At the end of the service On Sunday, July 14th, the Sculleys and the Pentons were blessed and prayed for as we were sent to attend the Vineyard USA National Conference, which coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the Vineyard, at the Cincinnati Vineyard location. We experienced encouraging worship, teaching, ministry times, and fellowship with friends from other times and seasons and Vineyard churches. You can see the sessions on YouTube. A line from the musical “Hamilton” refers to the “room where it happened.” We experienced being in the presence of folks who literally were in the “room where it happened,” where the Vineyard happened fifty years ago. The palpable presence of the Holy Spirit was evident in worship and ministry times. This week, listen to one of the sessions, or part of a session, for your encouragement.
On Sunday, July 21, Pastor Nancy continued the series on the Gospel of Mark with Mark 15, the penultimate chapter. In this chapter, Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried,” as the Apostles Creed states. We considered the question, “Who was there when they crucified my Lord?” based on a variation of the theme of the old spiritual song, “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” Where was God the Father? God was right there. Jesus cried out to God with the deep lament of Psalm 22. God was right there. According to 2 Corinthians 5: 19, “that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” We have the witness of the centurion who said, Surely, this man was God’s son.” We have the witness of the temple curtain torn from top to bottom with new access to God. We have the witness of the women who were there at the cross and followed to see where Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb. What are we to do with this message from Mark 15? Share the good news! Yes! Share the good news of Jesus in our words and deeds, in proclamations and demonstrations, as we go, along the way, in our communities.
On Sunday, July 28, Pastor Karen finished the series on the Gospel of Mark with its shorter “unfinished” ending in verse 8. She proclaimed, “Everyone is invited to give their allegiance to Christ as king. Everyone is invited to follow Jesus through both professed and practical obedience. Everyone is invited, everyone is welcome, everyone is included. The good news of Jesus Christ goes on, through everyone!” In verses 5-8, we encountered four emotions: “alarmed,” “terror,” “amazement,” and “afraid.” Pastor Karen encouraged us to feel our feelings, learn to recognize them and respond to “the entirety of our emotions.” “The Good News goes on from the empty tomb to the ends of the earth.”
How will we continue walking in and sharing the Good News? Continue planting seeds. Continue to pray and desire to see the seeds fall on good soil.
Splintered flesh and bone from the cross you hung
You bore my sin and shame behind the stone you lay
But death, he trembles still at the One he could not hold
Three days in death in victory arose.
[Lyrics from Your Love (Still I Sing)]With love and blessings,
Rev. Dr. Nancy Penton
Associate Pastor, Liberty Vineyard Church
404.695.3181
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