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Dear Friends in Christ
,
We invite
you to worship where you
will be graciously welcomed in the love
and hospitality of Jesus Christ.
Our
purpose is to worship God together,
share our faith, and spread the love of
Jesus through service to all.
We've
been a part of the growing Heath
Community since 1965. We are a
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America ( ELCA).
Here is
an opportunity for all ages to grow,
learn, share and celebrate the
love of God! Come and See!
We hope
you are inspired by our website and will
want to come and join us in worship next
Sunday.
This
week's gospel message FOR
July 5,
2009

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Rejection
and Acceptance
Many
pastors choose to be ordained in the
church in which they were baptized or
confirmed. They are confident that they
are known, loved, supported, and
accepted in that congregation. Their
former Sunday school teachers will weep
with pride and joy.
Perhaps
in his heart of hearts Jesus was
expecting that kind of welcome as he
embarked on his role of rabbi. Instead,
the response of the people of his
hometown congregation to his teaching
was disdain. "Who does he think he is?
We've known him since he was a baby in
diapers; and we've known his parents
longer than that. We remember picking
him up and dusting him off when he was
learning to walk and stumbled. We were
there when he first began to talk. We
remember the times he whacked his thumb
with a hammer when he was learning to
set a nail. What a smart aleck he's
become!"
This
rejection, this unbelief, had a powerful
effect on Jesus. "He could do no deed of
power there, except that he laid his
hands on a few sick people and cured
them" (Mark 6:5). He lost his enthusiasm
and his zest, however briefly.
Fear of
rejection can stop us dead in our tracks
and thwart our best intentions. What if
they spurn my idea, my help, my work, my
love? The most painful rejections come
from those who know and supposedly love
us. Perhaps familiarity does indeed
sometimes breed contempt.
In the
coming week, we should all take care not
to reject the people with whom we come
in contact, especially our family and
friends. Spend time, make eye contact,
smile warmly, and say "thank you" a lot.
Despite sometimes experiencing the sting
of rejection from those around us, we
can be confident that God knows us,
loves us, supports us, and accepts us.
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