Dear Friends,
I hope that you had a great time celebrating our nation’s Independence
earlier this week. I, like many, enjoyed the holiday but was also
disturbed to hear about another mass shooting- this time at a parade in a
Chicago suburb.
While, I didn’t initially make this connection when I was planning our
“Prophetic Learning” summer sermon series, it turns out hearing the
lament and cries of the prophets is quite timely in light of the continued
brokenness which we see throughout our country and world. That being
said, it is also important for us to remember that the prophets end their
cries with words of hope. We must never lose sight of the fact that we
(in partnership with God) have the power to make things better. It is not
too late for us to change the course and direction of our lives and our
world.
This week, we will be encountering another one of God’s prophets who
was focused on sharing the message that being in relationship with God
means that we must ACTIVELY address the brokenness and injustice
that is taking place in our community. This prophet, whose name was
Amos, also warns mightily about those who only give “lip service” to
God but then never actually work on changing anything for the better.
Therefore, in worship on Sunday, we will be thinking about the ways we
can connect our thoughts/beliefs to the actual work of transforming the
world. We will reflect on what it means to have a vision and more
importantly how we can truly live out that vision in our personal and
communal lives. In this work, the most well-known and iconic of Amos’s
words will come to life: let justice roll down like waters, and
righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24).
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday,
Luke
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