Whether you are visiting from out of town, resting amidst the heat, or about to set off on another summer vacation we are glad you are here. This morning we will be exploring the story of the feeding of the 5,000. Asking what we are to bring when we have nothing to provide, and experiencing what God provides in Christ in response.

Today we are continuing the readings from the gospel of Matthew. Jesus is

Welcome to worship at Mount Olivet! This Sunday we are continuing our Summer Sojourn with Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew. Today we are continuing to think about the nature of the Kingdom of God and our role in terms of agriculture. We are thinking about a field with a good crop that is infiltrated by evil and injustice. We are mindful of the ways that health and harm are intertwined as we seek to name the forces of wickedness in our midst.

This Sunday we are continuing our Summer Sojourn with Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew. Today we are thinking about dirt and seeds, sunshine and roots as Jesus tells us the parable of the sower. As you enter this space, let us think of the seeds that we are planting and the ones being planted in our midst. Let us contemplate that which roots and grounds us and gives us our being.

Doesn’t it seem like we are never satisfied? We exhaust ourselves in pursuit of our goals, and when they are realized we find we are still unfulfilled. We expect much from our world, from our leaders, from our God. We expect much from ourselves. All this expectation is tiring. In Matthew we learn that the solution is aligning with Christ, the true source of fulfillment and rest.

Almost every church and business has the word "Welcome" on it's building or website. But do we mean it?

This morning we are thrilled to welcome guest preacher Rev. James C. Turner, Jr. to our pulpit. Rev. Turner pastors LaPlata AME Church in Maryland and is a member of the Howard Thurman D.Min cohort with Pastor Sara.

We gather today to celebrate transitions and vocation honoring both seniors and students who have graduated and asking a deeper question of what God in Christ Jesus is beckoning us towards in our life. As the story for this morning says, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Through prayer, proclamation, and worship we seek to labor for whom our labor is never in vain.

If we add anything, any should or must, any label, then Paul is absolutely correct, as Jesus would have died for nothing.

Today is Trinity Sunday or the first Sunday in the season of Pentecost. As we ponder the nature of the community within the triune God, we will also welcome our Confirmation class into the membership and community of Mount Olivet. We hope that you find inspiration and peace this morning as well as the reminder that we are never on our own.