Today’s Meditation;

The greatest contribution we can make to the Body of Christ is inviting someone else or helping a newcomer feel genuinely welcome so that she or he receives what we have received. ~Bishop Robert Schnase

Welcoming Guests and Announcements – Pastor Ross

Hymn Sing – Congregational Hymn Pick

Prayer Concerns – Pastor Ross

Pastoral Prayer – Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer, Lord’s Prayer

Scripture Reading – 2 Kings 5:1-14 – Pastor Ross

Message – Why Did You Invite?

Communion – Pastors Linda, Ross & Dave

Benediction – Pastor Dave

2 Kings 5:1-14 – New Revised Standard Version

The Healing of Naaman

¹ Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from a skin disease.

² Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

³ She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his skin disease.”

⁴ So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.

⁵ And the king of Aram said, “Go, then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments.

⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his skin disease.”

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his skin disease? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”

⁸ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house.

¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”

¹¹ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease!

¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage.

¹³ But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

¹⁴ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Healing of Naaman, Syrian General, begins when Israelite slave shares her faith & where he can find healing in Israel. How we can invite, share our faith as she does. United Methodists often more shy, quiet. Sometimes we’re best kept secret.  Good welcome makes big difference. How we can be more invitational

Naaman, powerful general, had leprosy. Helped by unlikely source: Israelite slave girl. She sees need & responds-freely shares her faith. She believes there is a source of healing in Israel.  Think what might tell others about faith-how help/change us.

We feel empathy and compassion for those lonely, hurting, struggling with life, those who have emptiness or am itch for God. We want to help them find spiritual cure for what they’re seeking.

Learn to leave old self & fears behind. We put aside attitudes that get in way of our relationship with God. Here is an invitation to grow past old understandings. All of us need what only God provides: Healing. Help. Faith. We try control, design, orchestrate way God will work. God knows ways we need to meet faith, discover what God can do. God helps us invite others to this.