“They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured…” Luke 6:18
Unlike in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus does not preach the Beatitudes sitting on a mountainside above the crowds. Instead, Luke paints a picture of a Jesus among the crowds of people all striving to touch his body. Rather than separate and exalted, Jesus is quite literally reachable, in the midst of the yearning, struggling mass of humanity. It is from this posture that Jesus “looked up at his disciples” to teach them about the topsy-turvy Kingdom of God. Where we locate Jesus in relationship to us can tell us a lot about how comfortable we feel about reaching for him. As a preacher, Jesus stands first in solidarity with the poor, hungry, mourning, and excluded before teaching about the divine justice God promises to them and to those whose wealth and comfort have kept them separate.
· Where have you located Jesus in your life? When have you experienced Jesus as beside you? When has Jesus felt unreachable?
· How can you bring Jesus’ style of preaching into your own practice of spreading the Good News of the justice-seeking love of God? Whom might Jesus be standing among today? (From Sermon that Works)
Prayer: Living God, in Christ you make all things new. Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
(Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006)
Rector’s Corner
Tuesday Evening at St. Mike’s –our parish offers a weekly evening prayer and bible study at 6:00pm in the sanctuary. We invite parishioners, family and friends to come and join us for a spiritual journey as children of God. Just bring your bible.
For this week, Feb. 19th, please read: Genesis 45:3-11, 15:
1 Corinthians 15: 35-38, 42-50: Luke 6:27-38
Annual Vestry Meeting: We are pleased to invite you to St. Michael’s Annual Vestry Meeting (AGM)to be held on Sunday, 24 Feb. 2019 after a Joint Worship Service at 9:30am. Registration will begin at 9:00am. Light lunch will be served. We respectfully request your early attendance in order that the program may commence on time. We continue to seek parishioners to serve in the leadership team of St. Michael’s. Please let the rector know if you wish to serve at parish council. Hope to see you all.
PLEASE NOTE: A.V.M packages have been emailed out. If you require a paper copy, please let Natasha know and she will print one for you. Paper copies will not be available unless requested.
St. Mike’s 60th Anniversary: We are still seeking your ideas in preparation for St. Michael’s 60th founding anniversary. Our hope is get a few events started which would serve as build-up activities leading to the September 29, 2019 Parish Thanksgiving Day.
Donation for Church Furnace: We would like to inform all parishioners of St. Michael’s that the furnace which supplies heat to the back room of the church building has passed its life. In consultation of a few technicians, the parish leadership has looked at the different options on how to deal with this problem. With the help of a parishioner, parish council has decided to replace it with a new furnace. We ask for your financial contributions towards this capital expense. Please make your donations payable to St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Surrey, with a memo designated for the “Church Furnace”. A tax receipt would be issued to you by the end of this calendar year. For all members and partners of St. Michael’s, we would like to thank you for your generous donations. May God continue to bless you with His grace. Thank you.
Our Companion Diocese: Archbishop Melissa Skelton and some other people in our Diocese will be making a visit to our Companion Diocese of Northern Philippines departing February 17. Please pray for their safe journey.
2019 Stewardship Day: Saturday, March 16, 2019, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Synod Office in Vancouver. This year’s title of the Stewardship Day is, “Celebrating Generous Communities – Practical tools for Encouraging Giving”.
Saint Michael's Anglican Church 