We Encourage You to Read This Reading for This Upcoming Weekend
Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
As soon as [Jesus and the disciples] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Register Your Wheels Now
Summer is kicking off with an Ice Cream Social & Wheels Show.
Join us Friday, June 2nd from 6:30pm-8:30pm for the Ice Cream Social.
Sign up to bring your wheels at www.bit.ly/SOTPwheels23 . They can have 4 or 3 or 2 wheels, maybe someone even has a unicycle!?!?
The best decorated kid’s wheels will win a prize.
————————————————
We will also have games, relays, face painting, an ice cream Pinata, and lots of fun!
Let us know you’re coming – register at www.bit.ly/SOTPsocial23
Contact: Jill Gillming jill@sotpmail.com
From Donna Kelly
You Can’t Carry Two Watermelons With One Hand
Lillian Daniel writes the following proverb:
Try it out this summer if you like – but trust me, you can’t do it. Two watermelons. One hand. There is a reason these things become proverbs. They are true!
The best proverbs are comical. When you try to picture someone carrying two watermelons in one hand, it just makes you laugh. It is so obviously impossible that it’s silly. But when you are the one trying to do it, it seems quite valid. When you drop a watermelon, it’s the watermelon’s fault, not yours. Who made these faulty, slippery watermelons that don’t stay put anyway?
Sometimes we can trick ourselves into doing impossible things. We load too much on our plates. We carry too many things at once. And then, one of them drops. Or they all do. Or we drop ourselves, in exhaustion. There is nothing more exhausting than trying to do something impossible.
In Galatians 5: 22 – 23 we are told, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” That’s a pretty tall order if we have to pull off all those things for ourselves. Fortunately, we don’t have to. They come to us like gifts, fruits from the tree of the Holy Spirit.
It reminds me of one of my favorite songs:
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
In other words, put down those two watermelons you’ve been trying to carry, and let the Spirit do her work.
I really like this writing by Lillian Daniel. Often, we try so hard to carry two watermelons in one hand. We overbook our schedules, say yes to too many requests, the kids have too many activities booked. But juggling schedules isn’t the only way we try to carry two watermelons. We carry shame or regret or guilt from the past that we could or should let go of, and then try to also carry fear or worry about the future at the same time. We juggle our racing thoughts and doubts about whether we are good enough or able to accomplish the things we want.
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus doesn’t promise to make everything right or take our problems away; but he does promise to walk with us through the Spirit and never leave us to handle things alone.
What’s one thing that you are carrying that you could put down so that you can carry something you need to carry? Are you able to trust the spirit to take care of things, to do her work?
Donna Kelly
Email Donna: donna@sotpmail.com
