Let us pray: God, throughout the hours of our days, remain at the center of our thoughts and actions: Father, through the Holy Spirit, draw us to you and hold us together as individuals and as a community of faith. Enable us to focus our hopes as we aim to do your will. Be our source of loving support through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
(Glen E. Rainsley, alt.)
Sunday Reflection upon “Inviting and Hospitality”
God invites us to obey Him and find life despite knowing our past actions (Isaiah 1:16-20). In the book of Genesis (18:1-15), Father Abraham demonstrated exceptional hospitality to three strangers, one of whom was the Lord. This act of hospitality starkly contrasts the lack of it in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, stress the importance of being hospitable and inviting. The book of Hebrews tells us that every act of hospitality, no matter how small, carries a divine potential, reinforcing the spiritual significance of being hospitable. No matter who they are, a person in need requires our attention (Hebrews 13:1-3).
Jesus invites us to take his yoke and learn from him (Matthew 11:28-30). We learn from him by taking up the yoke that Christ bears with us. We understand ways of being inviting and hospitable. By practicing hospitality and openness to others, we follow Christ’s teachings and the teaching of the Torah to create a warm and welcoming community where everyone, without exception, feels included, cared for, and loved..
Let us pray to be faithful to the light we have received: Father, may the light of your truth guide us to your kingdom through a world filled with lights contrary to your own. May our love make us what you have called us to be in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
(Sunday Missal, alt.)
Galax First United
Methodist Church
306 West Center Street
Galax, VA 24333
(Get Directions)
Phone: 276-236-9937
Email: fumcgalax1@gmail.com
Sunday Services:
10:30 am
