Greetings!

We are in the fourth week of an exploration of Christian hope and love rooted in Jesus’ vision of a relational world.

This Sunday we have two different lessons from Jesus in the Gospel according to Luke. They appear in sequence, but are quite different in content. The first is a lesson on humility. Seems straight forward in the message. The second…well, my interpretation is that Jesus asks us to develop and use a super power. One that frankly I don’t have. I invite you to read the passage for yourself and see if you see what I see. You can find the two lessons in Luke 14:1, 7-14 (see below).

If you’re going to Silicon Valley Pride, have a blessed time. And if you are not, then I hope to see you at worship.

Joey

Please join us immediately following the Sunday service for our Coffee Hour (in-person in Trinity Court or online via Zoom).

bit.ly/SVPCCoffeeHour

Theme for Sunday

Caring for other’s welfare as God cares for us. The call is to turn our relationships from transactional to relational, and beyond that to compassionate care, which can feel like it takes super human effort. But that is what Jesus asks of us.

Questions for Reflection

• In your opinion, what is the value of humility? Is it still valued in our society?

• If you could have one super power, what would it be?

• And if I assert that everyone does have a super power, what is yours?

Luke 14:1, 7-14

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place,” and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher;” then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’