February 3, 2024

Dear Road Church Friends,

The homily this Communion Sunday is about confronted one of Jesus’ hardest sayings because it goes against the biases that are hardwired into our human nature, and the deeply ingrained ways of the world. It creates a conflict between what we know in our mind we should do, and what our heartfelt emotions demand that we do. When someone hurts us, our automatic response is to hurt them back, and ignore the better angels of our nature who tell us what Jesus would do. It’s about being merciful as God is merciful. Join us Sunday as we gather around the Lord’s Table with our forever family.

SCRIPTURE: LUKE 17:3-6 

Be on your guard! If another disciple wrongs you, rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. If the same person wrongs you seven times in a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Jesus replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

WORDS TO PONDER

by William Shakespeare 

The quality of mercy is not strained

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice bles’d:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

It is an attribute of God himself,

And earthly power then doth show most like God’s,

When mercy seasons justice. Therefore,

Though justice be thy plea, consider this—

That in the course of justice none of us

Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render

The deeds of mercy.

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Norm

This service on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/eK7MH1b-66g?si=Tq281UbcjjO5P2Un