15-08

GOD’S CHALLENGE TO CHANGE

Matthew 15:1-3; Ephesians 4:1-4 ​​ ​​​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 8/15/21 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 

 

 

ADDRESSING SOME OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, JESUS ASKS:

"WHY DO YOU​​ BREAK​​ THE​​ COMMANDMENT​​ OF​​ GOD

FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR TRADITION?"

 

THE​​ IMMEDIATE​​ CONTEXT FOR THIS​​ QUESTION

IS JESUS' FLAT REJECTION OF THE THOUSANDS​​ 

OF ADDITIONAL LAWS THAT​​ MANY OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

HAD AUTHORED OVER THE YEARS TO FURTHER NAIL DOWN

THE MEANING OF THE ORIGINAL TEN COMMANDMENTS.

 

THESE THOUSANDS OF ADDITIONAL LAWS​​ 

WERE HANDED DOWN AND COMMUNICATED​​ ORALLY.

 

THEY WERE​​ NOT​​ CONTAINED IN THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES,

WHAT​​ SOME​​ OF US CHRISTIANS KNOW​​ ​​ 

AS THE SO-CALLED "OLD" TESTAMENT.

 

THEY WERE THOUGHT UP BY VARIOUS SCRIBES​​ OVER THE YEARS

IN A SINCERE ATTEMPT TO PULL OUT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF MEANING AND OBSERVANCE.

 

AS WITH SO MANY THINGS​​ 

THAT​​ START​​ OUT​​ WITH GOOD INTENTIONS,

 

AFTER SEVERAL CENTURIES "HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES" SET IN --

 

THE ORAL TRADITION GREW AND GREW,

BECOMING MORE AND MORE​​ COMPLICATED​​ --

 

UNTIL BY THE TIME OF JESUS

THE​​ ORAL​​ LAW WAS​​ WAY​​ BIGGER

AND TAKEN FAR MORE​​ SERIOUSLY​​ THAN THE​​ WRITTEN​​ LAW

BY MANY OF ISRAEL'S RELIGIOUS LEADERS.

 

BIBLICAL SCHOLAR WILLIAM BARCLAY​​ 

GIVES US A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE OUT-OF-CONTROL GROWTH

OF THE ORAL TRADITION.

 

HE WRITES:

 

"THE COMMANDMENT SAYS,​​ 

'REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY';

AND THEN GOES ON TO LAY IT DOWN

THAT ON THE SABBATH NO WORK MUST BE DONE (Exodus 20:8-11).

 

BUT [SOME SCRIBES] ASKED, 'WHAT​​ IS​​ WORK?'

AND WENT ON TO​​ DEFINE​​ IT​​ 

UNDER THIRTY-NINE DIFFERENT HEADINGS

WHICH THEY CALLED 'FATHERS OF WORK.'

 

EVEN​​ THAT​​ WAS NOT ENOUGH.

 

EACH OF THESE HEADINGS WAS GREATLY​​ SUBDIVIDED.

 

THOUSANDS​​ OF RULES AND REGULATIONS​​ BEGAN TO EMERGE.

 

THESE WERE CALLED THE ORAL LAW,

AND THEY BEGAN TO BE SET​​ 

EVEN ABOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

 

[FOR EXAMPLE], ONE OF THE WORKS FORBIDDEN ON THE SABBATH

WAS CARRYING A​​ BURDEN…

 

THE LEGALISTS INSISTED THAT A BURDEN MUST BE​​ DEFINED.

 

SO DEFINITION WAS GIVEN.

 

A BURDEN IS (QUOTE) 'FOOD EQUAL IN WEIGHT TO A DRIED FIG,

ENOUGH WINE FOR MIXING IN A GOBLET,

MILK ENOUGH FOR ONE SWALLOW,

OIL ENOUGH TO ANOINT A SMALL MEMBER,

WATER ENOUGH TO MOISTEN AN EYE-SALVE…

INK ENOUGH TO WRITE TWO LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET,

REED ENOUGH TO MAKE A PEN'… AND SO ON​​ ENDLESSLY." ​​ 

(END QUOTE)

(William Barclay,​​ The Gospel of Luke, p.72)

 

IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING,

A DELEGATION OF PHARISEES AND SCRIBES​​ 

ARRIVES FROM JERUSALEM TO QUESTION JESUS​​ 

CONCERNING HIS REJECTION OF THE ORAL LAW:

 

"WHY DO YOUR DISCIPLES​​ BREAK​​ THE TRADITION OF THE​​ ELDERS?

