August 3 Worship

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. This is now the third in a run of ten parables, stories, told by Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. His followers have now heard stories about how to be a good neighbor, and about prayer and friendship with God. Now, listeners are presented with a story highlighting the tension between our love for God, personal greed and power. To borrow from Eugene Peterson, the story of the barn builder is a “…small pebble in our shoe that gets our attention the moment that our life of love for God and others begins to work itself into the manipulation of power over others.” Our call is to be generous – generous with our love, generous with our finances, generous with our kindness and friendship. Our temptation is to store up our generosity in the name of self-preservation and power. But on this Sunday as we share the bread and the cup of communion we are reminded that the call of the gospel is to empty ourselves fully for the sake of God’s love, trusting that God will fill us again and again with all we ever need. God’s love is enough. God’s love through us is more than enough.