conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

the great to do list

I am totally terrified that I will be the only one at tonight's vespers service. Oy. Heh. It's true...unrealistic, but true. There will likely be 20 or so people. I would love for there to be more, but these services are always hit and miss. Saturday night. Infrequent. Perhaps unusual/novel to some. Then there are all those psalms...

So, what do I need to do today?

1. feed cats and make the coffee
2. tinker in the garden
3. double check sound system at the church
4. meeting at 2pm
5. move furniture in sanctuary
6. at six the band arrives
7. at seven I have a nervous breakdown
8. at eight we pray

That's the day. Somewhere in there I'll eat and work on the sermon some more. The sermon title is The Stranger Gives. The old testament scripture is the story when the three visitors come to Abraham and Sarah and announce that she will have a child. She laughs. It's a good story. The visitors are angels...messengers from God. Abraham was hospitable to God's angels. The new testament passage is from Matthew...when he sends people out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom...to be strangers in the land. It is an unsafe venture to say the least...sheep to the wolves. Such is the ministry and gift of the stranger...They bring salvation (the Gospel, good news, the fulfillment of God's promises) into a place where there may very well be wolves. They are looking for hospitality. Nothing more. It's a good story...

This is a description of how a church grows...We are sent out into the world as strangers...looking for hospitality. And God sends the stranger to the church, to bring the Good News of the Gospel. We are to offer hospitality and be willing to be changed.