FOR THEY DO NOT WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE THEY EAT."

(Matthew 15:2)

 

NOTICE HOW JESUS ANSWERS​​ THEIR​​ QUESTION​​ 

WITH​​ HIS​​ OWN​​ QUESTION:

 

"AND WHY DO YOU​​ BREAK​​ THE​​ COMMANDMENT​​ OF​​ GOD

FOR THE SAKE OF​​ YOUR​​ TRADITION?"

(Matthew 15:3)

 

JESUS MAKES IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT FOR HIM

"THE TRADITION OF THE​​ ELDERS"​​ 

IS​​ NOT​​ TO BE EQUATED WITH "THE COMMANDMENT OF​​ GOD."

 

IN FACT,​​ JESUS GOES OUT OF HIS WAY

TO PURPOSEFULLY​​ BREAK​​ AS MANY​​ 

OF THESE​​ ADDED​​ RULES AND REGULATIONS AS POSSIBLE.

 

THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD MADE IT A LAW

THAT ONE WAS​​ REQUIRED​​ TO WASH ONE'S HANDS BEFORE EATING.

 

THIS LAW HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CLEANLINESS OR HEALTH,

AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH A PURELY​​ RITUAL​​ PURITY.

 

JESUS ENCOURAGES THE​​ BREAKING​​ OF THIS LAW.

 

WE'VE SEEN AGAIN AND AGAIN HOW JESUS PURPOSEFULLY​​ BREAKS

THE LAW AGAINST​​ HEALING​​ ON THE SABBATH,

ANOTHER​​ ADDITION​​ TO THE ORIGINAL TEN COMMANDMENTS

INTRODUCED BY THE SCRIBES AND RATIFIED BY THE PHARISEES.

 

WHILE THE​​ IMMEDIATE​​ CONTEXT OF TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING

IS JESUS'​​ REJECTION​​ 

OF THE MULTITUDE OF ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

AFFIRMED BY MANY OF THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES,

 

THERE IS A​​ LARGER​​ CONTEXT AT WORK IN OUR TEXT AS WELL.

 

BY JESUS' DAY THE​​ TENSION​​ BETWEEN​​ 

THE MUCH MORE​​ OPEN-ENDED​​ APPROACH TO JUDAISM

PRACTICED IN JESUS' NATIVE GALILEE,

 

AND THE LARGELY​​ LEGALISTIC​​ APPROACH TO RELIGION

PRACTICED BY MANY OF THE SCRIBES, PHARISEES,

AND TEMPLE PRIESTS IN JERUSALEM

 

HAD REACHED A​​ BOILING​​ POINT.

 

STANDING SQUARELY IN THE JEWISH PROPHETIC TRADITION,

JESUS CHALLENGED THE PROLIFERATION OF ORAL LAW IN HIS DAY

AS A MAJOR​​ OBSTACLE​​ BETWEEN PEOPLE AND GOD.

 

JESUS SAW THE MULTITUDE OF ADDED RULES AND REGULATIONS

AS​​ STANDING​​ IN​​ THE​​ WAY​​ OF PEOPLE​​ 

HAVING A LIVING​​ RELATIONSHIP​​ WITH THE LIVING​​ GOD.

 

LIKE THE MANY PROPHETS WHO CAME​​ BEFORE​​ HIM,

JESUS ENERGETICALLY PROTESTED AGAINST THIS ECLIPSING

OF THE​​ SPIRIT​​ OF GOD'S LAW​​ 

 

BY LAYER UPON LAYER OF SO-CALLED "RELIGIOUS" LAWS

WHICH ACTUALLY HAD​​ NOTHING​​ TO DO WITH​​ GOD,

 

AND​​ EVERYTHING​​ TO DO WITH THE​​ RELIGIOUS​​ ELITE​​ 

EXERCISING THEIR​​ POWER​​ AND​​ CONTROL.

 

FRANCISCAN FRIAR RICHARD ROHR TALKS A LOT ABOUT

HOW​​ HARD​​ JESUS WAS ON JUDAISM --

PRECISELY BECAUSE JESUS WAS JEWISH AND​​ LOVED​​ HIS TRADITION.

 

ROHR IS VEHEMENTLY CRITICAL OF MANY ASPECTS

OF CONTEMPORARY ROMAN CATHOLICISM,

AND MAKES THE POINT THAT ONLY SOMEONE​​ 

TRULY IN LOVE WITH THEIR OWN TRADITION

HAS THE AUTHORITY TO POWERFULLY CRITIQUE IT.

