All services online (mostly)
Those who are not able to worship online are welcome to attend worship in the Sanctuary. Our front doors will stay open, as will windows for ventilation.
August 9, 2020
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Worship 10:00 AM
(begins at 10 AM or shortly thereafter)
Painting: " From the Pit" by Lisle Gwynn Garrity
{from the artist} "In this piece, we join Joseph in the pit, or cistern, an ancient receptacle used to catch and store rainwater. The fact that the pit is empty signifies that the land, like the brothers' hearts, is cracked and barren. We sit in the cold emptiness of the pit, looking up, waiting to see if any brothers will turn back or have mercy. Joseph's robe lies in a heap on the ground, though hints of gold remind us how, over the course of many years, God will nurture the brothers' deep betrayal into beautiful reconciliation." - Lisle Gwynn Garrity Sermon:
The Scapegoat
It seems so simple... blame "them" for our problems, get rid of them, and all will be well. But they're not the problem. And it doesn't work.
In Genesis, Joseph's brothers decide he is the obstacle to their blessed life. And they get rid of him. It's a pattern we repeat through the centuries. Self-righteous violence is often used to get or preserve the desired 'blessing.' But God has other plans for the victims, and the perpetrators. Step one: see the scapegoat. - Dave
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Stand against injustice and with the wronged We believe….that God has revealed himself as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people...that the church must therefore stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies, among other things, that the church must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream...that the church as the possession of God must stand where the Lord stands, namely against injustice and with the wronged that in following Christ the church must witness against all the powerful and privileged who selfishly seek their own interests and thus control and harm others. (from The Belhar Confession) To bear witness to the gospel of Christ is why we exist as a church. We have been reminded over these last months that the church is not a building but rather the people of God set apart by the Holy Spirit through our Lord Jesus Christ. As our country is embroiled in a fight for its very soul, we are reminded that our mission will not be found in the buildings to which we are returning. Our Reformed tradition has had to reckon with its own complicity in supporting racial injustice in South Africa, so I believe we are doubly obligated to work for racial justice in our own country and time. Below are some online resources and we encourage you to share these with your congregations. From the Reformed Church in America... Anti-racism Resources for White People... More Anti-racism Resources... From the Christian Reformed Church...
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