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 Fifth Sunday after Trinity

From the Gospel Lesson: St. Luke 5:1-11

Vs. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

Vs. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

In this portion of Luke’s Gospel Jesus is at the sea of Galilee and many people have gathered to hear him preach the Word of God. He enters a fishing boat owned by Simon Peter and has him cast off a bit from shore. There He sits down and teaches the people. After dismissing the crowd He asks Simon to put down his nets to catch some fish. Even though he has spent the entire night before fishing he, trusting Jesus word, puts to sea and lets down his nets. Rewarding Simon’s obedience the catch was so plentiful that Simon, astonished and realizing that he is in the presence of the power of the Holy God falls down before Jesus and confesses his sinfulness and inadequacy to serve Him. Still we see that many who witness this miracle (including Simon) lay down there former lives to follow Him.

We, like those fishermen, may have spent unfruitful hours at our labors. This passage tells us that our obedience to Christ doesn’t go unnoticed. Let us confess our sins and inadequacy before God and live in obedience to Him that our “life’s nets” may be filled with the Lord’s abundance that He gives in accordance with His will and in His time.

Blessings,

Fr. Duane+

This portion of Scripture takes place in the greater context of many works that Christ has performed at the temple and in other places. Some of those works He has performed (particularly the ones on the Sabbath) angered the religious leaders of His day. He speaks several times in the chapter. He mentions the folly of the blind leading the blind and illustrates the palpable difference between following the “letter of the law” whilst ignoring the heart of it. He points out the hypocrisy of those who think themselves to be perfectly righteous and above others in their standing before God and mankind. He warns those to whom He is speaking not to think of themselves as pristine when they are not and calls upon them to consider their state before endeavoring to point out imperfections in others.

We who are in Christ should always consider our own blemishes before attempting to aid others in their walk before God. We should be sure to remove the 2X4 from our own eyes before trying to wipe the specs out of the eyes of mankind.

Blessings,

Fr. Duane+