“If you're not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better.”

Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God. Muhammad Ali: (1942 - 2016 was an American professional boxer)

Gospel Text: (MK 3:1-6)

Jesus entered the synagogue.

There was a man there who had a withered hand.

They watched Jesus closely

to see if he would cure him on the sabbath

so that they might accuse him.

He said to the man with the withered hand,

"Come up here before us."

Then he said to the Pharisees,

"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,

to save life rather than to destroy it?"

But they remained silent.

Looking around at them with anger

and grieved at their hardness of heart,

Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."

He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel

with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Jesus’ words call us to focus on lifting each other up instead of putting each other down. They call us to bring life to our worship together instead of death (It’s not always the pastor’s fault).

May our desire to worship God with reverence not keep us from showing hospitality and joy!