August 8, 2019
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Luke 12:32
Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer we repeat the words, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." These words express a sentiment that people of faith have expressed since Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples nearly 2,000 years ago. It reflects Jesus' own passion which was that the earth that we know and experience would come to reflect the will of God as evidenced in heaven. Jesus longed for the day when the values of heaven would become the values of earth. Jesus worked throughout his short life for the transformation of his society from one that valued money over people and power over peace. To this end Jesus died at the hands of the powers that felt threatened by his efforts.
The fact that we have been praying these words for nearly 2,000 years might lead us to believe that the triumph of the kingdom of God over the kingdoms of this world is never going to happen. Yet, Jesus assures his followers that "it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom". If this is the case, what is the hold up? Why are we still waiting? Well, the answer lies in the way in which God has always chosen to bring about transformation in our world. Rather than swooping in and setting things straight once and for all, God has always preferred to work through human beings like you and me. We are partners in God's work of kingdom building. We have to do our part!
God is faithful and indeed has time and again worked through willing servants (Moses, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, etc.) to deliver the oppressed and to bring about a new world of peace and justice for many. It is indeed God's good pleasure to establish a kingdom in which all human life is valued, in which the marginalized find their way to the center, and in which people see their connectedness to all people and to the creation itself. It is up to each one of us to likewise be faithful in doing our part however small and seemingly irrelevant it may be so that the kingdom of God might become a reality now and for all time.
Partners with God
Pastor Rich
WORSHIP AHEAD
8/11 The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Vacation Bible School Celebration
Special Music: Rose/Sommer families
Organist: John Pagett
Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40
Theme: Kingdom Faith- What is the relationship between faith and the kingdom (kindom) of God? What does faith look like? How does it get manifested in the lives of saints who are working for the sake of the kingdom of God?
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK
Each week we will try to highlight a particular opportunity for you to serve in and through the Main Street UMC.
After the busy-ness of Vacation Bible School week we have a much needed lull in our church activities- enjoy it while you can! These weeks don't come often in the life of a busy church.
URGENT - VESTRY MONITORS NEEDED
The safety committee needs two volunteers to act as vestry monitors during Sunday church services for the month of Aug. If you can do a Sunday, please email Paul Pederzani at pped@comcast.net with your availability.
Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter's Backpack Drive
A bin is available in the lobby for donations to the Soup Kitchen's Backpack Drive. Fill it with backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and the other things needed for back to school! Sales are on right now! Donations will be welcome Sunday, August 11. We appreciate ALL new donations!
Trolling for Tuna Searching for Soup
Let's do this on the Second and Third Sundays in August, August 11 and 18. That way we can take the soup and tuna with us on the third Sunday when we have our own food pantry! Leave your cans in the Food Pantry Bin in the lobby or vestry.
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