The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Powers
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Exodus 32: 1-14

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the
mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him,
‘Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this
Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do
not know what has become of him.’ Aaron said to them, ‘Take off
the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and
your daughters and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off
the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took
these from them, formed them in a mold, and cast an image of a
calf, and they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought
you up out of the land of Egypt!’ When Aaron saw this, he built an
altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said,
‘Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.’ They rose early the next
day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-
being, and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down at once! Your people, whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they
have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded
them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf and have
worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, “These are your gods, O
Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”’ The Lord
said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are.
Now let me alone so that my wrath may burn hot against them and
I may consume them, and of you I will make a great nation.’
But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, ‘O Lord, why does
your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of
the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why
should the Egyptians say, “It was with evil intent that he brought
them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from
the face of the earth”? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your
mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them
by your own self, saying to them, “I will multiply your descendants
like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I
will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.”’
And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned
to bring on his people.”

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The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Powers
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Exodus 20: 1-20

“Then God spoke all these words,
‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before
me.
‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of
anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or
that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to
them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,
punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and the
fourth generation of those who reject me but showing steadfast
love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep
my commandments.
‘You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your
God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
‘Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord your God; you shall not do any work – you, your son or your
daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien
resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day;
therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
‘Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long
in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
‘You shall not murder.
‘You shall not commit adultery.
‘You shall not steal.
‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet
your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the
sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid
and trembled and stood at a distance and said to Moses, ‘You
speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, lest
we die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, for God has
come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that
you do not sin.’

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The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Powers
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Matthew 21: 23-32

“When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of
the people came to him as he was teaching and said, ‘By what
authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this
authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if
you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I
do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or
was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we
say, “From heaven,” he will say to us, “Why, then, did you not
believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin,” we are afraid of the
crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus,
‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by
what authority I am doing these things.
‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and
said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I
will not,” but later he changed his mind and went. The father went
to the second and said the same, and he answered, “I go, sir,” but
he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They
said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax
collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God
ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness,
and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the
prostitutes believed him, and even after you saw it you did not
change your minds and believe him.’”

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The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Powers
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Matthew 20: 1-16

“‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out
early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After
agreeing with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them
into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw
others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, “You
also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So
they went. When he went out again about noon and about three
o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and
found others standing around, and he said to them, “Why are you
standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has
hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When
evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager,
“Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last
and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock
came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came,
they thought they would receive more; but each of them also
received a denarius. And when they received it, they grumbled
against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden
of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them,
“Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a
denarius? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this
last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose
with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am
generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’”

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The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Powers
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Matthew 18: 21-35

“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if my brother or sister
sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven
times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you,
seventy-seven times.
‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king
who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the
reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to
him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold,
together with his wife and children and all his possessions and
payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him,
saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And
out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave
him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one
of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing
him by the throat he said, “Pay what you owe.” Then his fellow
slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and
I will pay you.” But he refused; then he went and threw him into
prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw
what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went
and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord
summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you
all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have
had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in
anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay
his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of
you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’”

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The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Powers
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Matthew 18: 15-20

“‘If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the
fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have
regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two
others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the
evidence of two or three witnesses. If that person refuses to listen
to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen
even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax
collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about
anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there
among them.’”

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