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July 8, 2020. Good afternoon everyone, " Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:16-20 The prophets are tough characters. Their prophecy usually does not talk about the future. They talk about the present reality, and about sin and forgiveness. The book of Isaiah begins with harsh criticism of the kings of Judah and Jerusalem, and the people of God. They are to stop doing bad things. Most of the kings in the Old Testament were bad ( read the Books of Kings ), " they did things that were right in their own eyes " from the book of Judges. We, as Christians , have to be very good these days. Church-going people are in the minority and if we are not at the front of justice and compassion for the people on the edges of society, we are called hypocrites. If we are seen as mean, dogmatic and uncaring, we will be judged and convicted. And we should be ! Isaiah calls us to action on behalf of the fatherless and the widow, the least powerful in Israeli society. What would Isaiah say to us today ? " I am not going to wear a mask in public, because it goes against my freedom " I have heard people say . It is about personal freedom, and the church is not about personal freedom. We are a community, and we listen to each other. We come to a consensus about what we are to do together. Jesus has his community of twelve, and the letters to the early church are to communities of faith, and I am not Poole Mennonite. We are Poole as a community of believers. What is best for us to live well with each other in the community of Canada. In verse 18, Isaiah says, " Come let us settle this matter " You have not acted well he has told them. Let us fix our relationship with you and God. Your sins can be transformed and you will be white as snow, and be like wool ( a soft wool please ). God wants us to be the best. Prayer Transform us into new sheep, Cleanse us with a beautiful rain, Make us smell like fresh hay, Let us eat the good things of this world Burgers, Thai food, Shrimp, Curry and summer sausage. We repent of our sins of greed and power. Release us , O God from these impurities.
Fred Tread on bold new paths ! Fireflies flash the direction Hope springs eternal Monica Pieper Landoni 2020 Fred Redekop Pastor Poole Mennonite Church |
Ponder Anew 