Dear friends and members of Grace Baptist,

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July!  Mine was a bit eventful.  While playing a pick-up basketball game with members of the “old and slow” league at the Media Youth Center, I managed to twist my left ankle (of course I kept playing) and then injure my right foot when I heard a “pop” and felt some pain.  By the end of the morning, I was “slow” and felt “old,” very old.  Thankfully x-rays at the Urgent Care Center that afternoon revealed no broken bones.  The twisted ankle is much improved, but the foot not as much so I’ll be seeing a doctor early next week.

Last Sunday, we listened and learned about the Healing of the Syrian army Commander named Naaman. (II Kings 5:1-14). We learned his healing or salvation ultimately came from God.  We also learned his salvation came not through the politically powerful, but through a lowly slave girl, a prophet outside the king’s court and his own servants.  Finally, we learned it came through a simple step of obedience.

This Sunday we’re going to continue our journey with Naaman and the prophet Elisha as found in II Kings 5:14-27.  We’re going to see how different characters in the story respond to Naaman’s healing to Naaman’s salvation.  We’ll see how Naaman responds, how the prophet Elisha responds, and how a new character, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi responds.  Through this narrative drama we will consider our own responses to God’s gift of salvation to ourselves and to others.

How do we respond when we receive God’s gifts of healing?  How do we respond when others, including perceived enemies receive gifts, including God’s healing and salvation?  How inclusive and expansive is our theology of grace?

Pastor David