 

ROHR MAINTAINS, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER​​ 

SOCIOLOGISTS OF RELIGION, ​​ 

THAT RELIGION, BY ITS VERY​​ NATURE, HAS A BUILT-IN TENDENCY

TO​​ STIFLE​​ THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD

THROUGH ENDLESS DOCTRINES AND DOGMAS,

RULES AND REGULATIONS.

 

ROHR'S POINT IS THAT​​ ALL​​ RELIGIONS​​ 

PERIODICALLY NEED TO BE REFORMED, RENEWED, AND REVITALIZED.

 

THIS IS WHAT JESUS ATTEMPTED WITHIN HIS OWN TRADITION,

WHAT MARTIN LUTHER DID WITH HIS,

AND -- HERE'S THE KICKER --​​ 

WHAT​​ WE​​ ARE CALLED TO DO WITH​​ OURS.

 

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT WANTING TO BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS.

 

IRONICALLY, IT TURNS OUT THAT ONE OF THE WAYS

IN WHICH WE CAN BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS

IS TO QUESTION OUR​​ OWN​​ SUPPOSEDLY "RELIGIOUS"

RULES AND REGULATIONS -- JUST LIKE JESUS DID.

 

WHAT JESUS WAS​​ MOST​​ OFFENDED BY​​ 

IN THE OUT-OF-CONTROL​​ ORAL TRADITIONS OF HIS OWN DAY

WAS THAT THEY EFFECTLY KEPT HIS OWN RELIGION

FROM CHANGING AND GROWING.

 

CHANGE AND GROWTH ARE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF LIFE;

WITHOUT THEM DECAY AND DEATH SET IN​​ 

AND EVENTUALLY TAKE OVER.

 

A FASCINATING LITTLE ARTICLE FROM THE SEPTEMBER 12, 1999

EDITION OF THE NEWSPAPER​​ THE TENNESSEAN​​ NOTES THAT:

 

"BAYER CORPORATION HAS STOPPED PUTTING THE COTTON WADS

IN THEIR GENUINE BAYER BOTTLES.

 

THE COMPANY REALIZED THE ASPIRIN WOULD HOLD UP FINE

WITHOUT THE MADDENING WHITE CLUMPS,

WHICH IT HAD INCLUDED SINCE ABOUT 1914.

 

'WE CONCLUDED THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY REASON​​ 

TO KEEP THE COTTON EXCEPT​​ TRADITION,'​​ 

SAID CHRIS ALLEN, BAYER'S VICE PRESIDENT​​ 

OF TECHNICAL OPERATIONS.

 

'BESIDES, IT'S HARD TO GET OUT.'" ​​ (END QUOTE)

 

I'D LIKE TO DRAW A​​ PARALLEL​​ BETWEEN WHAT​​ 

THE BAYER CORPORATION DID AND WHAT JESUS DID.

 

IN MANY WAYS THE ORAL TRADITION IN JESUS' DAY

HAD BECOME LIKE A MULTITUDE OF LAYERS OF COTTON WADDING

BETWEEN PEOPLE AND GOD.

 

THE PEOPLE COULD NO LONGER HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD

BECAUSE OF ALL THE COTTON IN THEIR EARS!

 

A GOOD PART OF JESUS' MINISTRY WAS DEVOTED

TO HELPING PEOPLE TAKE THE COTTON​​ OUT​​ OF THEIR EARS

SO THEY COULD HEAR THE LIVING GOD AGAIN.

 

LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER EXAMPLE FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD:

 

"SEWELL AVERY, FORMER CHAIRMAN​​ 

OF MONTGOMERY WARD & CO.,​​ 

WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WARD'S FAILURE

TO OPEN A SINGLE NEW STORE FROM 1941 TO 1957.

 

INSTEAD, THE BIG RETAILER PILED UP CASH AND SAT ON IT.

 

MONTGOMERY WARD AMASSED $607 MILLION,

EARNING IT THE WALL STREET NICKNAME

'THE​​ BANK​​ WITH THE​​ DEPARTMENT​​ STOREFRONT.'

 

AVERY DID NOT FOLLOW AMERICANS TO THE SUBURBS

BECAUSE HE WAS CONVINCED THAT [ECONOMIC] DEPRESSION

HAD FOLLOWED EVERY MAJOR WAR SINCE NAPOLEON.

 

'WHO AM I TO ARGUE WITH HISTORY?' AVERY SAID.

 

'WHY BUILD $14 -A-FOOT BUILDINGS?'…

 

MEANWHILE, WARD'S RIVAL, SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO.,​​ 

HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA.

