This Week at SOTH

From Pastor Kristen

In last Sunday’s gospel from Mark (4:26-34), Jesus tells two parables about seeds and how they are like the kingdom of God; or the reign of God. By comparing the reign of God to a mustard shrub that somehow grows big enough so that the birds can rest in its branches, Jesus tells his disciples that God’s reign is unlike anything else we can imagine or expect. 

Not only that, the mustard shrub, no matter how big it gets, is a plant that no one actually wants in their gardens or fields. It’s a weed that spreads underground and gets into everything, like the honeysuckle bush here in Missouri. Now, most of us might find comparing God’s reign to the honeysuckle bush rather distasteful, but if you’re looking for an image of something that’s persistent and resilient, this is a very effective. 

Like the seeds that are scattered in the first parable and grow automatically without anyone doing anything, there is comfort in hearing that God’s reign takes root and grows all on it’s own. And that, like the mustard plant, the reign of God is impossible to get rid of. That message is especially good to hear if you’ve been struggling with a sense of effectiveness – in particular during the past 14 months of pandemic restrictions. 

There may be a sense that the pandemic reduced our congregation’s ability to impact the neighborhood or the world around us. And it’s true that in some ways we were limited. But we still did what we could. And even as we sheltered in place and “would sleep and rise night and day” God’s reign continued to take root and grow. 

And like the pervasive mustard plant or the invasive honeysuckle, God’s reign reaches into every part of our lives; it settles in and makes a home, even when that feels uncomfortable. Because when God’s reign takes root and takes over, it changes and shapes all that we do and say. 

So, let us give thanks that the reign of God takes root and grows all on its own. And let us pray that God would grant us courage and faith, because once God’s reign takes root, it takes over our lives and changes everything. 

Sunday Worship

We are pleased to welcome you back to in-person worship at Shepherd of the Hills on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. Registration is not required for worship, and there is no limit to the number of people in the building at once.

A few things will be different from our pre-pandemic worship service:

• You may enter the building through any door, but masks will be required upon entry.
• Before entering the sanctuary, you will be invited to take a bulletin and a pre-packaged communion cup.
• In order to create social distance, the pews have been arranged to be six feet apart from each other.
• Offerings will be collected in a plate at the entrance to the sanctuary.
• Holy Communion will be shared at our seats, and we will not pass the peace.
• We will ask worshippers to fill out an attendance slip and place it in a basket on the way out of worship. This helps us with contact tracing as well as our own attendance records.
• There will be no coffee time following worship.

Online option to worship live at 9:00 a.m.

The worship service will be livestreamed from the Shepherd of the Hills ELCA St Louis YouTube channel. You are encouraged to click the “subscribe” button for our channel in order to get notifications when a livestream begins. Later in the day on Sunday, the video recording will also be linked on our church Facebook page.

Opportunities

SOTH Endowment Committee

Yardwork around the Church

New Contact Info?

Support Shepherd of the Hills

We encourage you to keep up with your pledged giving in support of SOTH’s continued ministry.

As always, you can mail a check to 4161 Cypress Road, St. Ann, MO 63074.

You can also give online by visiting https://www.churchtrac.com/donate?ui=0F8921C9

Please refer to instructions for setting up an online account.

Stay Connected

Please stay tuned to sothstl.org and this email list for updates.