Monday - Thoughts for the July 16th Sermon
The preacher for Sunday July 16th is Dr. David Dalke. Here are his thoughts on the sermon he is writing.
The theme for Sunday will be centered around the scriptures in Matthew and John, where Jesus calls us to pay attention to “the least of these”. We need to notice the “stranger” in our midst…the “scared”…the “wanderer”. I will tie some of these scriptures into a significant time in the church of Belle Plaine, KS., as this congregation experienced “ministry” when least expected, just as we do here at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins.
It is time to notice how powerful Jesus’ message is as he addresses the “religious” people who have brought a woman to him, caught in adultery. He raises their concerns to a higher level…”what right do you really have to condemn this woman?” Another expression of “the least of these”. As Erich Fromm says, “the greatest threat to our happiness is the feeling of separation”. The subtle message is: we must not “judge” or “ostracize”, but rather reach out and CONNECT.
I will close with an illustration about a 78 year old retired carpenter building a cross for Easter Sunday morning service, and what that message of the cross can mean to “the least of these”….
If you have thoughts please contact David at Ddalke37@cs.com. He’d love to hear from you.
