Much Thanks to all the men and women who made Church at Birch successful this Sunday. Thank you to the GEUMC Worship Committee who organized everything. Thank you to John and Janet Roe for hosting the event. Thank you to Ron Grove, Sue Roe, Bob Kutter, and the women and men of the Grey Eagle Community Chorus for their beautiful music. Finally, thank you everyone who brought enough food for the brunch for all of our guests. Thank you!
Generally, it is a quiet week at Lake Woe-Be-Gone, Minnesota.
With that, our readings for this week are:
Exodus 1:8-2:10 – With last week’s reading, all of Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons and families are now in Egypt. After that generation dies away and with the continued growth of Hebrew families the Egyptian king, or Pharaoh, becomes afraid and orders: harsher working conditions, midwives to kill newborn sons of Hebrew women, and finally all Egyptians to kill newborn Hebrew boys. As you read this passage, who are the heroes? Most are unnamed but two are remembered: Shiphrah and Puah. Praise God for brave women!
Psalm 124 – Praising God for delivering the people of Israel from adversity. Notice how the Psalmist equates enemies attacking with flooding. What might this say about Noah and the flood?
Isaiah 51:1-6 – The Lord, through the prophet, looks toward a time when all will be set right, the weary will have rest, the desert will bloom, and when joy and gladness will be found in the people. Even when the earth and the heavens pass away, God’s salvation and deliverance will be forever.
Psalm 138 – Praising God and God’s holy name for love, faithfulness, and strength. God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Romans 12:1-8 – At this point in his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul begins to lay out what it means to be a Christ follower in daily life. We are to be living sacrifices to God, our minds transformed by God so we can discern God’s will. We are to not be haughty but recognized the many gift of all believers so we can work together with God for the kingdom. Some of those gifts are ministry, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and compassion. Does any one person have ALL the gifts? Or is it the many with their individual gifts working together as a church that brings God's gifts to all?
Matthew 16:13-20 – Who is Jesus and what does he mean to you, individually, and to us, the church, who follows Jesus? What does it mean to call Jesus the Christ or the Messiah (same word meaning "the anointed one", one Greek and one Hebrew)?
Exodus 1:8-2:10 – With last week’s reading, all of Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons and families are now in Egypt. After that generation dies away and with the continued growth of Hebrew families the Egyptian king, or Pharaoh, becomes afraid and orders: harsher working conditions, midwives to kill newborn sons of Hebrew women, and finally all Egyptians to kill newborn Hebrew boys. As you read this passage, who are the heroes? Most are unnamed but two are remembered: Shiphrah and Puah. Praise God for brave women!
Psalm 124 – Praising God for delivering the people of Israel from adversity. Notice how the Psalmist equates enemies attacking with flooding. What might this say about Noah and the flood?
Isaiah 51:1-6 – The Lord, through the prophet, looks toward a time when all will be set right, the weary will have rest, the desert will bloom, and when joy and gladness will be found in the people. Even when the earth and the heavens pass away, God’s salvation and deliverance will be forever.
Psalm 138 – Praising God and God’s holy name for love, faithfulness, and strength. God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Romans 12:1-8 – At this point in his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul begins to lay out what it means to be a Christ follower in daily life. We are to be living sacrifices to God, our minds transformed by God so we can discern God’s will. We are to not be haughty but recognized the many gift of all believers so we can work together with God for the kingdom. Some of those gifts are ministry, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and compassion. Does any one person have ALL the gifts? Or is it the many with their individual gifts working together as a church that brings God's gifts to all?
Matthew 16:13-20 – Who is Jesus and what does he mean to you, individually, and to us, the church, who follows Jesus? What does it mean to call Jesus the Christ or the Messiah (same word meaning "the anointed one", one Greek and one Hebrew)?
May the Lord bless you and keep you this week. May the Lord make light to shine upon you. May the Lord give you peace until we next meet to worship together.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary Taylor
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