Word Study

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST
Collect: Open to us your Word, gracious God, as we ask and seek and knock.
Wash us in the fountain of your truth; that we may be clean and trust in your
mercy. Bless us with fullness of life, and make us glad in your presence. We
join in thanksgiving for all the gifts of your love. Amen.

From the desk of the minister:
DON’T STOP TRUSTING; KEEP ON PRAYING

Jesus encourages us to pray all the time and to persevere in our journey of
faith. We are reminded that God is not a distant God; He is close and intimate.
God cares more for us than we can comprehend. Jesus reminds us that as much
as we love our families and friends, God loves us even more. Prayer is a
powerful weapon. The weapon is in your hand. The power is in your mouth.
Rise up, use the power of prayer to empower yourself and others. You talk to
God before you talk to other people. Your fellowship with God comes before
your fellowship with other people. We are reminded about trusting and keep on
praying. In our gospel reading, Jesus told a story about a man who had a friend
arrive at midnight, but he had nothing in the house to feed him. He knew that
his neighbour had lots of bread. So, he hurried to his neighbour’s house and
knocked on the door. At first, his friend refused to get out of bed and give him
some loaves, but because of the man’s persistence and consistence, the
neighbour got up and give him some bread. Jesus said, “Knock and keep on
knocking and the door will be opened to you. Seek and keeping on seeking and
you shall find; Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given to you.” There is a
quote by Joe Kennedy: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This
really summarises our attitude in times like this. Verse 9 of our gospel states –
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and
you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Don’t
stop trusting; keep on praying because praying is spending time with God.
Grace & Peace. Maile

SIXTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST

Collect: We come, O God, to sit at the feet of Jesus, seeking wisdom, energy,
and inspiration. To sharpen our listening skills, for your thoughts are precious
to us and in your way we find life. Reveal again your wonderful works that
frame and expand our lives. Feed us and sustain our courage in the face of all
life’s troubles and toil, Amen.

From the desk of the minister:
PRIORITISE YOUR TIME FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE
The gospel reading for this Sunday is a familiar reading, the story of Mary and
Martha. Most people will have a preconceived idea that one sister was right
and one sister was wrong. We put Mary on the right side and Martha on the
wrong side. But in the gospel, there is no partiality from Jesus’ perspective.
These two sisters had different responsibilities on that day.
The context of this story is the Good Samaritan story.
Jesus is on his journey to Jerusalem. He called the Samaritan good
because he did good to this half dead man on the road.
Martha had chosen to cook a meal for Jesus and Mary had chosen to sit by the
side of Jesus and listen to him. Both are good choices. The spirit of hospitality
is a good choice, for Jesus needs to eat because he must have been tired and
hungry from the journey. The spirit of welcoming the guest (Jesus) and the
need for him to feel at home is also a fantastic idea. Mary did that. When
Martha started to feel the heaviness of her responsibility, she came out and
asked Mary to help her. And Jesus intervened – “Martha, Martha,” he said in a
soft voice, “you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of
only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away
from her.” Maybe Mary knew that Jesus was heading to his final destination
and she prioritised her time to listen. This story is a reminder to us to do the
right thing at the right time because Jesus’ time is limited. Well done, Mary!
Martha needed to prioritise her time according to Jesus’ time!
Grace & Peace. Maile