The 4th of July weekend is upon us! A favorite time for being with family, near the pool or on the lake. Perhaps you will experience a picnic, cookout and let’s hope – ice cream! To cap it all off, it is fun to experience fireworks and reflect on independence – our individual and corporate independence. I hope to see you in worship in person or online, but if you need to be engaged elsewhere I get it, have a good time and be safe!
In worship, we will be talking about the Will of God. Now this is a loaded notion. It is pretty bold for even a preacher to pronounce “the Will of God” and yet we have clues about how God operates. Certainly, we can point to God’s creativity; check out Genesis or even the Pentecost stories for examples. God is an ever present help in times of trouble as we read in Psalm 46 or always siding with the marginalized and calling through the 8th century Major and Minor prophets for justice for the poor and marginalized of society.
In Luke’s text for July 3, we learn something important about God through Jesus; that is the joy of seeing an investment in teaching and equipping matriculate into a discernable vision cast and caught in the lives of the 72 who are sent out. At the close of the sermon we’ll turn toward a great American who embodied some of these vision principles as well. If the preacher does not fail you, I hope to give you the opportunity to embrace the special learning that is offered in the text, the example of Jesus, and through a historic figure in what I think was the best day of both of their lives. Perhaps you might agree too?
Remember You Are Loved!
Todd