"Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us"

Dear Saint Andrew’s,

What a glorious day!

As we look forward to our worship on Sunday, I invite you to think about Eucharistic Prayer C, which asks God to “open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us.”

Training our eyes to see the world this way is hard work! That’s why it’s important to join together with others who are on the same journey.

Coming to church is like going to the gym. Just as we exercise our bodies to keep ourselves healthy and strong, we exercise our spirits in a similar way. (This is a thinly veiled invitation to come to church this summer!) :-)

Our reading from Genesis 21: 8-21 is about training our eyes to see God’s hand at work in the world.

Sarah becomes jealous when she sees her son, Isaac, playing with Ishmael, the son of Sarah’s husband, Abraham, and the slave woman, Hagar. Abraham reluctantly sends Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness with only bread and water.

When their water is gone, Hagar casts her son under a bush because she can not bear to watch her little boy die. While she sits weeping, an angel of the LORD says, “Do not be afraid…. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand… Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.”

This is such a rich passage! I look forward to exploring it together.

Speaking of God’s hand at work in the world….

Please remember that we are bringing contributions to the H.O.P.E. food pantry EVERY Sunday this summer (since children are at home and the need is particularly great.)

In thanksgiving for all of God’s blessings,

Shearon+