Join us for in person worship on Sunday, October 10, at 10:15 a.m.

The video of Sunday’s worship service will be posted on Sunday afternoon at https://vimeo.com/channels/1547852.

You can view and download the bulletin here.

On recent Sundays, I’ve been exploring various ways that we might engage with people when we disagree with them. Together we’ve considered silence, listening, and questioning—looking at how Jesus used these approaches at different times and thinking about their possibilities for us today.

Sometimes, however, we feel that the stakes are so high, the issue so important that none of these options will suffice. We need something more direct, more confrontational.

Of course, in our increasingly divided and polarized nation, confrontation is increasing as well. Protestors leave public spaces to confront people with whom they disagree in restaurants or their homes or, as happened this past week, following a US Senator into a restroom to make their point.

Going too far?

Not going far enough?

After all, we remember the time Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem, took a whip, drove the animals out, and overturned the tables, scattering the coins of the money changers.

Now that’s confrontation!

The more we reflect on this story, however, the more difficult it becomes for us—which happens a lot when we look at and listen to the things Jesus does and says. If we will we struggle to understand the importance of this story for us today, new possibilities also open to us.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS: Jeremiah 7:1-11; John 2:13-22

SERMON       “Confrontation and Compassion”

The Rev. Bill Lovin preaching

ANTHEM       Ubi Caritas        Maurice Durufle

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.