January 28, 2024
LINK TO SERMON ON YOUTUBE
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TEXT: N/A
TOPIC: Annual Rector’s Report
SERMON SUMMARY:
This week’s sermon is actually the Rector’s Report, part of our Annual Meeting.
In his report, Fr. Rob reflects on St. Luke’s 20-year journey from being part of the Episcopal Church, to leaving during turmoil over gay rights, becoming part of the Anglican Church of Uganda, and then joining the Anglican Church of North America in 2009. He discusses two phases of spiritual turmoil the church has endured - first during the debate over gay rights and leadership in the Episcopal Church which led to its decline; and now a larger cultural phase where there's been an unleashing of chaos, dishonesty and lawlessness in society and culture. He notes the patterns of the enemy at work - beginning with good sounding reasons like "justice" and "rights" but ending in destruction.
Fr. Rob encourages the congregation not to get pulled into the darkness, but to pray for cleansing and fill themselves with God's light. St. Luke’s has been made into a bulwark and oasis during this time, a place of safety and refreshing in the midst of a world in turmoil. Yet St. Luke’s historic weakness has been in the area of reaching out. Fr. Rob calls the church to a new season of outreach and evangelism in 2024, believing God wants us to break out and share the gift we’ve been given more widely. He lays out a simple plan of 1) prayer to hear God's direction, 2) discernment to understand our particular calling, and 3) acting in faith when the Lord makes it clear. After 20 years of faithfulness during decline and difficulty, he encourages us to take courage from the authority Christ has given us, and resolve to follow Him into this new season of outreach.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION:
In what ways have you experienced St. Luke’s as a bulwark and oasis?
If you lived through the turmoil of St. Luke’s (and other churches) leaving the Episcopal Church, are there still memories of that time that you may need to bring to the Lord for healing? If you didn’t live through it, have you had other experiences in church that still need healing? Where or to whom can you go for help with the healing process?
Do you resonate with the statement that outreach has been St. Luke’s weakness over the years? Why or why not?
How might God be calling you, your small group, or the church as a whole to reach out in 2024?
PRAYER: “God, you are on a mission to bring light, life, and restoration to a broken and dark world. You invite us to experience this restoration for ourselves, and to share the good news of restoration with others. Give us your heart and your strategy for reaching out to our community with this good news. Who are you calling us to reach out to, and how? Give us and our leaders discernment and insight, and give us the boldness to act on what you show us. Amen.”
