"The Look of Love" - Sermon for February 16, 2020

Bible reading - Mark 7: 1-23

Today, Rev. Tom describes how Jesus deals with hypocrisy, and how we can deal with it too - not with hypocrites (though those are always present), but the hypocrisy within ourselves. As he illustrates in two stories, humans have a hard time being true to themselves - our desires simply make us blind to our own true motivations. Jesus needed to rebuke the Pharisees not because they didn't respect the law or didn't think it mattered, but because they were following rules that they thought were better than God's. Like a driver being inundated with constant barrage of traffic signs and lights, we can't keep every traffic law, and soon stop following them, but drive for our own desires. But Jesus finds the Spirit behind God's law, and shows how following that can cleanse us of all law-breaking - by working on and changing our hearts, where all desires for law-breaking resides.

Birmingham, Alabama School Concert Choir to Sing at Second, Sunday, February 23, 11 AM - The 110-member concert choir from the Indian Springs School of Birmingham, Alabama, will perform the anthems during our 11 AM worship service next Sunday as part of their Washington DC area tour. Indian Springs is a private boarding and day school for students in grades 8-12. The choir has garnered critical praise for their sensitivity and "exciting, vibrant" singing. Please join us next Sunday for this special addition to our worship service.

Lent 2020: "MARKed by Christ" - Mark’s brief Gospel shares numerous encounters as Jesus meets people in all kinds of life situations. In Mark’s Gospel, everyone matters. They may be very ill, very self-centered, very possessive, or very set in their ways (not unlike us.) Mark’s brevity demands our attention. And Jesus joins in their life’s journeys. He understands people all too well, undercutting self-defenses and delivering invitations (albeit challenging ones) to all who will hear. Can we allow ourselves to be touched by Jesus this season and take some new steps along with him in our journey of faithfulness?

Ash Wednesday Worship Service, Wednesday, February 26 - Light Meal, 6 PM, Smith Hall. Worship 7 PM, Sanctuary

"MARKed by Christ" Lenten Bible Study - Mondays, March 2 to April 6, 7:30 PM via Zoom. Thursdays, March 5 to April 9, 9 AM, Westcott Room. (Zoom Tutorial - February 23 & March 1, 10 AM in the Cafe.) This Lenten Season, as a part of our series MARKed by Christ, we will continue the Lenten tradition of offering a Bible Study. Together in community we will read and reflect on the Gospel of Mark. This year, we are trying something new by offering this Bible Study via Zoom, an online video chat. Zoom is very user friendly and will enable us to gather from the comfort of our homes without interrupting busy family schedules, worrying about driving at night or in inclement weather, and even allowing our members who live out of state to participate as well! Our zoom study will take place Mondays at 7:30 PM. For those who prefer to meet in person, we will also be offering a Bible Study at 9 AM on Thursday mornings. If you have never used Zoom and would like some help with it, we will be meeting at 10 AM in the Cafe on Feb 23rd and March 1st to offer a brief tutorial. Through the study of scripture we will open our hearts to recognize how we have been MARKED by Christ and called to be disciples.