“Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.”
Joshua 24:1

Among the first scriptures we will read this Sunday morning are these words (above) about Joshua.  You could say that Shechem was a place were people traded worn out things for new. And it was a place where God made specific overtures to reaffirm his covenant of love with people.

It was at Shechem that Abram traded-in his old life for a new promise of God (Genesis 12). It was at Shechem that Jacob and his sons had a well that would become the life source for generations to come (Genesis 37). There they would trade in the past of an ugly, painful family grief for God’s waters of healing a grace. It was at Shechem (also know as Sychar) that a woman would trade-in her thirsty soul for the living waters found in meeting Jesus (John 4). And it was at Shechem that an aging, battle weary, Joshua would assemble the tribes of Israel to renew and rededicate them by trading-in their idols for life under God. Joshua would challenge them with his own immortal and inspiring words, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

This Sunday is Shechem kind of experience for us. As seasons begin to change and many are returning to school studies; so we are returning to familiar places. It’s an opportunity to trade-in old, weary and broken items of our past and receive the new, inspiring and healing waters of the grace of God. Shechem was the community well to draw upon and St. John’s aims to be the “community well” where we Meet… Experience… and Live from the well of God’s grace together. Just as past generations used places like Shechem to draw from the well and rededicate themselves, so we have the opportunity to do the same as a community.

It is a time to rededicate ourselves to Lord as Joshua did with his own generation. It is a time to rededicate our children to him as they return to studies in schools, near and far. It is a time to rededicate our own school team and faculty as a new year begins at St. John’s School. It is a time to rededicate our giving of tithes and offerings to honor God and further work of ministry. It is a time for us to rededicate our households to prayer, to the services of God’s house, to be life-long students in the word of God. The patriarchs built altars at Shechem. In our gathering and in rededication experiences this weekend, we are building an altar of our own. With them we say, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

St. John’s Family Theater
This weekend (Saturday, August 22 at 6:30p and Sunday, August 23 at 9:30a), I encourage you to celebrate our coming together “at the well” with a very special production, “Once Upon a Parable.” Youth and adults have been working throughout the summer to prepare this musical with our refreshment and rededication to the joyful study of word of God together. “Once Upon a Parable” is a delightful presentation of lessons taught by Jesus and a fresh reminder to us all that learning God’s Word is participatory, and fun! I want to thank Marnie Smith who brought this production from dream to reality with her leadership and grace. The production is dedicated to the memory of our Pastor David Smith and it is the first time we’re using the stage for a musical with brand new curtains and draping (memorial gifts to the congregation). It is an inspiring way for us to listen to the stories of Jesus-- one fitting of Pastor Smith’s love for musical theater.

{For a bonus article of the week, see "Clean Starts" a back to school report and letter of encouragement from Pastor Bill}