 

IN 1946,​​ SEARS BEGAN A COSTLY EXPANSIONS INTO THE SUBURBS…

 

SEARS DOUBLED ITS REVENUES WHILE WARD STOOD STILL.

 

SEARS NEVER LOOKED BACK, AND WARD NEVER CAUGHT UP.

 

WARD EVENTUALLY WENT BANKRUPT.

 

HOW COULD CORPORATE PLANNING GO SO WRONG?

 

SEWELL AVERY BANKED ON WISDOM FROM AN EARLIER ERA,

MISREAD THE CULTURAL CUES OF HIS DAY,

AND EVENTUALLY WIPED OUT HIS BUSINESS." ​​ (END QUOTE)

(John McCormick, "You Snooze You Lose,"​​ Newsweek​​ 7/21/1997.)

 

MANY OF US PRESENT HERE ARE ALREADY AWARE

OF A​​ FURTHER​​ IRONIC TWIST TO THIS STORY.

 

RECENTLY,​​ SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO. DECLARED BANKRUPTCY

AND WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.

 

WHY?

 

BECAUSE SEARS ITSELF MISTREAD THE CULTURAL CUES

OF ITS OWN HEYDAY FOLLOWING THE DEMISE OF WARD'S.

 

IT FAILED TO SEE THE COMING DIGITAL REVOLUTION

AND THE VAST SALES POTENTIAL OF THE INTERNET AND IPHONE.

 

I CAN SEE AT LEAST THREE MORALS TO THIS STORY:

 

1. ​​ ONE BETTER GET SAVVY AT READING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

 

2. ​​ JUST BECAUSE ONE GETS THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES RIGHT ONCE,

AND MAKES A BRILLIANT MOVE, DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE

WILL GET IT RIGHT A SECOND OR THIRD TIME.

 

3. ​​ GETTING IT RIGHT ONCE IN A BIG WAY CAN ACTUALLY

BECOME AN​​ OBSTACLE​​ TO GETTING IT RIGHT AGAIN.

 

THE "WE'VE-NEVER-DONE-IT-THAT-WAY-BEFORE" SYNDOME

SETS​​ IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER A MAJOR SUCCESS

AND WANTS TO MAKE​​ THAT​​ SUCCESS THE STANDARD FOR ALL TIME --

WHEN IT ISN'T.

 

THERE ARE PLENTY OF PARALLELS BETWEEN THESE EXAMPLES

FROM BAYER, WARD, AND SEARS

AND THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH.

 

BAYER WISELY RECOGNIZED THAT THE COTTON WAS​​ SECONDARY

AND COULD​​ GO.

 

THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH,​​ INCLUDING OUR OWN,

NEEDS TO LEARN TO RECOGNIZE​​ 

WHAT IS​​ ESSENTIAL​​ TO ITS MINISTRY,​​ ​​ 

​​ 

AND WHAT IS​​ SECONDARY​​ AND CAN BE​​ JETTISONED.

 

WARD GOT STUCK IN THE PAST,

THE PAST OF ITS OWN HISTORY AND "TRADITIONS."

 

BY NOT BEING WILLING TO CHANGE, IT DIED.

 

MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE​​ 

ALWAYS MEANS GIVING UP SOMETHING ESSENTIAL.

 

DID BAYER LOSE SOMETHING ESSENTIAL​​ 

WHEN IT CHOSE TO STOP PUTTING COTTON IN ITS BOTTLES?

 

OR WAS IT MERELY MAKING​​ 

THE ESSENTIAL REASON FOR ITS BEING -- ASPIRIN! --

MORE​​ ACCESSIBLE?

 

MANY OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF,​​ WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED

THAT WHEN WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO RETURN​​ 

TO IN-PERSON WORSHIP IN OUR OWN SANCTUARY

OUR COMMUNITY WAS JUST AS STRONG​​ 

AFTER FIFTEEN MONTHS OF ONLY BEING ABLE TO CONNECT

BY ZOOM, EMAIL, TELEPHONE, AND REGULAR MAIL

AS WE WERE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC FORCED US TO CLOSE.

IN FACT, MANY HAVE REMARKED AT HOW STRONGLY​​ 

THEY FEEL THE PRESENCE OF GOD’S SPIRIT IN OUR MIDST,

AND HOW THEY SENSE THAT WE HAVE ENTERED​​ 

A TIME OF REBIRTH AND RENEWAL.

 

THERE ARE TWO AREAS WHERE I SEE RENEWAL TAKING PLACE

RATHER DRAMATICALLY.

