Greeting Tabernacle Family!This week is the 19th Sunday after Pentecost and Sunday number 4 of Romans.
This Sunday our scripture passage is Romans 3:1-20. I will again encourage you to read this passage in as many different translations as you can find. This passage reminds me of a time in my life when I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get to the end of a sin chain that began with something good—–like I sacrificially gave a gift to someone who needed it which meant I had done something good, but then I was proud of myself for doing something good for someone which meant I had done something bad (Matt.6:3) —–so then I “repented” for being proud and ended up being proud of myself for regretting being proud in the first place and this process just kept going—-a never ending sin cycle which began with a good action.
Such is life under the law and it seemingly does you no good to be a religious insider in this situation, it just causes you to ask more questions. During this time period I also spent a lot of time with an old gospel song that goes like this “I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me, He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free. I am satisfied, I am satisfied, but the question comes to me as I think of Calvary, is the Master satisfied with me.” (B. B.McKinney, 1926)
This song served both to remind me that I had responsibility to keeping thinking about that “sin cycle” so I did not get stuck in one of the “proud” cycles and that in spite of the “sin cycle” I had Jesus on my side. This seems to me to be a bit of what Paul is trying to express in these verses in Romans. So much sin and so much of God loves you!
Come Sunday and explore this chapter of Romans with us and discover what it means in your life. The following Sunday, Oct. 6, will be World Communion Sunday.
The Christmas story is about journeys. It is the story of a young expectant mother traveling to Bethlehem with her husband to pay taxes. It is the story of the Magi following the stars in search of a King, and of humble shepherds taking leave of their sheep to find a Savior wrapped in cloth in a manger.
And so
it is for all of us. The birth of Christ
marks the beginning of the journey to Easter and our personal journey from
brokenness to wholeness. For those who
choose to listen, the Christmas story transforms each of us into a traveler on
the road to reconciliation, redemption and hope.
Our
personal journey has taken us to many places only God could have imagined, from
the windswept plains of a North Dakota reservation to the sugar cane fields of
south Florida; from a barrio in the desert Southwest to the hollows of
Appalachia, and the streets of inner-city Washington, D.C. Along the way we were blessed with a decade
at Fredericksburg Baptist Church where we were nurtured, supported, challenged
and uplifted.
In
2002, we were humbled to have been asked to share some stories of our journey
with our fellow parishioners during Advent season. And, this year, we are equally humbled to
share these stories with our friends at Tabernacle Baptist Church. In the pages
of this devotional you will hear the stories of those we have come to know as
we have traveled…stories from our work with Native Americans, migrant farm
workers, elderly persons and the homeless men, women and children.
Many
of the people we will introduce to you in the pages ahead have led very
difficult lives. Most have overcome
incredible odds and openly share their stories.
Others are more reticent, desiring to put the past behind them and grasp
their new futures of hope. In order to
ensure that we did not compromise anyone’s privacy we have changed some of the details.
Additionally,
to make it easier for readers (and the writers), we have chosen to refer to God
as He, even though it our belief that God encompasses both masculinity and
femininity. All scripture references,
unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Bible in Today’s English
Version, commonly know as the “Good News Bible.”
A
number of the readings make reference to Christ House, a medical recovery
facility with 24–hour nursing coverage for homeless and formerly homeless men
and women. Christ House is an
all-encompassing ministry with a social work department, a substance abuse
recovery program, a worshipping congregation, and a staff who live in community
on site. Kairos House is a companion
ministry nearby where former Christ House patients committed to recovery live
in community. Christ House is located in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood of
Washington, DC, and was part of the Church of the Saviour’s family of
ministries. The Church of the Saviour is now a scattered community of
independent churches.
As we
journey toward the destination of Christmas, we must recognize that this
journey is only preparation for a longer one.
Christ invites you on a longer journey into the life of your community
to tell the story of Jesus and reach out to a hurting world.
It is
our prayer that through our stories you will hear the Christmas story in a
different way this year, and the people we introduce to you will challenge you
to invest yourselves even more in ministry at Tabernacle Baptist Church and in
the community. As we begin our journey
remember these words of Jean Vanier:
We are called to drink deeply from the
heart of Christ, so that we, the church, can become a home for the lonely and the
crushed of this earth. Christ puts into the arms of His church the suffering
and the hungry of this world so that they may heal us, call us down from our
pedestals of power and wealth and lead us into the wisdom of the beatitudes.
Each Sunday in Lent, worship participants are encouraged to reflect upon a specific question related to the theme for the day. At the end of the service, each worshipper is prompted to write their response on a piece of paper and bring it forward to the altar. In the week that follows, the slips of paper are turned into cocoons and added into the liturgical installation in the Sanctuary.
We encourage worshippers in the virtual acre to participate by use of this anonymous survey tool. We’ll transpose your typed response onto tangible paper to create a cocoon.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Make sure to join us after worship for a going away picnic for our beloved Pastor Meg Lacy Vega and her husband JJ.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. Today’s scripture is James 2:1-13. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
More Opportunities
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. Today’s scripture is James 1:19-27. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
More Opportunities
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
More Opportunities
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. The scripture passage for worship isActs 2:1-4, Galatians 4:1-7. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. This week we’ll study Acts 2:1-4, Galatians 4:1-7 together. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. The scripture passage for worship isLuke 24:45-53, Acts 1:1-11. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. This week we’ll study Galatians 3:1-9,Galatians 3:23-29 together. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. The scripture passage for this week is Galatians 1:13-17, 2:11-21. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. This week we’ll study Galatians 1:13-17, 2:11-21 together. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
We encourage you to set time aside for three unique movements: PRELUDE, communal WORSHIP, and CIRCLES. All of these are times of holy rest and worship.
Begin your day with a quiet, reflective time with God at the place and time of your choosing. This material is intended for personal meditation. You may want to be in a quiet place and light your own personal candle, but you may also just be sitting in your car waiting for an appointment. Where you are is not the point. The point is that you are taking the time to be quiet and listen so that you may walk through your day in communion with God.
We will meet at 11am (Eastern). This is our time to come together as a congregation and worship as one, whether in-person or online. The scripture passage for this week isActs 15:1-18. If you’d like to return in-person, please see our What to Expect page for information on entrance and safety.
Take communion with us during the Livestream this week, or gather a group together and use the following video to be led through eating and drinking in remembrance of Jesus.
Connect and experience spiritual growth in meaningful conversation and biblical study with a small group of people in a Tab Circle. This week we’ll study Acts 15:1-18 together. To sign up for a Circle or learn more, click here.
There are many ways to connect with us, on Sundays and beyond! You can find more information about our Sunday School classes, Bible Study groups, prayer gatherings, and discipleship series on our online calendar.
