"No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here."
First Congregational United Church of Christ is an Open & Affirming community
SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:30 AM
NURSERY AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:30 AM
FROM PASTOR JAY
Monsoon has arrived and the plants and trees are happy – and so are the weeds! This Sunday’s parable from Jesus seems well-timed: the parable of the wheat and the weeds or the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-43). Jesus tells the story of a farmer who sows good seed in his field, but while he slept, an enemy sowed weeds among his wheat. At that time, the weed was the dreaded “bearded darnel.” Before modern sorting machinery made it easier to separate real wheat from this false wheat, the two had to be left to grow together until harvest, when finally, darnel turned another color and the ear appeared that helped distinguish between them. Jesus teaches that just as wheat and weeds grow together, so it is in his church and the world. There does seem to be “an enemy” at work, infecting everyone and everything so that love, justice, and perfection cannot be reached. Jesus says we must wait until the end of time to have everything sorted out. The title of the sermon is “Living with Ambiguity.” I think it is a mark of spiritual maturity for sure, and a part of maturity in general. Whether looking at our church, our families, our politicians, our world, or ourselves, the wheat and the weeds do grow together. How do we live with this ambiguity? Joyful Noise, Brian, and Thomas provide music; Tina is liturgist; and the children look at a weed and a plant.
First Congregational Church of Prescott, United Church of Christ, is an Open and Affirming congregation. We include all persons without regard to age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, faith, marital status, or personal ability. We welcome all to share the celebrations and challenges of our congregation. No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
