November 14, 2020

 Dear Road Church Friends,

Grace, Peace and Good Health to you all.

This week’s Scripture text and message is especially appropriate for this time of year as Thanksgiving Day and Advent draws near. I also want to remind you about the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center’s “Donor Angel” Program which our Church Mission Board is promoting. All proceeds will be used to purchase gift cards for parents in difficult circumstances to help them purchase Christmas gifts for their children. Donations by check in any amount may be sent to our church mailing address by Friday, November 20, 2020, and our Treasurer will send a check for the total amount received to PNC. 

Our Scripture text for tomorrow’s message is Matthew 25:31-46. It is the Judgment Day Parable about the Sheep and Goats. I think you will find that this familiar story has some surprises in what it says as well as its wonderful lesson about being generous and compassionate to the “least of these” among us who live lives of quiet desperation, especially in these most difficult of pandemic times. What separates sheep from goats in this story is disinterested benevolence on the part of the good sheep toward others in need. By that I mean that they act selflessly out of love to meet a genuine need, not for recognition or to receive anything in return. One lesson that is sometimes taken from this story is that we should learn to see Jesus in the face of every stranger in need. That is certainly something to ponder this time of year when we are surrounded by so many who are in need.

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 Think on these things.

Blessings to All,

Pastor Norm

To view Pastor Norm’s sermon on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bDiOA_y9KSM