Looking Ahead to October 4, 2020- Proper 22A, Worldwide Communion Sunday

This week being the first Sunday of the month we will be celebrating the sacrament of Communion. Because it is the first Sunday of October it is also Worldwide Communion Sunday, a day to remind ourselves that we share in a global faith community.

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• Exodus 20:1-18
• Psalm 19:7-14
  

Hanging in the Friendship Room

 The Sermon title is Good Boundaries Keep Us Healthy!

Early Thoughts: Who likes rules? Often it appears that people only like rules when it suits them, when the rules don't get in the way of what they want to do.

But rules are vital for a healthy community. Imagine if everyone just did what they wanted when they wanted. Imagine if everyone only did what was best for them. Would that be a healthy place to live? Would it be a safe place to live?

I suggest that the answer is no.

Rules help us remember that it is not all about us. It is about US. Life in community is not about ensuring "that I get mine first", it is about ensuring that we all get what we need. Yes rules are a limitation on our activity but that is for the good of all of us.  Sometimes the rules save us from other people. Sometimes the rules protect others from us. Sometimes the rules protect us from ourselves.

As the people are heading through the wilderness to the Promised Land God is shaping them into a new people, a new nation. As a part of that process God gives rules, boundaries, laws that will guide how they live with God and with each other. The 10 Commandments are a part of this set of boundaries, rules, and laws.

Jewish tradition sees the Law as a gift from God. The Psalm this week talks about it as being "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.". Can we view the rules and boundaries in our lives as gifts?

Now let us be honest. Some rules are bad. Some boundaries serve to protect things that should be dismantled. Some laws need to be changed. So we also need to discern which rules are helpful and which are not, which are gifts and which are tools for controlling us.

But in the end Good Boundaries make for Good Communities. And that is the end goal.  Isn't it????
--Gord