Dearly beloved,

Our readings this week move from the call of Moses to the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy. This last book of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) is a series of sermons by Moses as the people of Israel prepare to enter the promised land. The original generation that were freed from slavery in Egypt have passed away and their offspring awaits the fulfillment of the promise.

We also find ourselves in a similar situation – this is not our own personal story and yet we are very much a part of it. We may not have been in Egypt or walked alongside Jesus but these accounts have been passed along to us. In their telling, they become our stories.

The Church of today is the ongoing story of God showing up in the world. We live into these stories of faith, recalling them as more than events. They are the ways in which God has revealed God’s steadfast love and grace through all generations.

This week, we hear the words of the Shema that Jews recite regularly as they live out their lives of faith. May these same words embolden us to enter into God’s story of grace today.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem” (Deut. 6:4-9)

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Jen

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)