Sunday, July 7, 2019

Restorative Justice July 7, 2019

Worship on Sunday, July 7 …

We deepen our focus on justice as the Way of Christ as we embraced the power of Restorative Justice! 
Pr. Tim Anderson will preach and preside in Communion at both services.
╬ Restorative Justice!   Retributive or punitive justice has come to characterize much of our legal process today.  But there is another understanding of justice that is rooted in the Christian calling to reconciliation and redemption.  "Repairing the harm done by crime - beyond what happens in the courtroom" is a good working definition of restorative justice. The term and its various practices are Biblical, and they're not just for soothing the pain caused by crime. Restorative practices help us move forward in our day-to-day life together. They help communities and families stay together, individuals to heal, and allow for the light of hope to flourish even in the darkest of circumstances.

  Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings. 
PLEASE NOTE:
We have three Readings today, two from Hebrew Testament along with Gospel (no Psalm).

  
Blessings to you all in Pentecost worship!

- Pr. Brad Highum
bhighum@abidinglove.org

PRAYER OF THE DAY ----------------------------

God of life, in the midst of a broken world, teach us the ways of your Christ, ways of healing, reconciling and redeeming.  Bless us to be peacemakers even in the face of violence and tragedy.  Amen.

READINGS ---------------------------------------
First Reading:  Leviticus 6:1-7
6  The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 When any of you sin and commit a trespass against the Lord by deceiving a neighbor in a matter of a deposit or a pledge, or by robbery, or if you have defrauded a neighbor, 3 or have found something lost and lied about it — if you swear falsely regarding any of the various things that one may do and sin thereby — 4 when you have sinned and realize your guilt, and would restore what you took by robbery or by fraud or the deposit that was committed to you, or the lost thing that you found, 5 or anything else about which you have sworn falsely, you shall repay the principal amount and shall add one-fifth to it. You shall pay it to its owner when you realize your guilt. 6 And you shall bring to the priest, as your guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. 7 The priest shall make atonement on your behalf before the Lord, and you shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and incur guilt thereby.

Second Reading:  Jeremiah 8:18-22
18 My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.  19 Hark, the cry of my poor people

 from far and wide in the land:  "Is the Lord not in Zion?  Is her King not in her?"  ("Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols?")  20 "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." 21 For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.  22 Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?  Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?

Gospel:  Matthew 18:15-20
15 "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
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