New Members, New Wine, Old Skins--April 20, 2013

 When we are so comfortable with our fellow church members

that we are concerned over welcoming new members

(after all, they might burst our old wineskins,

and we really prefer our old wine),

and we quarrel about this,

then make us feel your

presence, O living God of Jacob;

make us tremble in fear before you;

for it is your church, not ours,

and you endure forever.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 92; 149; 23; 114

Dan. 6:16-28

3 John 1-15

Luke 5:27-39

Selected Verses

Ps. 114:7

 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD,
          at the presence of the God of Jacob…

Dan. 6:26a

"…I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, enduring forever.  …"  [King Darius, writing "to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world"]

3 John 10b

And not content with those charges, [Diotrephes] refuses to welcome the friends, and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

Luke 5:38-39

"…But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.  And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.'"  [Jesus to those who complained his disciples did not fast and pray]