Words of Welcome

Ephesians 3:14-21 I’ve heard it said that "the more you know, the more you know, you don't know." That may not make much sense, but there’s truth in that statement. Because the universe is so vast, it’s simply impossible for anyone, no matter how smart, to know everything about everything. Not Einstein, not Stephen Hawking. When I was younger, I didn't understand this truth. In fact, I’ve heard it said that I was a “know it all.” And this wasn’t said in positive terms! Hopefully, with growing maturity, I’ve become less of a “know it all!” Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions on things, because I do! I expect that what’s true of me, is true of most of you as well. Speaking of understanding, Our Disciples tradition has always prized a “reasonable faith.” From the very beginning we’ve valued the life of the mind. Our very name signals this value, for to be a disciple is to be a learner. If we’re learners, then we must recognize that we don’t

Galatians 5:1-6, 13-14 Did you have a great Fourth of July? Did you take in a parade or fireworks or maybe a picnic? However you spent the day, hopefully you thought about the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. While America isn’t perfect, we’ve been blessed with freedoms enjoyed by few others around the world. Although we don’t always live up to our ideals, the freedoms we enjoy have been enshrined in the words of the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. It took a while for our nation to understand that these rights extended beyond white males, to include persons of color and women. It wasn’t that long ago that Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of a day when all Americans would enjoy the freedoms described in our nation’s founding document. We’ve moved closer to fulfilling