Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord Will Provide
by Fr. Robert Ard
Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide."
(Genesis 22:14)
The Old Testament reading for this past Sunday was the story of the almost sacrifice of Isaac. A number of people told me after the service that this was a very troubling reading and image for them. I whole heartedly agree with all of you who have trouble with this reading. In the ancient world this reading would have been much less troubling than in today's world. Most of us do not kill animals larger than a cockroach, so the idea killing a ram, a goat or even, God forbid, a human being is beyond most of our imaginations. This is a good thing.
The Old Testament and even the New Testament are filled with images of animal sacrifice. This is the socio-religious world of the Jewish people and the Gentiles all around them. Even before the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem and the tabernacle sacrifices in the wilderness, the Covenant with Abraham was sealed with multiple animal sacrifices. The big problem was not animal sacrifices, though; rather, the big problem in the Old Testament was human sacrifice. Not only was human sacrifice a horrible act because of murder, but it was also a horrible act, because it pulled the Jewish people away from the Lord to foreign gods. The reading from Genesis 22:1-14 makes it very clear that human sacrifice has no place in the Covenant. The temptation of human sacrifice was rooted in the temptation for worldly success and blessings. Molech, the Canaanite god of victory, demanded child sacrifice in return for worldly success and blessings. At various times in Jewish history, the kings of Judah and Israel were tempted to seek the promises of Molech in return for their children on an altar of sacrifice.
The Lord, however, has a different understanding of what sacrifice actually is, and the words of Abraham at the end of the reading point to what the sacrifice of the Lord will actually become. Abraham calls the place of the sacrifice, "The Lord will provide." In other words, Abraham intuits correctly after the sacrifice of the ram that it is the Lord who provides what will be sacrificed. In other words, there is nothing we can offer to God that will make Him give us anything. We have nothing to offer, and sacrifice to the Lord is not a transactional affair. God desires our heart, mind, soul, and whole being be given to him sacrificially in praise and thanksgiving. Nothing else matters, because quite frankly God created everything in the first place.
Why would the Lord want us to give Him anything if it were not an expression of our hearts yearning for Him? All of the Old Testament sacrifices were nothing more than seeking to give God their whole heart, soul, mind and being. This comes right out of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which is the Sh'ma and which Jesus quotes, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deut. 6:5).
All of this remapping of sacrifice by God in His Covenant with his people eventually will lead to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which is the ultimate expression of the Lord will provide. The Lord does not ask for us to be sacrificed on the cross; rather, in Jesus, the Lord himself is sacrificed. It is not the Father giving the Son to be sacrificed; rather, it is the Lord in Jesus sacrificing himself on our behalf. In return, God simply asks that we might enter into what has been given to us, Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. This is the beauty of Christian spirituality. We are given the greatest gift ever by God and we are asked to enter into the gift and be transformed by the gift of sacrificial love given by God in Christ Jesus.
We see the offer of this sacrificial love given to us in the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist. We are invited through the sacraments to participate in the sacrificial death of Jesus and to be transformed by God's love from the inside of Jesus. That is what makes the story of Abraham's almost sacrifice of Isaac so powerful and proleptic in its pointing to Jesus. No more do we need to bring the offering of a beast or bloody flesh before God. Now, we must say the yes of faith in response to the yes of God's act and gift of love and grace. The Lord will indeed provide! Amen!
Episcopal Visit
Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. José McLoughlin, will be making his episcopal visit to Holy Cross on Sunday, July 19. This will be Bishop José's last visit before he takes his new position.
At 9:15 join the bishop in the McGavern Room upstairs (the large classroom) as he shares where he is going and what he will be doing next.
At the 10:30 service the bishop will be confirming, receving, and reaffirming candidates, preaching, and celebrating.
After the 10:30 servicejoin us in the parish hall for a Miami-Cuban style festival in honor of Bishop José. Lunch is not a potluck.
Upcoming Events
Yoga classes:Mondays @ 6:00 p.m. / Tuesdays @ 8:15 a.m. & 9:30 a.m. (Parish Hall - $10.00 per person)
Parkinson's Movement Class- Wednesdays @ 9:30 a.m. (Tryon Fine Arts Center - FREE)
The 2nd Friday Book Club is on summer vacation. Reading and fellowship will resume in September. Stop by the church office and pick up your book club bookmark! Click the button to see the upcoming selections and dates.
Music Matters
Anyone age 16 and up is invited to join to be a part of this choir simply show up in the chancel area at 9:30 on any given Sunday to learn a simple anthem before the 10:30 service. The choir doesn't vest nor does it process. No regular commitment is required; just a desire to make a joyful noise! Summer choir lasts through August.
Come to the Parish Hall on the fourth Wednesday of every summer month (July 22, and August 26) at 6:00 p.m. for a Bluegrass jam session! Bring your instruments and your voices, or just come as a spectator. Bring your favorite tunes and bring snacks or drinks if you wish.
Outreach
Thank You!
Jill Munro wants to send out a big THANK YOU to the Holy Cross family. The Outreach shopping cart was FULL this past Sunday. Thank you for responding to the need!
Work is progressing nicely with the Rectory Renovation! Old kitchen cabinets have been removed, kitchen gutted, two main bathrooms gutted – old appliances have been re-homed with a charity where possible. Once the kitchen walls were opened, we discovered a cracked pipe that will be replaced and surprisingly (or maybe not ) that there was no insulation in kitchen walls. Luckily all that has been addressed and we are ready to go. Electricians have been there this week adding extra plugs to meet our more modern needs. Drywall is going up, plumbers are plumbing and kitchen floor installation will be next on the list as we prepare for the new kitchen cabinets to be installed in the coming weeks. Thank you all for your support in this terrific endeavor.
A Relic from the Past
A woman in Michigan, Brenda Thom, recently contacted us to let us know that she had come into possession of a copy of the 1892 Book of Common Prayer which belonged to someone who attended Holy Cross years ago. She offered to send it to us, and we said yes! So it has now made its way back home to us. If you know anything about "Mary Cristy" please let us know.
Forward Day by Day for Aug/Sep/Oct 2026 is now available in both sizes on the desk in our lobby upstairs.