 

THE FIRST OF THESE IS OUR WORSHIP SERVICE.

 

RATHER THAN​​ GETTING BENT-OUT-OF-SHAPE​​ 

AT BEING ASKED TO MASK,

OR BEMOANING THE LACK OF A CHOIR

AND CONGREGATIONAL SINGING,

 

OUR COMMUNITY HAS CHOSEN TO EMBRACE​​ 

A QUIETER, MORE CONTEMPLATIVE WORSHIP STYLE

WITH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC THAT POWERFULLY CONNECTS

TO EACH OF OUR INNER WORLDS.

 

SIGNIFICANTLY, RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN​​ 

THAT MANY SEEKERS IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY

ARE LOOKING FOR WORSHIP THAT IS LESS NOISY,

LESS DOGMATIC, AND MORE DEEPLY SPIRITUAL.

 

IT LOOKS AS IF GOD’S SPIRIT IS LEADING US​​ 

TO PRECISELY THIS PLACE!

 

NOW WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY

OF CONNECTING WITH SEEKERS IN OUR OWN AREA,

LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE,

AND INVITING THEM TO PARTICIPATE.

 

ALONG THESE LINES, AN IMPORTANT NEW COMMITTEE,

THE ART COMMITTEE, HAS BEEN FORMED TO EXPLORE

VARIOUS POSSIBILITES OF TURNING OUR CAMPUS

INTO A PLACE WHERE ART IS A MAJOR PART

OF OUR IDENTITY AS A CHURCH.

 

MANY ANGLES ARE BEING EXPLORED BY THIS COMMITTEE,

INCLUDING THE DISPLAY OF CLASSIC WORKS OF CHRISTIAN ART,

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ART, AND CONTEMPORAY WORK

WHICH IS​​ NOT SPECIFICALLY CHRISTIAN, BUT “SPIRITUAL.”

 

STUDENTS FROM BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS​​ 

WILL BE INVITED TO SHOW HERE.

 

OUTSIDE MURALS COULD VERY WELL BECOME PART OF THIS VISION.

 

A MAJOR GOAL OF OUR CHURCH WILL BE TO GROW INTO

THE VISION OF COMMUNITY CHURCH AS A PLACE

WHERE MUSIC, ART, AND SPIRITUALITY MEET.

 

WE HAVE MADE MAJOR STRIDES IN THE AREAS​​ 

OF MUSIC AND SPIRITUALITY.

 

NOW IT IS TIME TO FOCUS ON THE VISUAL ARTS.

 

WE HAVE EMERGED FROM OUR TIME OF HIBERNATION

REFRESHED AND RENEWED AND EAGER TO MOVE FORWARD.

 

INSTEAD OF​​ TIGHTENING​​ OUR GRIP​​ 

ON SOME OF OUR PAST TRADITIONS,

GOD’S SPIRIT HAS INSPIRED US TO​​ LOOSEN​​ OUR GRIP

AND TO STEP OUT INTO SOME NEW DIRECTIONS.

 

GOD HAS REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD’S JOB-DESCRIPTION

AS BRINGER OF NEW LIFE OUT OF IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS,  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ AND COMMUNITY CHURCH IS EXPERIENCING THIS​​ 

IN A VERY PERSONAL WAY AS GOD’S SPIRIT​​ 

IS CHALLENGING US TO SOME NEW LIFE OF OUR OWN.

 

WHAT HAS BEEN A TIME OF​​ DISORIENTATION AND FEAR

IS GIVING WAY TO A TIME OF​​ REORIENTATION​​ AND JOY.

 

I BELIEVE THAT AS A CHURCH WE ARE MOVING​​ 

INTO​​ NEW​​ TERRITORY, AND BECOMING A POSITIVE FULFILLMENT

OF THE WORDS OF THIS PRAYER BY THE GREAT EXPLORER

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE:

 

DISTURB​​ US, LORD,

TO​​ DARE​​ MORE​​ BOLDLY,

 

TO VENTURE ON​​ WIDER​​ SEAS

WHERE STORMS WILL SHOW​​ YOUR​​ MASTERY;

 

WHERE LOSING SIGHT OF​​ LAND,

WE SHALL FIND THE​​ STARS.

 

WE ASK YOU TO PUSH​​ BACK​​ THE HORIZONS OF OUR HOPES

AND TO PUSH US INTO THE​​ FUTURE

IN STRENGTH, COURAGE, HOPE, AND LOVE.”

 

AMEN.

 

 

 

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Independent and United Church of Christ