Worship at St. Matthew
“Empowered by the Holy Spirit, We share our Faith, by Loving and Serving our Neighbor.”
Sunday Worship: 9:00AM
St. Matthew Holiday Worship Services
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Ash Wednesday: 7:00PM
MaundyThursday: 7:00PM Good Friday: 12:00PM Easter Sunday: 9:00AM Thanksgiving Eve: 7:00PM Christmas Eve: 7:00PM |
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Holy Communion
The Lord Jesus welcomes everyone to share in his real presence with us in Holy Communion. The method of communion is intinction ( the action of dipping the bread in the wine at a Eucharist so that a communicant receives both together.) Holy Communion is served every Sunday.
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This week's Gospel Message
GOSPEL MESSAGE
September 8, 2019
LECTIONARY 23A Centering Promise
The words from Jesus today might make us squirm a bit, and we might prefer to gloss over them. Hate our family members? Hate life itself? Give up all our possessions? It all sounds so extreme. But then again, Jesus is not known to mince words or soften the edges of his speech to suit our comforts. How do we begin to live into this life that Jesus demands?
Perhaps we should consider the question in a slightly different way: If we strip away everything from our lives, what remains? What rests at the core of all the other stuff? In our baptism, this question was answered once and for all, though we may forget it or even doubt it at times: Jesus is at the core of all we are and all we do. The cross rests at the center of who we are and all that we have.
Our possessions and even our healthiest relationships will continually try to mask or overtake the cross that marks our lives. We become convinced that our identity rests in our possessions and relationships. That’s the nature of sin. But Jesus reminds us today that the cross centers all we do, all we have, and all we are—and that carrying the cross centers us in that gift.
The promise here is found in Jesus’ command, “Follow me.” He doesn’t say, “Lug the cross around by yourself.” He says, “Carry the cross and follow me” (Luke 14:27). The follow me is a gift. The follow me invites us to action alongside the one who first carries the cross for us. The follow me promises that we will never be alone. The follow me leads us to a new way of life centered in Christ.
From sundaysandseasons.com.
Copyright © 2019 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
September 8, 2019
LECTIONARY 23A Centering Promise
The words from Jesus today might make us squirm a bit, and we might prefer to gloss over them. Hate our family members? Hate life itself? Give up all our possessions? It all sounds so extreme. But then again, Jesus is not known to mince words or soften the edges of his speech to suit our comforts. How do we begin to live into this life that Jesus demands?
Perhaps we should consider the question in a slightly different way: If we strip away everything from our lives, what remains? What rests at the core of all the other stuff? In our baptism, this question was answered once and for all, though we may forget it or even doubt it at times: Jesus is at the core of all we are and all we do. The cross rests at the center of who we are and all that we have.
Our possessions and even our healthiest relationships will continually try to mask or overtake the cross that marks our lives. We become convinced that our identity rests in our possessions and relationships. That’s the nature of sin. But Jesus reminds us today that the cross centers all we do, all we have, and all we are—and that carrying the cross centers us in that gift.
The promise here is found in Jesus’ command, “Follow me.” He doesn’t say, “Lug the cross around by yourself.” He says, “Carry the cross and follow me” (Luke 14:27). The follow me is a gift. The follow me invites us to action alongside the one who first carries the cross for us. The follow me promises that we will never be alone. The follow me leads us to a new way of life centered in Christ.
From sundaysandseasons.com.
Copyright © 2019 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.