PASTORAL LETTER 9/26/20

Dear Road Church Friends,

Greetings and Blessings to all,

 The Scripture lessons for this Sunday are Matthew 16:24-26 and Matthew 25:14-30.

I encourage you to read these and give them some thought. Pay special attention to the Parable. It is an interesting story with a lesson that is usually applied in a church setting. But Jesus told it before there was a Church. He told it to Jewish peasants who worked for harsh, mean bosses like the master in the story. Later Matthew repurposed Jesus’ original story by giving it a Church setting. In Sunday’s lesson I will explore its original meaning and what it still says to us. It is about our life choices and our attitude toward money.

These two readings are complementary. One asks what monetary value we put on our life, and the Parable of the Talents is a story that illustrates the challenge of resisting the allure of chasing after money. This week’s lesson is about difficult lifestyle choices that we all face on a regular basis. And money plays an important role in our decisions. Jesus had a lot to say about money, mostly in the form of warnings against allowing it to become our master instead of our servant.

As you read the Parable put yourself in the place of third man with one talent, which is worth about one million dollars. What drove his choices not to make use of what had been entrusted to him? Was his decision to bury it a good one because he saw that huge fortune as a temptation and a trap?  Or, was his decision a bad one because he missed an opportunity to enjoy a life of wealth and luxury?

Let’s think on these things together this Sunday, whether in person or online. Even though seating is limited, there has always been room for a few more. If you decide to attend in person please call and you will have a reserved seat.

 In Christian service,

 Pastor Norm 860-759-6720

Sermon for September 27, 2020 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6yHoLdixWCg