July 8th, 2007
Our worship is now deep in the church’s Ordinary Time. I found that rather than meaning "common" or "mundane," this term comes from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.).
This is a time in the worship year that I haven’t always appreciated fully. I think I am overly-conditioned, at times, to look forward and pay attention to particular times, particular events.
Pastor Mark gave the sermon today on the Gospel reading on Luke 10 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The stress was placed on the fact it was God’s harvest and that the seventy were, dangerously, more focused on the power and accomplishments the seventy had been given over demons rather than following the commands that Jesus had given.
Pr. Mark then gave several examples from new member recruitment to undue concern over paychecks and stressing over careers where we miss God’s true harvest, which Pastor Mark considered as a possibility ‘a harvest of relationship’.
Once again, this struck me as the proper compass to remain true to God’s direction and will.
Pastor Mark then concentrated on Jesus commands to us and how they were all about building relationship. Jesus’ first task is to say “Peace to this house!” Peace as blessing meant to be shared as the sharing of the peace.
The second call is to cure the sick. Pastor Mark suggested Jesus may mean the healing is a restoring of relationship to community. It made me think how easy it is to not be in community with those we feel are not living in healthy way.
The final call of the 70 that Pr Mark cited is to say “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” He condensed this to these words of relationship: “God has come near to you.”
Truly beautiful, blessing words that, for me, were echoed again in the closing hymn Sent Forth By God’s Blessing. The other musical moment that struck me was during communion when we sang My Life Flows On In Endless Song. David’s performance on the piano and Kelly on guitar and harmony vocal moved this song into a quiet, soul-lifting/offering moment.
Our worship is now deep in the church’s Ordinary Time. I found that rather than meaning "common" or "mundane," this term comes from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.).
This is a time in the worship year that I haven’t always appreciated fully. I think I am overly-conditioned, at times, to look forward and pay attention to particular times, particular events.
Pastor Mark gave the sermon today on the Gospel reading on Luke 10 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The stress was placed on the fact it was God’s harvest and that the seventy were, dangerously, more focused on the power and accomplishments the seventy had been given over demons rather than following the commands that Jesus had given.
Pr. Mark then gave several examples from new member recruitment to undue concern over paychecks and stressing over careers where we miss God’s true harvest, which Pastor Mark considered as a possibility ‘a harvest of relationship’.
Once again, this struck me as the proper compass to remain true to God’s direction and will.
Pastor Mark then concentrated on Jesus commands to us and how they were all about building relationship. Jesus’ first task is to say “Peace to this house!” Peace as blessing meant to be shared as the sharing of the peace.
The second call is to cure the sick. Pastor Mark suggested Jesus may mean the healing is a restoring of relationship to community. It made me think how easy it is to not be in community with those we feel are not living in healthy way.
The final call of the 70 that Pr Mark cited is to say “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” He condensed this to these words of relationship: “God has come near to you.”
Truly beautiful, blessing words that, for me, were echoed again in the closing hymn Sent Forth By God’s Blessing. The other musical moment that struck me was during communion when we sang My Life Flows On In Endless Song. David’s performance on the piano and Kelly on guitar and harmony vocal moved this song into a quiet, soul-lifting/offering moment.
posted by Gary at
8:11 AM
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