107 Concord Road, Wayland Massachusetts 01778

We’re going to think about “justice” on Sunday. The line above is taken from the inspiring passage from Isaiah 58: 9-14 which is the first reading for the day.What is justice?  How do we use the term?  What meaning does justice have in our daily lives?  How is the word used by Americans? What is justice as a term of our biblical faith?

The adult forum on Sunday at 11 am is a video presentation of the arguments on both sides of the abortion debate. We will watch the video togetherthen continue with our own discussion.

No reading and weeding for the confirmation students this Sunday. Your affirmation garden continues to grow. The sunflowers are giants. Good work!

Next Sunday, September 1, I hope all the students of our congregation will come to church. During the service we will take time out to have a special blessing for you as you begin a new school year.

Bring in school supplies for Lutheran Social Services new immigrants program. If you have gently used backpacks, bring them in and I will deliver them to the LSS office in Worcester.

Every adult in our congregation has experienced the pain of separation, of loss, of failure, of regret and guilt. We have also felt the self-consuming flames of anger and resentment, envy and pride. In the reading for Sunday, we hear Jesus say that he brings fire to the earth. He brings it!

A sub-theme, which may become primary for me between now and Sunday morning, is the image of the cloud, which appears later in the gospel reading (When you see a cloud rising in the west…) and in the reading from Hebrews (…since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.).

Return Sunday school registration forms to Kim Canning. The forms can be downloaded from our website. Copies are available on the table in the narthex.Weeding and reading for the confirmation students Sunday at 11 am. Wear your weeding shoes. We will have another celebrity Lutheran reader who will read to us as we weed our booming sunflower garden.

Next Sunday we will listen to a recorded presentation from the public radio program On Being. The topic is abortion. Ron Riggert recommended it as an example of a civil discussion of a difficult topic. I hope that you will consider staying after church to join in the forum discussion.Rejoicing Spirits at 4 pm, followed by a potluck supper. Everyone is welcome.

Songs for a Summer Night is a vocal recital program, here at Peace, on Sunday evening at 7 pm. Admission is free to hear the voice students of Susie Kuzma, accompanied by William Merrill.

I said last week that the Gospel for Sunday-Luke 10:38-40-the story of Martha and Mary, goes with the story of the Good Samaritan that precedes it. In these two stories are illustrations of Jesus’ commandment to love God and love others. The Martha/Mary story is about love of God shown through attention to the words of Jesus. We shall think about that and also spend time discussing the Psalm for the day, Psalm 15, an entrance Psalm. How do we enter the sacred “place” where the word is spoken and the sacraments are administered? Suggestions appear in the readings for Sunday.

The communion hymn for the day is a contemporary “praise” song from Sweden. We’ll give some thought to how this kind of music, popular in many churches around the world, is distinct from the hymn that is more of a staple in our worship. The praise song is a song of entrance and of preparation. Maybe we’ll sing more of them.

Of course there is loving service in the world–principled and ethical action–without worship. There is worship without caring for those in need. The Christian faith holds these two together. As we renew our Christian faith, week after week, this is the pattern of our lives: loving God and loving neighbor. This pattern and ideal is rooted in the faith of our brothers and sisters in the synagogue, and is the same as the faith of our spiritual mothers and fathers through the Christian centuries.

The confirmation class meets after church for “weeding and reading” As we weed the sunflower garden and water the plants, we hear the words that clear the “weeds” from our spiritual hearts, and we let the ancient wisdom water our lives. We’ll also begin thinking about our fall field trip to Boston to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Museum of Science

The second reading for Sunday is from Galatians 5. We are offered freedom, according to Paul. But do we know what or who has us locked up or enslaved? Maybe before Sunday we can think about the masters we serve every day of our lives. Then, what does the Christian faith–the freedom of a Christian–look like in the lives and activities of those who are led by the Spirit? (Galatians 5: 18).

As we move into the summer months I hope that each of you find a bit of relief and freedom from your regular routines. The pleasures of life in these suburbs are great, but the pressures are great as well. Let the spirit of Christ guide you into ways of peace during the summer.