This Coming Sunday at BSM

August 13, 2015

This Sunday, Rev. Robert Arrington, our Seminary Field Education Student, will be preaching from Luke 10:25-37 on the Good Samaritan. The story of the Good Samaritan is a reordering of social expectations. Here, Jesus identifies true devotion as who you are and what you do, not your social status or family heritage. It’s not about how much Bible or theology you know or what you inherited from your ancestors; it’s about your attitude toward the outsider. Themes from the Golden Rule can be found in almost every faith tradition, which speaks to it as something foundational to humanity. However, what can get us most discouraged when trying to practice reciprocity is that there are so many people in need that it can be overwhelming. Because we can always do more, we have trouble doing anything at all. We have trouble feeling like what we do can make a difference at all. Still, Jesus’ parable points out that the Good Samaritan was not overly seeking ways to love his neighbor, but when the opportunity arose, he acted while others resisted. We all don’t have to quit our jobs and work for nothing at a nonprofit, but we all do have to reorder our priorities so that we are accessible to our neighbors.

“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But…the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” Martin Luther King, Jr.

We look forward to having Tony and the Montley Crew leading us in worship this Sunday. Here are the songs we have planned: Lord You Are Good by Israel Houghton, What a Friend We have in Jesus, Reach Out I’ll Be There by The Four Tops, Hezekiah Walker’s I Need You to Survive, Lean on Me, and Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher. Come out as we worship together!

Broad Street Ministry is a broad-minded faith community committed to extending radical hospitality and creating a spiritual home for all, especially those who feel like they don’t belong anywhere else. For more information click here.