Greetings from St. Mark’s on the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the final Sunday in September.
We were gathered with the recognition that God’s principal power with us is showing mercy and pity so we can understand and share God’s grace with the world. Our first lesson from Exodus recounts Moses responding showing God’s providence when the Israelites grumble about the lack of water in the wilderness. The Psalmist sings a song which reminds us that God provides for us, in good times and trying times. The reading from the letter to the Philippians describes the power found in the apparent weakness of the lifegiving presence of Jesus. Matthew’s gospel depicts Jesus’ response to the elder’s question about where he gets his power from and then a parable which declares that actions speak louder than words.
We are called to recognize that the true power we wield comes from our relationship with God as opposed to the standards of the world. Our authority is bound to our relationship with and commitment to the message of reconciliation. Like Jesus, our relationship with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit has blessings and responsibilities. Through our relationship we have the responsibility to share God’s grace as we continue to evolve in our relationship with God. Each person’s authority comes from the same place but the authority to share hope and reconciliation is not always realized in the same manner nor manifested the same way.
To whom can we reach out and share God’s redeeming message of reconciliation? How can we recognize God’s power at work in others in different ways than we do? I invite your comments,
Les+
Lessons: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32
Sermon link: https://audiomack.com/fatherles-2/song/pentecost-18-sermon-2
