Help!  Save me!

 

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Matthew 14:22-33

 

Christ Walking on Water

KLEVER, Juliua Awefiua con

Approx. 1880

Russian

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Walking_on_the_Waters,_Julius_Sergius_Von_Klever.jpg

 

ARTIST:  Julius Von Klever is considered the “Russian Rembrandt." Von Klever was predominantly a landscape painter. He studied at The Saint Petersburg Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, first in the architectural class and then in the landscape class under S. Vorobyev and M. Klodt. His landscapes are still highly sought after by art collectors around the world, and his originals hang in galleries throughout Europe.

https://templehousegallery.com/lds-inspired-art/christ-walking-on-the-water

 

Biography: Julius_von_Klever

 

 

 

 

 

Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith;

it is an element of faith.

~ Paul Tillich

 

 

 

A man with a grain of faith in God never loses hope,

because he ever believes in the ultimate triumph of Truth.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday morning videotaping the Sunday service.

It must be difficult to preach to an almost empty church!

 

 

Another Birthday Celebration!

Saturday

Kimra Perkins brought food and joy for Breakfast on the Patio!

 

 

Sondra Kellogg came too!

 

 

JAK enjoyed breakfast also!

(Photo by Sondra Kellogg)

 

Thank you, Kimra!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll meet you here, in the palace
that difficulty opens—the magical
doorway, the shape of who we are.

~ Mark Nepo *

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

* How often, in a moment of stark clarity, have you asked yourself "How did I get to this place?" and then "Now what?". This short beautiful poem by Mark Nepo unfolds just such a moment with compassion for the journey and peace in the answer. Stop whatever you believe you must hurry to do next, and give yourself the gift of sitting with this poem for a moment or a lifetime.   Where To Now? BY Mark Nepo     https://www.stillharbor.org/anchormagazine/2016/11/11/selected-poems?rq=nepo

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 with Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b or
1 Kings 19:9-18 with Psalm 85:8-13
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33

 

 

 

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. This is the story of the family of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." He answered, "Here I am." So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock; and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron.

He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, "What are you seeking?" "I am seeking my brothers," he said; "tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock." The man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him"—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers agreed. When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

with

Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b

O give thanks to God,
   call on God's name,
make known God's deeds
   among the peoples.

Sing to God,
   sing praises to God;
tell of all God's wonderful works.

Glory in God's holy name;
   let the hearts of those
who seek God rejoice.

Seek God
   and God's strength;
seek God's presence
   continually.

Remember the wonderful works
   God has done,
God's miracles,
   and the judgments God uttered,

O offspring of God's servants
   Abraham and Sarah,
children of Jacob,
   God's chosen ones.

When God summoned famine
   against the land,
and broke every staff 
   of bread,

God had sent a man
   ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold
   as a slave.

His feet were hurt
   with fetters,
his neck was put in a collar
   of iron;
until what he had said
   came to pass,
the word of God kept
   testing him.

The king sent
   and released him;
the ruler of the peoples
   set him free.

He made Joseph lord
   of his house,
and ruler of all
   his possessions,
to instruct his officials
   at his pleasure,
and to teach his elders wisdom.

Praise be to God!

or

1 Kings 19:9-18

At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away."

He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

with

Psalm 85:8-13

Let me hear what God
   the Sovereign will speak,
for God will speak peace
   to the people,

God will speak
   to the faithful,
to those who turn to God
   in their hearts.

Surely God's salvation
   is at hand
for those who fear God,
   that God's glory may dwell
in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness
   will meet;
righteousness and peace
   will kiss each other.

Faithfulness will spring up
   from the ground,
and righteousness will look down
   from the sky.

God will give
   what is good,
and our land will yield
   its increase.

Righteousness will go
   before God,
and will make a path
   for God's steps.

Romans 10:5-15

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that "the person who does these things will live by them." But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?

"The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart"
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."