08/31/2026
Vicar Steve shared a thought provoking poem called, "What Is The Shape of Your Cross?" at the end of his sermon today. It went along beautifully with our Gospel Reading from Mat.16.27-28:
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!β he said. βThis shall never happen to you!β Jesus turned and said to Peter, βGet behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.β Then Jesus said to his disciples, βWhoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Fatherβs glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. βTruly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.β