The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the Road. James Tissot. 1886-94
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. ” ~Deuteronomy 10:17-19
Humans have been on the move since the beginning of time. Sometimes it is by choice, but most often it is because of climate disaster, war, persecution or other negative forces. There are roughly 110 million forcibly displaced persons in the world today. That is almost 3 times the current population of Canada. All these people need somewhere to go, to live, to be safe. In Isaiah 64:8, Isaiah says to the Lord, “all of us are the work of Your hand.” Not some. Not just the ones who look, think, and talk like us, but all.
Later in the Bible, in Luke, we have the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the death of Christ. They are completely unaware that the knowledgeable stranger who joins them on the road is Jesus. Welcoming Him to walk along with them, they converse with Him, and even invite Him to share their accommodation when they realize in the evening that he had none. Together they broke bread and rested. Though they had zero idea at the time, these fellas were literally showing the love of Christ to Christ. They welcomed the stranger.
Tuti Puol, originally from South Sudan, was a refugee in Kenya before coming to Canada. He landed in Sault Ste. Marie where he completed high school. He now resides in Kingston, and regularly attends services at St. Andrew’s. This Sunday he will share his journey with us, and speak also of the plight of other refugees seeking a safe place to live. We thank Tuti for gifting us with his story.
Thanks also to John Hall, Rory Warnock and Lori-Kim den Otter, for contributing to our worship this week.
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/D_7zWtp7rL8?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.