Feeding 5000

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the enormity of suffering in the world? You may not even need to have such a large scope to feel overwhelmed. What about the suffering in your own community, your own family?

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In the story of Jesus feeding 5000 people in a desolate, empty place, we see the disciples overwhelmed. They have little enough for their own supper and the only thing they can think to do is to send the crowd away, send them home, hungry.

Jesus, of course, has another solution, another course of action. This Sunday, we will look at Jesus response to the needs of these people, under the shadow of the murder of John the Baptist. (Matthew 14:13-21) We will wonder at his compassion, and recognize that "send them away" is not an acceptable response to overwhelming problems, then or now.

What is the Kingdom of Heaven Like?

Jesus must have had this question from his disciples. These men had followed him, listened to him speak, recognized that he was special, bringing a new message, but, they weren't really clear on what this kingdom was really like. Matthew relates a series of parables that all start in much the same way: : The kingdom of heaven is like.....

Courtesy http://kingdomnewtestament.wordpress.com/

Jesus uses surprising, and unusual, metaphors for the kingdom. The mustard seed, yeast, a treasure lost in a field, a pearl, and finally a huge net. It's hard to see the relationship between some of these examples but it is clear that the kingdom of heaven is not at all what we might expect it to be. It is not big and brash and pushy and yet it does have a large effect. It is not readily visible, but when it is found, it brings so much joy  the finder will give up everything to have it. It is all encompassing, all powerful, and yet, inconspicuous.

This week we will examine what the kingdom of heaven means to us, in our time and place as we examine the parables of Matthew 13.

Weird Animals

Weird Animals are everywhere!

We are in the middle of VBS and we are learning about how God loves you even if you are different. We are learning about how much Jesus loves us from Axl, Fern, Iggy, Shred,  and Milton. There have been lots of new songs, crafts, and new friends.

This Sunday we will celebrate the kids and the things they have learned in our worship service. We'll look at the key verse for day two as our text for Sunday morning. Its Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus.

Join us this Sunday morning, for fun, fellowship, and a wonderful end to an exciting week.

Oh, did I mention the lunch afterward?