A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: MERCY AS A PRACTICE
Grace and peace to you,
We continue our journey through Lent to Holy Week. On this fifth Sunday in Lent, we take up what it means to practice mercy. Merriam Webster defines mercy as: compassion, leniency, or restraint (as in imposing punishment) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another while the Biblical definition of mercy is similar: the compassionate treatment of those in distress, especially when it is within one’s power to punish or harm.
So mercy is definitely related to justice and 
forgiveness. Given these definitions, how easy do you believe it is to practice mercy and why were the religious and political leaders trying to trip Jesus up in his practice of showing mercy and compassion? Why isn’t practicing mercy as high on their, and frankly our, list of religious practices we undertake? Is it possible to repair harm we have caused if we aren’t shown mercy and forgiveness?
In her commentary on this week’s Scripture, Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dial writes this: “It’s not that I think practicing mercy is particularly easy. I doubt Jesus would talk so much about forgiveness and mercy if it were easy—God tends to repeat what we struggle to listen to. No, mercy is brutal… mercy makes no sense. It is not logical, or equally beneficial. Mercy does not make us money or make us look good.
“But mercy is what makes us God’s own. The receiving and extending of mercy in the most awful and improbable of places is what makes me know that God is still at work in this world. Mercy is a practice of hoping and knowing that there is more than the thing that hurts us—more than the thing that haunts us. This, too, is how mercy is part of God’s justice, for God’s justice is God’s joy”.
Mercy, justice, forgiveness – such hard topics to wrap our heads around and yet that is what we will hope to do on Sunday! Come and see, come and explore in community.
As we approach Holy Week, I wanted to share with you our service schedule:
Sunday, March 29: Palm Sunday with Pastor Lindsey preaching at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Thursday, April 2: Maundy Thursday/Good Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
A service that takes us through Jesus’ last day from the Last Supper to his death on a cross. We will provide you with a list of churches conducting a Good Friday service as well as a take-home devotion. See the sign-up information (below) for food items you can bring as we will prepare trays of food for each table. This service will be in person and live-streamed.
Saturday, April 4: Compline service in the Sanctuary at 8 p.m.
This service will also be in person and live-streamed.
Blessings,
Pastor Karen