Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Amid the familiar observations of Independence Day involving picnics, watermelon, and fireworks, a growing number of communities across the country are encouraging people to return to the day’s original meaning. Large cities like Houston and Chattanooga, and smaller towns like Twinsburg, OH, and Gadsden, AL, are inviting citizens to gather for a live reading of The Declaration of Independence.
We often forget that the power of the Declaration was not automatically revealed at the moment it was signed by the fifty-six delegates. After it was produced, it had to be proclaimed. It had to be shared. Without a concerted effort to distribute it to the masses, and disseminate it to the widest number of people, the document would have simply collected dust, becoming a mere footnote in the annals of history.
So, late afternoon on Thursday, July 4, the Declaration was sent to John Dunlap, a local Philadelphia printer, and by the next morning copies were being hand delivered on horseback to each of the thirteen colonies. It was not until Saturday, July 6, that the Declaration was printed in the first newspaper, the Philadelphia Evening Post.
And then, on Monday, July 8, a full four days after the Declaration was signed, it was read aloud for the first time to a group gathered at the State House in Philadelphia. After it was read, the crowds cheered, and bells throughout the city rang all day long. Similar scenes were replayed all throughout the new country: July 9 in New York City and Princeton, NJ; July 14 in Worcester, MA; July 18 in Boston, MA; July 20 in Newport, RI; July 29 in Baltimore, MD; August 5 in Richmond, VA; August 10 in Savannah, GA. Each time, the people erupted with celebrations, firing muskets into the air and tearing down British emblems. A feeling of jubilation steadily swept throughout the colonies.
In order for good news to mean anything, it must be proclaimed. A singular event like the signing of the Declaration is momentous only to the degree that its power is shared with others. Likewise, the good news of the gospel is transformative only when it is transmitted, through the faithful witness of disciples of Jesus who dare to proclaim it boldly through words and actions.
In Luke 10, the Lectionary text for this Sunday, Jesus commissioned the disciples to go out in pairs to serve as messengers of the good news. Like couriers on horseback in 1776, they were to travel the countryside, speaking to anyone who would listen, telling them about their newfound freedom. And just like the colonial Americans responded with jubilation, listen to how the disciples returned from their missionary ventures:
The seventy-two returned joyously, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name.”
Notice that word joyously. It’s one of Luke’s favorites. He uses it ten times throughout his gospel, more than any Matthew, Mark, or John. And notice the times when he uses it: to describe the precise reaction one has in response to the good news of Jesus Christ:
- The angel: “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. (Luke 2:10)
- The persecuted: Rejoice when that happens! Leap for joy because you have a great reward in heaven. (Luke 6:23)
- The company of heaven: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives. (Luke 15:7)
- The men on the road to Emmaus: They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem overwhelmed with joy. (Luke 25:52)
Luke continues to revisit the theme of joyful jubilation every time another person experiences the good news of freedom. It’s his way of clanging the bells, firing the muskets, and tearing down the emblems of sin and oppression at every turn. But make no mistake: Luke is very clear that good news must be proclaimed if it is to have any power. And that’s why he marches the story of Jesus right into the story of the church in Acts. In order for the gospel to be transformative, it must be transmitted.
This Thursday, I hope you will have a festive, relaxing, and safe time with family and friends, celebrating all that makes this country so great. And I hope you will join us this Sunday as we take a closer look at the the story of Luke 10:1-20, receiving again the call by Jesus to be messengers of freedom for all those crushed by the tyranny of sin.
It is a joyous declaration, indeed.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
CHURCH WIDE PICNIC AND POOL PARTY JULY 14
Join us once again for our annual church picnic at Gillette Park on Sunday, July 14, at 6:30pm, followed by an exclusive pool party at the Bacon Aquatic Center. Meats, buns, and paper products will be provided, and admission to the pool will be covered by the church. You are invited to bring your own drinks and a side dish or dessert to share.
DRYWALL HELP NEEDED
The one outstanding job related to flood recovery involves the installation of drywall at the home of Bob and Sandy Kirschner, whose home just north of town had to be stripped down to the studs since flood waters rose into their main floor. The amazing duo of Greg and Marie Conklin with Neighbors Across the Land will be returning on July 5-6 to install new drywall, and they are looking for anyone to come help. If you are interested, let me know.
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