Eighth Sunday After Pentecost - Shepherd's House

Pastor's Note on the Police Shootings

​Violence always begets violence. This is proven again and again in the cycle of history. It's the story of humanity. The first story depicting two brothers in the Holy Scriptures ended with one killing the other. Here is the Lord's response:

“What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10 NIV) ​

The cries today should be deafening to the ears of those that claim to follow Yahweh.

It will be tempting, in the aftermath of two young black men (again) dying at the wrong end of a police officer's gun in Minnesota and Louisiana, to join a side. It will be tempting, in the grief of the horrifying attack on police keeping the peace at a protest march in Dallas, to join a side. 

This is not a war of hashtags between #blacklivesmatter and #alllivesmatter. It is an all-out assault of the Evil One upon a people that desparately need to escape the endless cycle of violence. No amount of retribution will rectify these tragedies enfolding before our very eyes.

As the church our response is characteristic of those that "share in the inheritance of the saints in the light." (Colossians 1:12) This is from the New Testament reading from this coming Sunday. It goes on: "He [the Lord] has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (verses 13-14). This rescuing is our gift and our task. We as children of light are to extend the beam of this Light into all of the darkened corners of this world. 

The Gospel text from this Sunday is the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Spoiler alert notwithstanding, the parable teaches the one who is the neighbor is the one who shows mercy to the one under attack. Let us show mercy this week in our individual conversations in the aftermath of this ongoing pandemic of violence. 

NOTE: I will be traveling a lot between July 17 to July 23 with Rev Dany Gomis, the Field Strategy Coordinator for the Africa West Field and former colleague from my missionary days, as we attend meetings with supporters and ministries in Chicago, Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus, Philadelphia. More details on Sunday.

Notes from Sunday
Last Sunday
Sunday Word & Table in Apple Valley
Attendance: 29
Giving: $1671

This Sunday at Church
Worship at 10am in Apple Valley
​
Readings for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Call to Worship: Psalm 82
Old Testament Reading: Amos 7:7-17
Epistle Reading: Colossians 1:1-14
Gospel Reading: Luke 10:25-37

​Coming Up
Board Meeting - Sunday (either just after morning service or just before home group)

District Assembly and Camp Meeting
July 11 to 15, Services at 7:30 p.m.
(Saturday 6:00p.m. & Sunday 5:00p.m.)
featuring David Graves & Jim Diehl
MVNU Chapel

July 17 - Rev. Hank Spaulding, preaching

Home Groups
July 10 -- Metcalfes(?)
July 17 -- District Service 5p.m. MVNU Chapel
July 24 -- TBA
July 31 -- Pizza at Shepherd's House (and Whit's afterward?)
August 14 -- TBA
August 28 -- TBA