame it this way: you cannot truly love your neighbor if you will not love God. You cannot truly love God if you will not love your neighbor.

Knowing how to do both of these things well takes a lifetime of work, and an abundance of grace. And doing them both creates a tension between them that we never finally resolve outside of Christ. Christ who was always God before the worlds were forged became for us also a neighbor, a human being. And He alone has lived a life marked by perfect love of both God and neighbor. May we be conformed more and more into his image and learn to practice both loves like Him.

Please join me this week in praying for:

• Protection from, and an end to this pandemic
• Educators in our community during a particularly hectic season
• Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level
• The two men standing for election to the office of President of the United States
• Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals working for our well-being
• Those who are lonely or afraid
• Those feeling a strain on their mental health
• Our oldest neighbors
• Our youngest neighbors
• 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

Beloved of God,

    I first of all want you to be aware of an opportunity that is coming up at the end of this month (I can’t believe it’s October!). Haley is putting together an event that is a creative spin on our traditional trunk or treat for these strange times. I’m really excited about it, and I think the more of you who are willing to find ways to join in the fun, the better it will be. This could be a great chance for us to love on our own children here at church and to share that same love with other kids in the community. We’ll have more to say soon, but for now, if you want to join us in building up our candy stockpile, feel free to bring a bag of pre-wrapped candy on Sunday or through the week as you’re able. It’s gonna be a blast.
    I have been reminded this week of how much everything we do well as a church runs on the mutual commitment to give our time and efforts and focus to one another in love. There is of course the truism that “money can’t buy love, and love can’t buy groceries.” But just as important as the funding we jointly hold to keep the lights on is the willingness to do careful, creative and even surprising things for one another and for our neighbors. Jesus threw dinner parties for strangers in desert places. He met with doubt riddled outsiders by night to bring them into the kingdom. He spent time with children in an age where most folks thought of their progeny as little better than property. I get the privilege as your pastor of hearing what many of you are up to: stories about outdoor dinner dates, and grocery runs, and even the odd repair of a sewing machine. I hope you will continue to listen to the Spirit as you are called to these unconventional and creative acts of love for one another and for our neighbors. God bless you as you do.

    Please join me this week in praying for:

• Those fleeing and fighting wildfires in the West
  
• Wisdom for both of the candidates standing for election to the office of President of the United States
• Our youngest brothers and sisters and neighbors
  
• Our oldest brothers and sisters and neighbors
• For parents as they care for their young children
• For children as they look after their older parents
• For doctors, nurses, first responders and others who are working for our good in healthcare settings
• For those in positions of public trust at the federal, state and local levels
• In praise for the change of seasons, and God’s constant care and provision for the world
• For those who are hurting, sick, afraid or alone
• That we would have eyes to see them and be willing to love and serve them for the sake of the Kingdom of God
• For one another (if you are interested in getting updates from the prayer ministry, please contact [email protected] to be added to that list)

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

Marshall