Join us after worship at the United Parish table for Brookline Day! More info here.
Once again, we are reflecting in worship on the same stories the youngest among us are discussing in Church School, going through the Bible from the beginning.
From our series, Living the Word:
God created humans to be in relationship with their Creator and blessed them with all they would need. Desiring the best for us, God regularly calls us back into relationship and invites imperfect people to be part of God’s beautiful story of redemption. This relationship with God requires trust, and often challenges us to step out in this trust. When God calls, God also provides all that is needed to live faithfully as a blessing to others.
On Sunday, we’ll look at one of the more disturbing stories from the Bible: the binding of Isaac by his father Abraham (Genesis 22:1-14). Abraham hears the voice of God commanding him to take his long-awaited beloved son, Isaac, and sacrifice him on an altar. Spoiler alert: God intervenes just as Dad is about to bring down the knife. It’s not a fun story, it’s not an easy story. You may even wonder, “Why should we even consider this story??”
Robert and I will have the challenge and privilege of discussing it with our Middle Schoolers in Church School. I’ve told them I may need their help in preaching it.
It’s a foundational story of our faith. And we can argue, as some scholars have, that it’s been the basis for justifying terror in our faith tradition.
I’m wrestling with it and I’ll bring it for you to wrestle with on Sunday. I understand you may not come to worship to wrestle, but I’ll need your help and moral support. What I want us all to think about is: what’s precious to me? to what extent would I be willing to sacrifice something precious for God’s sake? How do I listen to God and how do I know if it’s actually God speaking?
Please keep this message in prayer and we’ll come together Sunday to go to the mat together. And to hold one another in comfort and faith, prayer and song. It was a joyful experience to be together this past Sunday after our summertime adventures. I look forward to beginning this new season with you.
In love and faith,
Kent
Image: Abraham’s Sacrifice, by Peter Koenig, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville. Original source here.
