September 15, 2024

Our Lectionary texts for this Sunday are Proverbs 1:20-33; Psalm 19; Isaiah 50:4-9; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38.

The Lectionary Readings for the week of September 22, 2024 are Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 11:18-20; James 3:13-4:3; Mark 9:30-37.

The Lectionary Readings for the week of September 29, 2-24 are Esther 7:1-10; Psalm 124; Numbers 11:4-29; James 5:13-20; Mark 10:2-16.

In Ephesians 4:1-2, Paul encourages us to "walk worthy of our calling" and then proceeds to insist that the ultimate measure of that walk is a maturity measured by Christ (Ephesians 4:3-14). How that happens, Paul insists, is in the context of a worshiping people. In his book Practice Resurrection, Eugene Peterson hints at why this context is so important:

"Becoming mature means refusing to live a reduced life, refusing a minimalist spirituality. Church is the gift we have been given for maintaining conversational relationship with everything that God is and everything that we are, so that we can gradually--it is going to take a long time!--grow to 'the full stature of Christ.'"

We will welcome Reverend Sam Wayman to the pulpit on September 15 and Brian Blacklock on September 22. Please pray for them as they come to share God's word with God's people.