“And the Walls Came Tumbling Down” - Sermon for March 29, 2020

Nobody has every said, "A crisis? Yippee!" But the children of God are called to "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Yes, even in times of unprecedented fear such as this. As Rev. Tom describes, like a trapeze artist jumping from one swinging bar to another, we will have times when our lives are up in the air, with no security to ground us. In these times, we are not called to find shelter too quickly, to pray for stability to soothe our worries right away. No, Jesus did not claim that his time with us would end all suffering, but foresaw that even the most splendorous of humanity's works are temporary and could crumble to ruin, leaving not one stone upon a stone. Such is what happened to the Temple in Jerusalem, and also to countless other buildings and institutions glorifying God throughout history, and also to many livelihoods and lives in peril right now. But as Rev. Tom teaches, no such structures can limit God. God's love is found not only in peaceful times and serenity, but most strongly in times of suffering. Here and now is where God's love is found, reaching out to others, in compassion and healing. Do not despair; God is here. (Bible reading - Mark 13:1-8, 24-27, NRSV)

Adult Seminar: "Learning to Walk in the Dark: Because Sometimes God Shows Up at Night by Barbara Brown Taylor" - Beginning next Sunday, April 5, 11 AM following worship. For technical reasons, you will have to leave the worship meeting and log on separately to attend the Adult Seminar at this link: https://zoom.us/u/abjRcspWR. (Dial-In: 1-646-558-8656; Meeting ID# 308 659 340.) We will be reading and discussing "Learning to Walk in the Dark," which is available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Walk-Dark-Because-Sometimes/dp/B00IA69FG6/. The Kindle version is free with Kindle Unlimited.

One Great Hour of Sharing - Restoring Hope, Feeding the Hungry, Empowering the Oppressed. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, we are reminded that the most vulnerable in our midst suffer first, most, and longest. For over 70 years during Lent, OGHS has supported these vulnerable people among us. Please give generously. Text “SeekShareServe” to 73256, and select the OneGreatHourSharing2020 fund.