Part way through this past week I was asked to be the worship leader at the small Mennonite church I attend as they realized no one was on the schedule. It generally means welcoming people, announcements, some sort of opening, reading the scripture verse and doing a benediction. I agreed but had a hard time figuring out anything for the opening. The person speaking chose Luke 4: 16-30 which includes the following The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (CEB)
This is what I shared:
Yesterday I was having a hard time concentrating on finding resources for this morning, so after eating supper, I re-read the verses Lee is preaching on, then went on a short bicycle ride. People sometimes ask what I think about while riding - in this case this is what came to mind.
Many churches proclaim “We Share the Gospel.” What does sharing the gospel mean for us in these times when over 11% of Iowans live below the poverty line, including the over 1,050 children in Washington County who are food insecure.
We live in the “land of the free” but incarcerate more people than any other country. We live in a country where some celebrate Alligator Alcatraz, Louisiana Lockup, and the Cornhusker Clink to detain even more people.
What do I say when my friends with brown skin tell me they feel compelled to carry copies of their U.S. passport with them? What do I say to my friends with brown skin who don’t have passports?
We live in a time where people express more outrage about Cracker Barrell changing their logo than genocide in Gaza.
We live in a time where school children at Annunciation Catholic School attending mass are shot, injured and killed and it barely makes the front page because what once was rare, now seems to be a common, (the 44th school shooting this year) and it seems we value the right for people to carry AR-15 style weapons than the lives of children.
What does sharing the gospel mean?
and then from #857 from Voices Together
Holy God,
You call us together
To reflect on your Word
And our life in your world
Be with us now
As we sing and pray together
That we may hear your voice
And understand your way.
This we pray through Jesus, the Christ. Amen
My wife wasn't too sure I should say this up front, but afterwards asked if she could share it on her social media site. I showed it to the guy who sits outside waiting for his family and he liked it and said I should send it somewhere. This place will likely have to suffice.
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