July 17, 2016 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - Distractions and Servant's Hearts

Another in our most recent worships where Pastor Michelle opened with remarks and prayers about national news headlines we have all been reading.  In this case an active shooter was involved in ambushing policemen shooting 7 and leaving 3 dead.and the news came minutes before the service.

This on top of 77 deaths from a truck driver who plowed into a crowd in Nice and an attempted military coup in Turkey.  The media and some are talking about having reached what may become a new normal in our lives.

The Gospel today was from Luke 10 verses 38-42 about Jesus, Martha and Mary.  This appeared to be interlocked and interrelated with the Good Samaritan parable reading from last week.  Jesus is not, to my ear today, setting up role models for behavior.  This is what Martha is asking Jesus to do but Jesus is more concerned more with Martha's distraction from what are the tasks that truly come from her, what she needs most of all.

It is some part of us that is attached to how we think things are accomplished in our lives that change the service or tasks we do into distractions.  That part of us that whispers "This one is acting poorly, this one is acting in a way I should emulate."  It stops us from understanding the constant closeness of the kingdom of God.  It makes us think, all we need to do is behave in a different way and we'll have a better life, finally be saved.

This is a passage that speaks to what constitutes a servant's heart.  When was Martha acting from a servant's heart, did she have a change of heart and why?

This was a special Sunday for the opportunity to have Donn and Karin worship with us.