This week, we will hear the story of a group of Pharisees bringing a woman to Jesus, testing to see how he will judge her. They accuse her of adultery and want to know if Jesus will sentence her to death. In this well-known story, Jesus doesn't punish the woman but shows grace and compassion. Not only that, but he invites the religious leaders to a new life of grace and mercy as well. Together, we will explore what it means for Jesus to love the judged and not to condemn them. How does that drastically change the world and the way we live if we replace judgment with love and care?
Jesus didn't just love in general and in theory--he loved in the concrete, specific, and everyday actions and places. Our new sermon series looks at the specific people Jesus loved. This week we see him loving tax collectors--calling one to be his disciple. They were some of the most despised people of their day because of how their actions hurt the poor. Who are today's tax collectors? With whom do we not want to be associated? Join us as we wrestle with loving the outsiders in our lives.
As we close our Foundational Generosity series, we turn our eyes toward the future. The gifts we give today strengthen our ministry and prepare the way for generations to come. Together, we are building and repairing and sustaining, not just for ourselves, but for all who will find a spiritual home here. We'll hear the prophet Isaiah's call for religion to serve its community and talk about how our church can fulfill that challenge better when we all give what we can.
This week we hear from members of our congregation who will share how this church has made a difference in their lives. We will begin with a short story out of the past that a member shared with some children after church last Sunday! All these stories remind us that generosity calls us here now to create space for life-changing ministry and a vibrant community of faith. We celebrate the impact we have together as the body of Christ.
In Luke, we hear a moving story about ten lepers who cautiously approach Jesus and ask to be healed. They are miraculously healed and sent on their way. But one, when he realizes what has happened, stops and turns back to Jesus, praising God and effusing with thanksgiving. A life of faith is synonymous with a life of gratitude. This week we kick off our annual stewardship campaign and Foundational Generosity capital campaign by exploring how our generosity naturally stems from the gratitude we cultivate. Join us as we magnify our gratitude together!
All ages are invited to join us for our interactive children's worship service; our children and youth will lead us in several parts of the worship service. We will also celebrate World Communion Sunday, where Christians from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and expressions of faith are united across our differences. We'll hear Jesus' Parable of the Vineyard where all workers were paid a day's wage, whether or not they worked a full day. We'll try to shift the conversation from one focused on fairness to one focused on abundance.
In our final week of this worship series, we will look at what it means to build our faith for the common good.
How can we sense God's presence when our lives are falling apart? Join us in worship as we explore this together.
Each Lego piece matters, no matter how miniscule or hidden they are in the final product.
Inspired by Legos, we'll explore how we can build a life of faith that is stable, creative, and resilient.