Gracious God, your word of peace stills the storms that rage in
our world. Bring hope to all persons and places living in devastation, war and other perils. Bring comfort to those who continue to grieve the loss of loved ones and property. Let your love be known through those who work to bring order out of chaos, justice and peace. Fill our hearts with your love and grace that we might shoulder the burdens of suffering and be bearers of hope and your light brightly shining into the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
|
Gospel: M
ark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
|
7 Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands,[a] thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it;[b] and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.[c]) 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live[d] according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" 6 He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
'This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.'
14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile."[f]
21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
|
|
|
Reflection
As a child I was taught that actions speak louder than words. Through their actions my parents were daily examples of how they wanted my brothers and me to live our lives - helping neighbors, donating their time and resources each and every day in some way at church and in our community. I never heard them speak poorly of anyone or anything; they always searched for the good. In this week's gospel Jesus reminds us that it is what is in our hearts that is important, not just visible actions of following the rules. He calls on us to search our souls and consider if it is indeed the love of Jesus that causes us to share with the world God's love.
Four years ago this week Hurricane Irene flooded many parts of Upstate New York. This Sunday, August 30 the people of Schoharie County will gather to worship and share a meal together in remembrance of this devastating disaster and in celebration of the considerable recovery work they have accomplished in rebuilding their communities. Like Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago, Irene's impact and the floods of 2013 just two years after was devastating leaving desolation and tears in its wake. The work that has been done in that area over the last four years came from people's hearts. It involved thousands of volunteers giving thousands of hours of labor. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised to help with rebuilding costs. It is work that has been accomplished because of God's faithful people from all across Upstate New York, from neighboring states and across the country. It was hard work and very dirty work. It is work that came, not from the evil of the world or from anyone wanting to see their name in lights, but from the goodness in people's hearts, the love of neighbor and God's call to us to walk humbly and do justice. It was work that came from people not just saying they were church members but actually going out into the messy world and showing they were God's faithful people.
Yes, Lord, we believe
That You are the Christ,
The Son of God
Who has come
Into the world.
And I will raise him up,
And I will raise him up,
And I will raise him up on the last day. (ELW #485)
|
