The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, At-Home Service for August 22nd

Some may recall a story that appeared last month in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It was about a house here in Fox Chapel, just down the road from our church building. That house on Riding Meadow (formerly Squaw Run Road East) was up for sale and supposed to have been vacant, but a man going by the alias of Noble Prince Kamoory El had, without any proper authorization, taken up residence. He removed the “For Sale” signs as well as the lockbox on the door, containing a key for real estate agents. He parked his car in the garage and moved some of his belongings into the house. When the listing agent learned there was no longer a key or lockbox she went to investigate. After she noticed furniture and signs of someone living in the house she notified the Fox Chapel Police who confiscated numerous large knives, semi-automatic weapons, and large amounts of ammunition. Upon returning to the property and discovering his things were missing, the squatter had the audacity to go to the Fox Chapel Police to report a break-in and the theft of his property. He was promptly arrested on two counts of felony trespassing.

Click here to view the at-home version of the service.

Pastor Rike’s Sermon

There is a connection between that news story and today’s First Reading from the Book of Joshua. The book has often been understood as a story about Israel’s conquest and possession of the Holy Land, beginning with the selection of Joshua after a 40 year, post-Exodus wilderness wandering. The book has provided accounts of spies who surveyed the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, the Israelites. Joshua described battles and great victories. A good portion of the book also described how much and which parts of the land were allotted to specific tribes or groups of people in Israel. The passage read today follows all of that, and even though it appears at the end of the same book it has cast some uncertainty on the conventional reading of Joshua.

Click here to read Pastor Rike’s sermon.


Video Options

Follow along with the service on video led by Pastor Rike, with music performed by Randy Broker.

The Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost Service for August 22nd includes:  
Intro 
Hymn- Lead On, O King Eternal! performed by the Randy Broker 
First Reading- Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Holy Gospel- Luke 6:56-69
Sermon by Pastor David Rike 
Hymn- Blessed Assurance performed by Randy Broker 
Prayers 
Blessing