Sunday Services

Sunday School - 9:30 am

Holy Communion - 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, 10:30 am

Morning Prayer - 2nd and 4th Sundays, 10:30 am

Thursday Services

Evening Prayer/Bible Study, 7 pm

Reaching out to the least, the lonely, and the lost

Holy Communion Service at Friendship South

2nd and 4th Sundays, 2:30 pm

Thoughts from the Lectionary: The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity 

From the Gospel Lesson: St. Luke 10:23 – 37

Vss. 36+37 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

In this passage of St. Luke’s gospel account our Lord has earlier praised the Father for opening the eyes of simple folk to believe the good news. And also, preaching of the authority given to Him, speaks of how blessed those are that are witnessing the prophecy fulfilling events unfolding around them at that time. At one point a “lawyer” (likely a scribe) asked Christ what he should do to have eternal life. Christ, not “taking the bait”, turns the question back on the Scribe by asking him what the Law of God says. The man quotes the Great Commandment in return. “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Christ commends the man’s knowledge and tells him to live by that and inherit eternal life. No sooner has Jesus said this than the lawyer (wanting to justify himself) asks who was to be considered his neighbor. Our Lord then tells the familiar story of “The Good Samaritan” finishing by asking the man who was the neighbor to the man who had been robbed and beaten. The scribe is forced to admit that the Samaritan proved to be more of a neighbor than all of the religious leaders mentioned in the story. Christ then admonishes the man to be like the Samaritan mentioned. It’s as if Christ is saying, “Don’t ask who your neighbor is. BE “NEIGHBORLY” to everyone and show the love, compassion, and grace of God to all.May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be like the Samaritan. Christ, give us grace to BE NEIGHBORS and spread God’s gospel and love to mankind.

Blessings,

Fr. Duane+