Good Sunday morning Siblings of Christ,

The Gospel for the 2nd Sunday After Pentecost ~Mark 3:20-35~ is what I think of as a “sandwich” passage.

There are two stories in this passage, but instead of putting them one after the other, one story is split in two like slices of bread, with the other one spread in the middle like the PB&J.  Both stories are about misunderstanding and accusation.

The framing story is about Jesus and his relatives.

Top slice of bread.  Rumor has gone round that Jesus has gone nuts.  That’s the top of the sandwich.  His family comes to collect him.  Maybe they’ll do a little intervention, get him back under control.

The second slice comes at the end.  Jesus declares that his true family is anybody who does God’s will.  He doesn’t really disown his mother Mary and whoever else showed up, but he does give them a surprising turn.  And he does declare that his followers, then and now, are his close kin.  To be Jesus’ brother or sister you need to actually do God’s will.

So, what’s the peanut butter?  In between the slices of bread comes another group of accusers.  In addition to the crowd and his family, Scribes have turned up to make accusations: Jesus isn’t just crazy, they say.  He is actually demonic.

In the heart of the passage, Jesus turns the accusation around on them with a bit of poetic theology.  Come as we learn about “Jesus, Family and the Will of God”.  Come!

Blessings & Peace,

Pastor Clarissa

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Bulletin – 2nd Sunday After Pentecost – 6 June 2021

2nd Sun After Pentecost – Jesus’s Family – Jun 2021

Devotionals 06 – 12 June 2021

Announcements – 6 June 2021

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Rev. Clarissa Martinelli

Pastor, Fifth Avenue UMC

323 South Fifth Avenue

West Bend, WI

262.334.2059

847.721.1826 (M)

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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful

beyond measure. I am a child of God.”  marianne williamison

Good morning 5th Ave. Family & Friends,

I greet you in the joy of Jesus Christ on this Trinity Sunday!

On Trinity Sunday we proclaim the mystery of our faith in the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One-in-Three and Three-in-One. 

Unlike other celebrations in the church’s liturgical calendar, Trinity Sunday centers on a doctrine of the church, rather than an event.  It celebrates the unfathomable mystery of God’s being as Holy Trinity.  It is a day of adoration and praise of the one, eternal, incomprehensible God.

Trinity Sunday, in a sense, synthesizes all we have celebrated over the past months which have centered on God’s mighty acts: Christmas-Epiphany celebrating God’s taking flesh and dwelling among us in Jesus Christ; Easter celebrating Christ’s death and resurrection for us; Pentecost celebrating God the Holy Spirit becoming our Sanctifier, Guide, and Teacher. It is, therefore, a fitting transition to that part of the year when Sunday by Sunday the work of God among us is unfolded in a more general way.

When the Spirit moves, amazing things happen. But they happen through the people who allow that Spirit to motivate them, to guide and direct them, to empower them for the work of making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  This isn’t a small thing, not just a personal, in-house thing. This is a transforming the world thing.

Move among us, Spirit,
and gather us together with you.
Take our many selves—
our lives, our loves, our ideas,
our questions, our speech, our silence—
and unite us as your people.
Give us the gifts of perception and understanding,
so that even as we dream your dreams and see your visions,
we may be able to witness to your presence
in our common life.  Amen.

In Christian love,

Pastor Clarissa

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Devotionals 30 May – 05 Jun 2021

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Note: There is no bulletin this Sunday. Bishop Jung and the Cabinet have recorded the worship service for Trinity Sunday.  Come, let us worship together on this Trinity Sunday.

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Rev. Clarissa Martinelli

Pastor, Fifth Avenue UMC

323 South Fifth Avenue

West Bend, WI

262.334.2059

847.721.1826 (M)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful

beyond measure.  I am a child of God.” marianne williamison

Service from Wisconsin Conference