No, Jesus is not telling us to despise our families. He is reminding us of how life-changing being his disciple is. Beware! A sermon by Rev. Jeffrey Spencer presented on February 27, 2022.
Scriptures: Luke 14:25-33
Series: The Difficult Words of Jesus

INVITATION (Liz Musgrave)

As we prepare to celebrate communion, please gather something to eat and something to drink. If you are gathered on Zoom and are already in gallery view, I encourage you to switch to that so we can see one another. And when we get to the words of institution, I invite you to raise your bread and cap. As Pastor Brenda raises her and cup this is our time for communion. And today is the last Sunday of ordinary time. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. When we move into Lent. We will move from wrestling with the difficult words of Jesus to a time of contemplation in the wilderness. Christ table is a place where we can be one, even where we're not sure of the lesson we're being taught. We now share this meal that Jesus instituted with his closest followers on the night he was betrayed and has come down to us through the millennia. We know that it is Jesus who calls us to this meal. And because He calls us, we know that we are welcome here. We come because we have been invited. Let's be renewed and strengthened by these elements that help us to remember that we are followers of Jesus and that He came to teach us hard as well as easy lessons. Let's go into this week taking what we have learned out into the world.

PRAYER (Liz Musgrave)

Now let's lift our hearts in prayer. Creator God, we give you thanks for all the gifts you have given us. We know that we have more than enough on this last Sunday of ordinary time, we even give you thanks for the difficult words of Jesus. We know that Jesus often turn things upside down and even confounds us today. We know that He taught that we are to love one another. But He also said to hate our families, to be his disciples. Thank you for His disciples who took Jesus', teachings both difficult and easy into the world. May this Communion give us strength to wrestle with these hard teaching, even though we are taking part in this communion on Zoom and in person, we can all give you Thanks God for the bread and cup or whatever we are using for communion today. Jesus did this at different times in places He did this with the multitudes using a few loaves of bread and a few fish. He did this with his closest followers the night he was betrayed. With what he had on the table. Even though we are not at one table, we are still one in Christ Amen.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION (Brenda)

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (Brenda)

Please join with me in giving God thanks. Great and Glorious God, we give you thanks for this feast, a foretaste of your reign of love and mercy, when all are fed and none are thirsty, where all are welcomed and none are naked, where all are healthy and none are imprisoned. May that day come soon! Give us courage to accept the costs and joys of discipleship that we may be your servants in service to the whole human family. Amen.