St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church

If you cannot attend in person, join remotely on Zoom or livestream the service. Links are at stjohnsinthemountains.org.

Wednesday night’s Family Holy Eucharist and supper begins at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to this casual midweek service and communal dinner.

Luke’s Gospel gives us the precious story popularly called “The Prodigal Son,” although the true central figure is the loving Father, who has two sons. No single story told by Jesus may have been able to summarize his entire ministry so succinctly. He tells it to explain himself to the elder sons of Israel, the religious leaders who disapprove of his search and welcome given to obvious sinners. How wonderful to see the heart of God revealed as wanting to gather everyone, the “not quite so good as they think” and the “bad” alike, into his feast.

“The saying is often true that ‘we are our own worst enemies.’ It is terribly easy for me to lose sight of God’s good and loving heart. Sometimes I run after my own desires to my own loss, and other times simply refuse the way God shows me. Other times I find myself criticizing and judging other people as unworthy or inadequate in some way. In each case, I keep myself out of the feast of knowing and sharing in God’s desire to seek and gather all. O Amazing Grace that gathers me, may I see with your eyes, and love with your heart!” — David S. Robinson, rector, Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church.

— Barbara Cunningham