Mindful Leader

 

Joyful Ringers, Hallelujah Bells, Carillon Belles, and The Bells of Joyful Sound (special guests).  

This is a mixture of both the 9 and 10:30 services.  

This the ravings of a lunatic on behalf of God urging unity.  

The text is Galatians 3: 23-29 and the sermon primarily dwells on Paul's context with a strong focus on the baptismal formula he is using about Jews/Gentiles, Free/Slave and Man/Woman.  I could NOT pull up the word "crescent" when discussing the various symbols on graves for those being remembered on Memorial Day -- Cross (check), Star of David (check), and Crescent and Star (all I got out was Star, didn't get the Crescent).  Forgive me.  

I obviously have gotten to a place where I think we are too often, majoring in the minors.  I know there are many who find me deluded.  

It is my style to preach elements of the sermon in the statement of the theme, the scripture reading, the message itself, and then during the benediction.  

This is from the 10:30 service and the "Smith" party is a 95th Birthday Celebration with Pearl Smith.  

That minefield that is Mother's Day.  Relationships gone bad, or lost, or never was.  All of those emotions and more.  I focused on nurture.  

 

The Children's Choir was not not near a microphone, or we would have included them on this.  This is the Chancel Choir, Women's Trio, Congregation and Roberta on the organ.  The balance on the Women's Trio is very good - wait for it to go to the acapella.  Wow.  

Our theme was 'who is welcome at the Lord's table' and the Ethiopian Eunuch passage from Acts 8 framed our reflection.  

 

Odd passage to our ears.  A Eunuch?  What's that about?  But in this case, Philip has just preached to Samaritans, outcasts, and now he is preaching/teaching to another outcast.  The message is as fresh today as it was in Philip's day.  Who is invited to God's table and the answer is -- Samaritans, Sexually Questionable Characters, and yes, you and me.  

 

Rev. Emily Fleming on John 20: 24-29 and her reflection on Doubting Thomas.  I also included a little of our music after the sermon and before the benediction.  

 

Our Chancel Choir this past Sunday.  I was not present to hear or experience this.  Transcendent.  

 

This is the 9:00 version with the Sanctuary Singers, and I think based on microphone positioning, and smaller adult ensemble, the children are more obviously part of this.  Goose bump to me, I know how long this dream has been nurtured at Hilltop and what kind of potential fruitfulness exists with this ministry.  

 

Acts 6: 1-7.  Spiritual Gifts.  

 

Five young ladies -- our Youth Choir ... plus friends with our Youth Bells.  Three of them.