Today’s Meditation;

There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second

way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” ~Fred Rogers

Welcoming Guests and Announcements – Pastor Dave

Hymn Sing – Congregational Hymn Pick

Prayer Concerns – Pastor Linda

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

Scripture Reading – Galatians 5:2‐6, 13‐15 – Ernie Gutierrez

Message – Finding Common Ground

Communion – Pastors Linda & Dave

Benediction

Galatians 5: 2-6, 13-15 – New Revised Standard Version

The Nature of Christian Freedom

² Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that, if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

³ Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law.

⁴ You who want to be reckoned as righteous by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working[b] through love.

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another.

¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

¹⁵ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Our world is so easily divided. Kindness towards one another is more possible when we seek to find common ground together. It starts for Christians by loving our neighbors as ourselves, a core teaching of Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

Church can be known for many things: doctrine, stances it takes, scandal. But to love as Jesus did is all that’s really asked of us. Love gives without reservation. We more readily find common ground when we love with acceptance, especially to those who struggle, or feel outside mainstream in life. In time where there is more intolerance, we remember how Jesus brought God’s love to people & places that were often forgotten or because of illness or disability, people for whom life been so difficult, people who were told they were insignificant.

A desire to build bridges, to trust that God is working across our differences.

Share kindness that is courageous and seeks to care for our common humanity. Kindness is being willing to place the importance of love and relationship above the importance of being right.