Our Gospel reading for this Sunday contains two interconnected teachings by Jesus. In the first section, Jesus discusses two tragic events: the killing of Galileans by Pilate and the collapse of a tower in Siloam that killed eighteen people. Jesus emphasizes that the victims in this first section were not worse sinners than others of their time, but he warns that all people need to repent to save their lives.
The second part is a parable about a fig tree that isn’t bearing fruit. A vineyard owner wants to cut it down, but the caretaker requests one more year to nurture it, fertilize it, and see if it bears fruit. If there is no fruit after that time, then it can be cut down. Both parts of the story underscore the themes of repentance, patience, accountability and most important, God’s mercy, It’s a powerful passage about self-reflection and taking action while there’s still time.
Our worship service begins at 10am on Sunday. All are welcome either in-person or on-line on Facebook and YouTube. The bulletin can be found on this website in the virtual bulletin tab. We look forward to seeing you as we travel with Jesus!
