Today we invite you to read through this parable 3 times — aloud, if possible. Use the questions at the end to reflect on the passage: Matthew 15:10-20 10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father [...]

Erin Campbell Naman Mark 4:30-34 (NRSV) He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he [...]

Cynthia Wier - Member of Gene Decker Study Class Scripture:  Luke 10: 29-37 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus,  "And who is my neighbor?"  Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him for dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, [...]

Rev. Katie Montgomery Mears Proverbs 14:29 NIV Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. Reflection: When someone tells me I’m going to have to wait on something, I go to a negative place pretty quickly. I hate inefficiency and slowness and, unfortunately, I’m a pretty awful version of myself at the DMV.  But here I am, 8 months pregnant, and pregnancy is all about waiting. At the beginning, it’s about waiting until the right time to tell people the good news. And then waiting for the sickness to pass. In my case, that [...]

Rachel Fisher, Children’s Ministries Communications Specialist 1 Peter 4:8-10 (NIV) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. Reflection: Who was your ultimate celebrity crush growing up? My best friends and I recently discussed this very critical information and immediately spouted off precisely who we claim and why we are still so infatuated with them after all these years. (Our [...]

Linda Burch, St. Luke’s UMC Member since 1972  2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.  2 Corinthians 13:11-13 NRSV 11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 [...]

Louise McEvoy, Adult Ministries Coordinator 2 Chronicles 29:1-11 (MSG) 1-2 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old and was king in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah. In God’s opinion he was a good king; he kept to the standards of his ancestor David. 3-9 In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah, having first repaired the doors of The Temple of God, threw them open to the public. He assembled the priests and Levites in the court on the east side and said, “Levites, listen! Consecrate yourselves [...]

Shelby Olive   1 Corinthians 9:24-27 24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.   Reflection: Back in my sports reporting days, [...]

Laura Althaus 1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.  Reflection: Like all of you, my 2020 was a doozy. Half of my senior year of high school disappeared, next went my summer, and my hope in a normal freshman year of college. Amidst it all, I graduated out of Pure Sound and student ministries at St. Luke’s, my tight-knit small group disbanded from our weekly Wednesday night [...]