Worship resources for 7/31

July 31, 2022 Eighth Sunday of Pentecost Luke 12:13-21 COMMENTARY In 1888, Alfred Nobel opened his newspaper and read his own obituary entitled “The merchant of death is dead.” The obituary had been written in error, of course, in response to the death of Nobel’s brother Ludvig. Alfred Nobel was the inventor of dynamite and owned an armaments manufacturer. He would live for eight more years after the obituary was written. Imagine reading your own obituary and learning that you would be remembered in such a negative way! Nobel responded by changing his will and using his great fortune to create the Nobel prizes to recognize significant accomplishments that brought “the greatest benefit on mankind.” I wonder if Jesus’ parable functions a bit like Nobel’s obituary for us. In response to a question about inheritance, Jesus told this parable about a rich man who needed larger barns to store the abundance of his crops. The man has a conversation with himself, giving his soul a dose of hedonistic permission. Relax, eat, drink, be merry! The man doesn’t realize this will be his last night before death and his stored treasures will be left sitting in the barns, likely to be inherited by his children who will argue about how to divide the abundance. Thanks to our guest writer Rev. Dr. Millie Snyder. You can find the rest of the commentary on our website. An order of worship for July 31, 2022. This liturgy is free to use. So much stuff— Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale  Women in clerical collars by Teri McDowell Ott. Debriefing the 2022 General Assembly: what worked well, what needs tweaking? by Leslie Scanlon IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Making a place for all languages at the table Stephanie Vasquez, manager of the PC(USA) Office of Global Language Resources, shares about the theological importance of interpretation and translation. The Advocate A uniform lesson for July 31, 2022, by Richard Boyce. Mary Magdalene Was Suffering A new, free hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. The pain and joy of being women in ministry Susan Rose, who runs a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring women for ministry leadership, reflects on what it's like to be a woman in ministry in 2022. We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy Brian Paulson reviews Eboo Patel's new book. Setting the table and adorning the walls Louisville artist Suyun Son discusses the thought behind her many contributions to worship services at the 225th General Assembly. — PNS Someday, if you are interested … Dave Coles shares an approach to evangelism that he has found helpful in his faith.

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