No one ever really wants to go to church on Sunday and see a fight breakout! Few expect that! And thanks be to God it is rare. But, the Luke text for this Sunday has Jesus in his home town synagogue reading from Isaiah, making a few remarks, and the next thing he knows….the “congregation” is ready to toss him over the cliff! Sure….in the world, one can go to a number of places, e.g. a hockey game, and a fight is the standard! But, in a gathering place called to worship and love??! How can that happen?! Must be something about the Human Condition. As one wag recently said about a certain person running for office, “he’s an Old Testament politician running in a new Testament world!” (I will elaborate a bit on that in the sermon). If you stick around for a while, one can see that love is at work, yes, but conflict is the “workplace!” So, we are left to call upon God as our guide to see HOW love can overcome conflict. And the practices and habits that might just help make it happen!

If it doesn’t snow and ice…see you Sunday! Wear your gloves…the warm kind…not the boxing kind!

Blessings!

Pastor Barry