Thank You for Your Courage

“Coming to a faith community for the first time can be incredibly intimidating, especially if you are coming by yourself, especially if you have tried before and been wounded., especially if healing and love is what you are looking for … so much so that you are willing to risk making yourself vulnerable in hopes that you might find it…. Churches, synagogues, temples, communities that historically have been looked to to define righteousness and morality, who God is and on whom God smiles have a track record with that sacred trust of people’s hearts, lives and identity that is uneven at best and horrific at worst.  James Cone wrote, ‘The cross can heal and hurt; it can be empowering and liberating but also enslaving and oppressive.’ … and so it is with the church… And when you walk into a community of faith, or even if you’ve been part of one for a long time, it truly can be like a game of Russian Roulette where far more of the chambers are full than we like to admit.” Sermon by Mike Kinman from virtual worship at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at All Saints Church, Pasadena. Readings: Acts 5:12–16, Psalm 147:12–20, II Corinthians 4:13–15 and John 5:25–29. Watch the sermon on YouTube at https://youtu.be/DY7_mgRJLj4. Read the text of the sermon here: https://allsaints-pas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MK210502Thank-you-for-your-courage.docx. Watch Sunday Morning Live from May 2, 2021 on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/rFaloxeEsa8. Follow along with the service leaflet here: https://allsaints-pas.org/wp- https://allsaints-pas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210502StreamingLit1115am-1.pdf. Join us every Sunday of the Covid-19 era for services on Zoom at 11:15 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (and Rector's Forums at 10:00 a.m. when applicable). Know that you are loved! Follow All Saints Church on Twitter @ASCpas. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AllSaintsPasadena/. Donate to support the mission and ministries of All Saints at https://allsaints-pas.org/donate/donate-now/.