In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses tries to prepare the people of Israel to enter the land that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, had promised them. Yet, Moses will never enter the land of promise.
On April 3, 1968, in Memphis, TN, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told an overflowing crowd of those supporting striking sanitation workers - “I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But, I want you to know, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!” Less than 24 hours after these prophetic words, Dr. King was assassinated by James Earl Ray. Moses, Dr. King, and others who followed them, may also not have seen their “promised land”. Yet they paved the path and the way for those who followed. They were part of building a foundation that holds us up still. They were followed by pastors and others from St. Mark’s and the greater community, who were part of the March on Washington and Selma. Today, those of all ages, backgrounds and stories strengthen our foundation here. What are the next chapters, of our story, that we will write?
We will explore this in worship on Sunday. We will also share a Children’s Moment, pray and reflect, and sing hymns. The Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong, will lead us in music. Lisa Kurz will share our first scripture reading, based on Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9, and Eleanor Lahr will share our second scripture reading based on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. The sermon is titled “Unwrapping the Gift of Story.”
If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.
To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning, click the link on our website www.smumc.church. The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am.