One of today’s appointed readings is taken from the Gospel according to Luke. He writes:
Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”(Lk. 14: 14-23).
This passage has the ring of familiarity. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Sometimes we can be filled with excuses when it comes time to do God’s work. You and I can come up with all sorts of creative excuses. They are only limited by our imaginations. Some of our excuses may be motivated by laziness, while others are motivated by fear. Some others may be motivated by feelings of unworthiness. Some may be motivated by caution. However, the excuses do not make up happy, they do not make us complete. What makes us more human, what makes us more complete is doing God’s will as difficult as it may be.
Let us pray. Gracious God, sometimes when You call us to do Your work, we come up with all sorts of excuses why we can’t. Open our hearts to Your Holy Spirit. Motivate us to follow what Your Son Jesus calls us to do in building Your Kingdom always praying, and meaning it, “Your will be done.” Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
This Sunday for Adult Christian Formation, we will begin a short series on Sundays until Advent at 11:00 a.m. in Sutton Hall—Stump the Vicar. Bring your questions whatever they may be, about Scripture, the Episcopal Church, the liturgy, you name it, bring it! There will be a prize for anyone who stumps the Vicar.
Art classes begin Saturday, 13 November in the art room in Bright-Davies Hall. Please join Lee Runion. The class is free.
Thanksgiving luncheon, Sunday, 21 November, after the Eucharist. Please remember to sign up to bring a dish to share.
Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”(Lk. 14: 14-23).
This passage has the ring of familiarity. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Sometimes we can be filled with excuses when it comes time to do God’s work. You and I can come up with all sorts of creative excuses. They are only limited by our imaginations. Some of our excuses may be motivated by laziness, while others are motivated by fear. Some others may be motivated by feelings of unworthiness. Some may be motivated by caution. However, the excuses do not make up happy, they do not make us complete. What makes us more human, what makes us more complete is doing God’s will as difficult as it may be.
Let us pray. Gracious God, sometimes when You call us to do Your work, we come up with all sorts of excuses why we can’t. Open our hearts to Your Holy Spirit. Motivate us to follow what Your Son Jesus calls us to do in building Your Kingdom always praying, and meaning it, “Your will be done.” Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
This Sunday for Adult Christian Formation, we will begin a short series on Sundays until Advent at 11:00 a.m. in Sutton Hall—Stump the Vicar. Bring your questions whatever they may be, about Scripture, the Episcopal Church, the liturgy, you name it, bring it! There will be a prize for anyone who stumps the Vicar.
Art classes begin Saturday, 13 November in the art room in Bright-Davies Hall. Please join Lee Runion. The class is free.
Thanksgiving luncheon, Sunday, 21 November, after the Eucharist. Please remember to sign up to bring a dish to share.
Big Mista BBQ fundraiser for the Community Garden, Saturday, 11 December.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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