NOTE FROM PASTOR J R FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2023
This week, the 13th Sunday of Kingdomtide, is also the Sunday before Thanksgiving. So, on behalf of the Covenant church family, I want to wish everyone “A Happy, Safe and Blessed Thanksgiving.”
This week I am using the assigned lectionary gospel text from Matthew 25 of Jesus’ “Parable of the Talents,” as the text for my sermon. This parable is among several lengthy parables in this section of Matthew that are sometimes known as the “woe is me” parables. So, it’s kind of odd that this peculiar parable is the assigned text for the Sunday before the day of “THANKS–GIVING!”
In it, a business person entrusted 3 of his employees with part of his investment portfolio, according to their ability to handle them, prior to leaving on a lengthy trip. They were to do their best to grow the investments entrusted to them. The main emphasis of this parable deals with the one person given the least investment to handle and his lack of doing anything with it. Accounting for his stewardship when his boss returns, he reports that his lack of action was because “I was afraid…” Fear is a powerful force that keeps us from doing many of the things God has for us to do. Things that will result in enriching our lives, blessing others, and bringing glory to God. How do we overcome such fear?
Join us this Sunday for worship at Covenant, either in-person, by Zoom, Facebook Livestream or YouTube as I will be addressing this question, in my
sermon “Choose the Feast of Thanksgiving Faith Over Fear” based on “Matthew 25:14-30.”
NOTE: For those joining us in-person, please join us for Thanksgiving Dinner immediately following worship.
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