Kids’ News

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Our story begins with a conflict between two groups in the early church. The issue involves the case of some widows not receiving enough food during the daily distribution of food.

The twelve call a meeting of all the disciples. They realize they need to focus on prayer and proclaiming God’s word rather than serving food, so they ask the community to select seven disciples from among them to serve.

They specify that the “new disciples” must be wise and filled with the Holy Spirit. This proposal pleases the whole community. The community selects seven people and presents them to the twelve, who pray for them and lay hands on them. God’s word continues to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increases.

Children may wonder why the disciples needed more help or why they couldn’t do it on their own. We might have this problem too. Sometimes children say “Don’t help me, I can do it myself!” But sometimes we need the help. It is okay to ask for help and work together to spread God’s love.

This shows that the disciples were paying attention; they wanted to provide more help for the community and then moved forward to organize that work.

We are all called to find ways to unite and act in love for one another, each sharing our gifts and talents to benefit the larger goals of the faith. We use our talents at church for the benefit of everyone.

2420 – Living as a Prophet

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Watch the full service on our YouTube channel by clicking here.

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Isaiah 1:15-20 Common English Bible

15 When you extend your hands,
    I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even when you pray for a long time,
    I won’t listen.
Your hands are stained with blood.
16     Wash! Be clean!
Remove your ugly deeds from my sight.
    Put an end to such evil;
17     learn to do good.
Seek justice:
    help the oppressed;[a]
    defend the orphan;
    plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let’s settle this,
    says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they will be white as snow.
If they are red as crimson,
    they will become like wool.
19 If you agree and obey,
    you will eat the best food of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
    you will be devoured by the sword.
The Lord has said this.

Friday’s Word

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No Bowls of Wrath

I remember an old Nichols and May routine from the 60s.

Mike Nichols played a man desperate to make a call on his one and only dime. Elaine May was the telephone operator.

He said to her, “Please don’t jiggle something with your elbow and make me lose my dime.”

She replied, “Sir, we don’t work with our elbows.”

I heard a preacher reading from Revelation the other day—the lines about God pouring bowls of wrath on humankind.

God doesn’t work with bowls of wrath.

I used to play the preacher game: Try to find something good to say about Revelation.

It’s in the Bible! It’s part of the canon!

Yes—and a theologically useless book. Tell it like it is. It’s a mess.

And it was not written by the author of the gospel and letters of John.

Unlike them, it is written in very poor Greek.

The worst thing about Revelation is that it contradicts the teaching of Jesus that we are to love our enemies for God loves his enemies.

In Revelation, God hates his enemies and treats them with unspeakable cruelty.

Like pouring bowls of wrath on them.

It has Jesus riding in on a white horse cutting off the heads of sinners.

We all know what Jesus does. He dies for sinners. All of us.

It is impossible to affirm the content of Revelation and also affirm what Jesus taught us about God.

The God we know in Christ is the only God there is. And God doesn’t work with bowls of wrath.

+++

Special Giving Week.

Help with Friday’s Word.

Max’s Corner

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A Tour Through History

Connie (Owensby) Eley reminds me I left out a lot of the joy in my run through the history of our congregation’s 128 years. That youth group in the late 60s and early 70s filled two rows in church every week. Her brother, our beloved Hubert Owensby, who passed last year, was a youth leader.

I also neglected to tell you that the folks still here in the early 80s when I came as pastor were fiercely loyal to this church—and very proud of St. Matthew.

This church has survived on love.

But I also wanted you to know that love alone won’t do it if we have no way to reach out to the world with that love.

Friday’s Word (or something like it) is still absolutely essential to the ongoing life of this church. We have lost a lot of people through death in the last three years. If you omit from our congregation the people we have gained through Friday’s Word during that time, we would have to be considered a dying church.

Why?—because we would be.

As long as we think of this as “Max’s project,” we are missing the point. This is our project.

Many once-large churches are gone from the East Side. We are still here. Let us give thanks.

Breakfast this Sunday

A “Bring It Sunday.” I’ll bring something.

Let’s have breakfast together—10:30 a.m.

Sunday’s Sermon

Sermon Sunday: That Great Getting’ Up Mornin’

I may sing a solo—if no one stops me.

Special Giving Sunday

You may give extra this Sunday if you are able. If you are not able, do not do so. The Lord will provide.

God Bless—MB

Prayer for our members who are ill. We miss you and think of you often. Our love to Tracy Maxwell.