One of the great things about having children in the church building is the unexpected conversations I get to share. A few days ago, a Nursery School/Kindergarten family was preparing a classroom snack in the kitchen. The preschooler started telling me about superheroes, and seemed impressed that I knew about Batman and Robin. He also reminded me how Robin often started sentences with “Holy (word or phrase) Batman!” The word/phrase related to the situation at hand, and some carried more than one meaning.
This week I had been mulling over the Gospel reading for this Sunday (Matthew 25:14-30), which is known as the Parable of the Talents. It is a complicated parable to unpack with a landowner leaving on a trip, trusting three of his “servants” with different amounts of his wealth. Upon his return, his different treatment of each of them may feel quite disconcerting.
As Nadia Bolz-Weber wrote about this scripture passage (in Christian Century, 6-11-2012) “This morning, my breakfast cereal box did not contain a parable decoder ring… That’s not how parables are. They aren’t to be studied and interpreted so much as to be experienced.” And, we will reflect on, and experience, this parable together on Sunday.
We will first gather and greet one another. All children are invited to ring us into worship, with the bells. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us in music. There will also be a Children’s Moment. We will have the blessing of celebrating the baptism of Benjamin Matthew Revel Ferguson. We will also pray and reflect. Lillette Pratter Wood will read our scripture passage (Matthew 25:14-30a). The sermon is titled “Blessed Risk-Taking”.
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.