We had 40 people on a last Sunday Morning Prayer on a milder summer day than in the past two weeks. Catherine returned from two Sundays on vacation. Despite the dry conditions we had some tomatoes in the community garden and the hostas were taking off outside the Church.
The sermon for this Sunday is here, the bulletin is here. The readings are published. There is also a photo gallery also published of the day’s happenings.
Nancy Long opened with the "Face to Face with Christ My Savior" accompanied by Brad.
We welcomed back the Betchy’s and the Duke’s whom we had not seen for several Sundays. The Duke babies are now in the toddler stage.
We also celebrated Eunice’s birthday of the past week and the Muhly’s 18th anniversary.
Outreach dominated the service both in the sermon and announcements. Fred will be delivering school supplies by the 15th of the month and the Community Dinner on the 27th will also contribute to it. Marilyn also spoke on the animal shelter ministry praising St. Peter’s large contribution. Tucker and the Fisher family presented a fund raiser for Vacation Bible School to help glean non-marketable produce from the fields to provide food to Food Banks and other food organizations. Finally, Catherine read the letter from Bishop Jones thanking us for $441 to help repair the car engine of the Bishop of Kineto in Tanzania.
The sermon was also about giving – revolving around the feeding of the 5,000+ in the book of Matthew. Faced with the dilemma of “not enough,” we define the problem, come up with a solution and just present it to God. We fret with what we don’t have rather what we do have . The protests might sound something like this—“I can’t do that, I don’t have enough money, or energy or time to take that on.” We lack resources.
In the play "Give’em Hell Harry" about Harry Truman, he says early "I always thought of myself as a very ordinary ,an. I have no special personal endowments at all. But I don’t waste time worrying about with what I don’t have. I just try to do the best with what I do have….Important thing is to get it said and done"
Just as the disciples told Jesus what to do—“You send them away” — the solution we present to God does not involve us. Jesus simply points out to the disciples that there is no need to get rid of the “problem” at all! Jesus has a solution. “You give them something to eat.” And then, trying their patience even more, he tells the disciples that they, the disciples, are responsible for dealing with what they perceive as the problem.
Now here’s where this gospel gets very interesting –because Jesus says to the disciples “So just bring me what you do have whatever that is". Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish that the disciples bring him, and he, in turn, offers this small offering up to God—because Jesus never wants any glory for himself—he is always pointing beyond himself, in everything he does, to God’s indescribable power and glory. God takes that offering, expands it, and gives it back, complete and full and whole, so that we have all we need to be his true disciples and to do the work that God has given us to do in this world. What a joy for us that God would let us help carry out God’s wondrous work in this world!
Catherine illustrated this point in the creation of the South African business – Original Tea bag Design. It did start with a tea bag in a bottom of a cup which Catherine demonstrated. There is a video posted on how this company lived out the gospel message.
We are looking ahead toward August. August will be a busy month with 8 key activities in the 8th month. Hope you can be there for one or more!