Words of Welcome

James 3:1-18 The song “Pass It On” starts with the words: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” If that fire is the love of God that warms the hearts of everyone who experiences God’s presence, then it’s  a good thing to pass on to others.  But not every fire is the same. There are also fires that can be very destructive, so you have to be careful with those kinds of sparks.   Early in life I learned how destructive fires can be.  When we lived in Mount Shasta, in northern California, we lived next door to a Fire Control Officer for the Forest Service.  When he was home, Mr. Gray’s green Forest Service pickup sat parked at the curb, ready to go at a moment’s notice.  We knew when there was a fire, because all the green pickups in the neighborhood headed out at the same time. Most of the fires occurred some distance from town, but on at least one occasion a fire started up on the mountain behind us, and we watched the flames lick the evening sky, reminding us of t

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 Do you remember when the two businessmen visited Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve hoping that would chip in with a nice charitable contribution to provide meals for the poor at Christmas?  Now, Scrooge has no interest in contributing to their cause.  For one thing, as far as he’s concerned, Christmas is a humbug.  Besides, he really doesn’t care about the fate of the poor.  After all, despite his wealth, he won’t even spare a few cents so his beleaguered clerk can get a bit of coal to warm himself with, and besides that he’s already paid taxes to support the workhouses and the prisons – let the poor go there. Later in the play, just before he leaves Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Present opens his robe to reveal two children – “Ignorance and Want.” Scrooge is appalled at their appearance, and asks the ghost:  Are these your children?  The Ghost replies: “No, they’re Humanity’s.”  Scrooge asks:  "Have they no refuge or resource?" T

Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus liked to tell stories, and the story we’ve heard this morning speaks of a vineyard owner who goes down to the corner, where the day-laborers gather, to hire some help for the day.   Back in California, in places where construction is taking place or in agricultural areas, a scene like this is quite common.  A truck drives up, a person gets out, asks the group if anyone there needs a job.  The prospective employer will describe the job, tell the prospective workers how much the job will pay, and if there are any takers, the laborers jump in the truck and off they go. That’s not all that different from what happens in Jesus’ story – except for the pickup truck – for obvious reasons.    In Jesus’ parable, the vineyard owner goes down to the corner early in the morning, hires the hands he needs and puts them to work.  He’ll continue doing this throughout the day.  I don’t know if the job ended up being bigger than he thought, or he’s just overly ge