Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
______________________________________________
Fr. Scott's sermon discussed
the Gospel lesson for the Third Sunday after Trinity (Luke 15:1 - 10, BCP p. 193). Jesus is attending a feast with a large spectrum of society present including sinners, publicans, scribes, and Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees are upset Jesus is eating with and therefore accepting people they have labelled as sinners. This is taboo in their culture and proper Jews did not associate with sinners. Also, once labelled, sinners were unable to climb out of their outcast status. In response to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus tells both the parable of the shepherd searching for his lost sheep and the parable of the woman sweeping her whole house looking for her lost silver coin. Jesus compares their joy at finding their lost items to the joy in heaven when one sinner repents making the point that the outcast and the sinners are exactly who our Lord came to reach. This is a major reason Christianity spread so fast in the Roman Empire - there were a lot of lowly people attracted to a Savior who came and then died for them.
Fr. Scott reminds us that Jesus is talking to two types of people at the feast, sinners and religious sinners. He then asks us to put ourselves in the story and determine which one we are. Christianity is at its worst when we look to judge other people and not first apply Christian principles to our own lives. Don't say THEY need Jesus, instead say WE need Jesus. Lastly, how precious are we to God that after sinning against Him and rejecting Him, after seeing the truth, we can come back to Him . There is nothing that we can not come back from, nothing that could take us away from the love of God.
Thank you Fr. Scott for that very inspirational sermon!
Also many apologies to any one who tried to watch the service on Facebook this morning - we forgot to set up for that.
_______________________________________________
After services we celebrated Amber's second birthday! Fr. Scott and Maryl brought a beautiful birthday cake!
Where would the world be without the work and help of fathers and grandfathers?!?
Fr. Scott and Maryl are also hosting a Birthday Party for Amber on Saturday, June 26 from 3 - 6 pm. All of our St. Peter's Family is invited to join them at this birthday/pool party! Please RSVP to Fr. Scott or Maryl - they will give you directions and answer any questions. Happy Birthday to Amber!!
___________________________________________
Next Sunday!
The Church will provide the BBQ and fixings. Also iced tea, sodas, and water provided - you may bring other drinks. In addition we are asking everyone to bring a dish to pass - appetizer, salad, side dish, or dessert are all welcome! Also, if possible, please bring a lawn chair.
________________________________________________
Teresa organized an excursion to the outdoor drama, LIBERTY, which has been presented every year (except last year) in Elizabethton at the Sycamore Shoals State Park. The drama tells the story of the settlement of this area and the story of the Overmountain Men traveling to the Battle of Kings Mountain, a decisive victory for the Patriot cause.
Before the show, we ate at the Black Olive in Elizabethton.
The food was wonderful!
Earl and Rose Marie beside the bronze statue dedicated to the Overmountain Men at the entrance to Sycamore Shoals.
Teresa, Diane, and Agnes making their way through the main building.
Rose Marie, Earl, Rosalind, Jeff, Scott and Sue patiently waiting for the show to begin.
The Patriots and the British . . .
The Grand Finale!
Thank you Teresa for arranging such a great night out!!!
_______________________________________________
Comments