July 30, 2020

                                                        Matthew 14:13-21

Scripture readings

for Sunday, August 2

Isaiah 55:1-5

Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21

Romans 9:1-5

Matthew 14:13-21

REFLECTION

Pastor Ivy Gauvin

Why did Jesus go off by himself? Was it because he was mourning the death of John the Baptist? That's likely. After all, John was his cousin and Jesus had a great deal of respect for John in his role as the forerunner to his ministry (check out Matthew 11:11). Was it because Jesus was trying to lay low since he was a marked man? Remember later when Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead? That's in the very next chapter! "At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; 2 and he said to his servants, 'This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason, these powers are at work in him.' 3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife" (Matthew 14:1-3).  With all of this going on, was he just needed some time alone to pray and commune with his Father? I think it's a bit of all of these things.

Jesus had a lot on his mind and was carrying around the weight of sorrow, and yet he was not distracted from the needs of the crowd like we may have been. But what does Jesus do? He has compassion for them, spending the day healing the sick. As Pastor Rob Myallis points out, "His gut is turning when he sees the crowds.  It is also worth noting that Jesus’ compassion does not simply signify feelings, but leads him into action, here, healing."

It gets dark early and quickly in the Holy Land, so the disciples were concerned about the crowd needing to get food plus they were way out in the boonies without even a convenience store in sight. 

I love Jesus' response concerning the problem. He tells the disciples, "you give them something to eat” (v. 16). Can you imagine what they must have thought? "Us? You want us to feed these people? Jesus, are you dreaming?" They said, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish” (v. 17). So, seeing the disciples were unable to feed the people, Jesus said, “Bring them here to me” (v. 18). What/who is the "them?" Is it the bread and fish or is it the people? What do you think?

Finally, we get to the miracle of the feeding and it sounds a bit like Holy Communion. Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it (to the disciples to distribute). In the early church, communion was part of a meal. One of my seminary professors used to tell us repeatedly, "It's a real meal!" Jesus fed the people and there were leftovers besides! Jesus embodies compassion and generosity.

The disciples did end up feeding the people. After all, Jesus gave them the food to distribute. And how many were fed? 5,000 households. 5,000 men plus women and children, who were always counted last. Matthew does not leave out the women and children, for Jesus' compassion extended to them as well. How's our compassion given the needs all around us from COVID 19 to racism to hungry people in our community? Let us connect actions to our compassion, just as Jesus did. 

13Now when Jesus heard [about the beheading of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was leftover of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Names will remain of the Prayer List for a month - at which

time it will be taken off unless, or course, there is still a continued need

for our prayers and we’re asked to keep the name on.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** This week ADAM MCKILLIP will be

stepping in for Gale Svenson-Campbell

to provide our music!!  We're so excited

to have Adam join us.  

Let's fill the parking lot for him!!

***ONLINE GIVING now available at St. Timothy for Debit/Credit cards.   3 ways to give:

   - Go directly to our website at www.sttimothybemus.com

   - Use our QR code with the QR reader on your smartphone

   - Download the app ‘GivePlus Church’. Create an account.   

For further information, see Kathy Carlson on Sundays or call her at 485-1316.

No in person services in the building until further notice.  Interactive bulletins will still be available until we return to regular worship services.  Your input is greatly appreciated.

Follow the link below each Sunday at 10:00 to Worship in Spirit .

http://www.sttimothybemus.com/coronavirus-updates.html

***5 & 2 Ministry Food Bins Donated to Date:  85

***ONLINE GIVING now available at St. Timothy for Debit/Credit cards.   3 ways to give:

   - Go directly to our website at www.sttimothybemus.com

   - Use our QR code with the QR reader on your smartphone

   - Download the app ‘GivePlus Church’. Create an account.   

For further information, see Kathy Carlson on Sundays or call her at 485-1316.

Dear Church,

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 We learn "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die,... to plant and... to uproot, ... to kill and... to heal... to tear down and ..to build, ... to weep and ... to laugh, ... to mourn and ... to dance, ... to scatter stones and ... to gather them, ...to embrace and ... to refrain, ... to search and ... to give up, ... to keep and ... to throw away, ... to tear and ... to mend, ... to be silent and ... to speak, ... to love and ... to hate, ....for war and ... for peace...He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the hearts of men: yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end...I know that everything God does will endure forever: nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

God does it so that men will revere him."

I think throughout COVID 19 we have laughed, mourned, refrained from embracing, searched, hated and sought peace all in the same month or even the same week or day. We are each going through so much in life and then we added a large heaping portion of COVID on top of it. We recently had a neighbor in need seeking assistance in the form of a wheelchair ramp pass away suddenly. It makes one think about the shortness of life, the value of a life, doing enough to impact the Kingdom and the point of all this COVID craziness. I find myself going back to the end of Ecclesiastes  3:14 for the only reason that makes sense "God does it so men will revere him."

Please be praying for the family of our neighbor in need during this time of loss.

Love INC  also needs your prayers as we make more changes. We have to cancel our Annual Purse Auction fundraiser due to COVID 19 and are stepping out into a new endeavor with a Love Your Neighbor fundraising campaign. Please pray for guidance and direction as we move in this new direction as we hope to bring more recognition to the ministry of Love INC, raise funds and love our neighbors in a new way.

Thank you for your ongoing prayer support for the ministry and our neighbors in need.

In Christ,

Susan L. Justham | Executive Director

Love In the Name of Christ of SCC

Helping Churches to Help People

Phone: 716.338.9828

loveincscc.org

     Love INC Prayer Requests 07/27/2020

Please pray for the family of a gentleman who lost his lower legs due to diabetes who had requested a wheelchair ramp. He has passed away unexpectedly.

A daybed was delivered to a dad who has his 15-year-old daughter on weekend visits.  He is very happy and grateful for the bed. We are praising God for the Church and showing the Love of Christ in this way!

A young couple with 5 children needs beds and beddings.  The father was laid off to COVID.  Pray that God will show them the way and the church they are attending will become more of a presence in their lives.  Praise God that the dad was called back to work. They are still in need the beds (twin- size.)

Love your Neighbor Campaign-   a new fundraising campaign that will replace the Annual Purse Auction fundraiser. Our goal is to bring recognition to the ministry of Love INC, raise funds and love our neighbors.

An older lady owns her own home and must move; needs transportation to medical appointments.  Pray that God provides a buyer for her home as she is struggling financially. 

A middle-aged lady needs to move but COVID has presented many difficulties to be able to do this. 

Family of 5 who are struggling financially. The husband’s work hours were cut because of the Covid-19 “Pause’ and the wife is a stay-at home mom.  They needed some diapers that were provided them through Gap Baby Ministry at Jamestown Free Methodist.  Pray for all the families who are going through a similar struggle.

A young man needs furniture and transportation to work.  

Love INC needs a Board Member with Social Media Expertise to assist with better Social Media Communication 

Love INC needs a volunteer accountant/bookkeeper

Anyone have any pictures or stories that they would like to share?  Send them to sttimothy2015@gmail.com