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Hello, neighbor: Taking the Great Commandment Seriously

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'

We are starting a new worship series this Sunday we are calling "Hello, Neighbor!" In our Scripture passage this week to start out, we encounter Jesus' answer to a challenging question that I still think has significance for us today: "Who is my neighbor?"

When Jesus answered the question about how to get into the Kingdom of Heaven he said simply, "Love God and Love your neighbor." So this whole thing is really about love, but the question of "who is my neighbor" for 1st century Jews like the lawyer in Luke also had legal and even theological significance. Who your neighbor was as a Jew had to do with who had the same responsibilities you had. It's analogous to asking "Who is my fellow citizen?" 

Jesus' answer was profound in his telling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. And it puts a new spin on the Great Commandment for us. I look forward to exploring this with you this Sunday as we start our new worship series and explore what it means to be a good neighbor and how neighborliness can make our world better!



In the meantime, there is another way we can be good neighbors as a church. We are frequently asked for help in supplying basic necessities to our neighbors and keep things like that in our hospitality closet, but that has gotten low! If you would like to help us be hospitable to our neighbor, here is a list of items we need to restock:

  • Travel-sized Kleenex
  • Travel-sized Shaving Cream and Razors
  • Travel-sized Shampoo and Conditioner
  • Travel-sized Deodorant
  • Cup 'o Noodles 
  • Cheese and Crackers/Peanut Butter and Crackers otherwise known as "Nabs"
Thank you!




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