Words of Welcome

  Matthew 14:13-21 One thing is true about religious groups. Even if we don’t always eat the same foods, we all like to eat. Muslims may fast during Ramadan, but once the sun goes down, it’s time to eat. Since I’ve been to a number of Iftar dinners I can attest that once the sun goes down the food and the fellowship is plentiful. Jews celebrate Passover with meals and again the food is plentiful. While the food used in the Lord’s Supper might be minuscule, Christians have been known to host meals with plenty of food. When we read the gospels, it’s clear that Jesus enjoyed eating with people. In fact, some of his critics suggest that he was a glutton. They also criticized him for eating with the wrong kinds of people. When we gather at the Lord’s Table, we remember Jesus’ eating habits, including the people he shared meals with. Sometimes Jesus was the guest, but at other times he was the host. This morning we hear a story about the day Jesus hosted a rather large gathering, who...

Note:  This sermon was shared as part of our annual outdoor service, which is less formal. Because of the nature of the text for the day, it is laid out as a more participatory sermon. Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” These opening words of the 23rd Psalm are deeply embedded in many hearts and minds. We turn to this Psalm in times of grief and doubt and fear. We look to this Psalm in the hope that the Lord is with us, restoring and protecting us, as we journey in life. Since most of us are deeply familiar with this Psalm, and because we’ve gathered for worship in a different space, I want to make this a more participatory sermon. We’ve already heard the Psalm read from the NRSV, but I’m going to read it again a couple of times from other translations, including the King James, and then I have some questions for us to discuss.