St. Andrew Presbyterian Church
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Worship Guide - Year B, Ordinary 19 (Proper 14)

8/8/2021

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Picture
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
~Ephesians 4:31-32
 
The scene is powerful, evocative, because it captures the paradox of our own experience. David, a “man after God’s own heart” seems, ironically, to be trapped in an endless cycle of struggle, including within his own family. After the episode with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, Nathan delivers God’s judgment: “the sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12:10). And here is perhaps the most heartbreaking example: Absalom, David’s son, who is trying to gain the kingdom from his father is struck down by David’s soldiers. The image is comical, if not for the tragedy of it. Absalom, riding on his mule, gets his head stuck between some branches, and is left “hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on” (2 Samuel 18:33).
 
Absalom is not the only one. David wants it all—the might of a political dynasty, and his son spared. Indeed his grief at the loss of his son is so profound that he wishes he could trade places. But in the lead-up he believes he can be both a faithful father and a warrior-king.
 
Perhaps David is a person after God’s own heart because his experience is so typical of the human experience with which God lovingly engages. He wants his family restored, but years of stubbornness, brutality, and vanity provides him with only an empty victory. Don't we all hang between heaven and earth, wrestling constantly with the gravity of our decisions and our actions as we consider who we hope to be in the world?
 
Jesus, the manna of heaven for the sake of the world, invites us not to choose between heaven or earth, but to live for an earth as it is in heaven.
 
Enter into worship. 

We are worshiping again in person. Thanks be to God! If you can't join us, you can watch the service in real-time 10:00am Sunday morning (PST) or view it upon completion by clicking on the video graphic to the left.
We continue to keep our financial commitments to our mission partners and staff. If you are not yet able to join us, thank you for remembering to send in your financial pledges and offerings or donating here. ​
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  • Home
  • New Here?
    • Belonging Here
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
  • Who We Are
    • Stories
    • About Our Ministries
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Manantial de Vida Congregation
  • Worship
    • Worship in Absentia
    • Sermons
    • Audio excerpts
    • Aftertalk
  • News
    • On our Minds
    • Newsletter
  • Give
  • Get Involved
    • Choirs and Music
    • Social Groups
    • Community Service
    • Missions >
      • NICHE
      • Gulfport Mississippi 2008
      • Honduras 2012
      • Honduras 2015
      • Honduras 2018 >
        • NPH 2018 photos
    • Christian Formation
    • Sustainable Living
    • Worship
    • Youth Group
  • Calendar
  • File Cabinet
    • Donations - Electronic
    • Clerks Drawer
    • Elder/Deacon Resources
    • Policies and Procedures
    • Personnel and Budget Drawer
    • Media
    • Members & Metrics
    • Our Discernment Process
    • SHALOM
    • Directory & Deacons' Lists
  • Coronavirus Updates
  • Bridge Ministries Sunday