The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t grasp Jesus’ words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their lives in losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he urges us to associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship we gather as a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our suffering world.
This Sunday, we have a very special service, with our annual blessing of students & educators – as we begin a new school year and recognize 56 amazing LS students & teachers. Our Sr. Youth offer worship leadership & music – and share reflections on unique faith experiences this summer. We hear Jesus’ powerful words which tell us that being God’s Anointed One, the Messiah, means emptying himself & giving his life away out of love for all the world – and yet in making this great sacrifice, God will raise him up in glory. We hear Jesus’ other powerful words that define our lives as Christians — as followers of Jesus, we are people who deny ourselves for the sake of others, letting go of self-focused, self-serving life which the world promotes, in order to embrace a deeper, true, meaningful life that fills us daily not with the world’s attempts at fleeting happiness, but with a deep peace & joy that comes from God and lasts forever. The apostle Paul encourages us to rejoice in hope, be patient in sufferings, persevere in prayer – and overcome evil with good.