The Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost

The writer of Hebrews (12:18-29) reminds us that, in Christ, we’ve come to the very heart of God where Jesus the Christ mediates a new covenant, written not in stone but on our hearts.  The new covenant in Christ is a moment of crisis that reorients our lives in the direction of God’s kingdom of mercy, justice, and love.  Our awareness of this reorientation should strengthen us in running the race and should lead us to joy, gratitude, and worship.  Building on this idea, the healing story we encounter in this week’s gospel reading (Luke 13:10-17) is a vivid reminder that to worship God is to love and adore God and all that God has made, including our neighbor.  In other words, to worship God is to love neighbor, and to love neighbor is to worship the God in whose image our neighbors are made.