Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached last Sunday, 7/8 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was Mark 6:1-13. What a great time we had with family while we were on vacation. We enjoyed the pool—playing beach ball volleyball with Grace and another time Sarah, Grace and I were in the pool with squirt guns. Ray even got in on the action, grabbing one that was on the side of the pool and squirting us with amazing accuracy. We even got some special time with Grace while the other adults were working. We played Sorry and of course, Grace won, because she always wins, no matter what game is played. Later, we went out to lunch together and had a great time. Our time away was completely relaxing. It was an absolutely ideal vacation time, but as enjoyable as vacation is, there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. As Dorothy said in the “Wizard of Oz,” “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Jesus had been away fr...

This is the reflection I shared on this Sunday's gospel in St. Timothy's weekly e-ministry. Gospel: Mark 6:1-13 1 [ Jesus ] came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.    Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gav...