An Excerpt from a Trinity IV Sermon by The Most Rev. John T. Cahoon, Jr., then Metropolitan, Anglican Catholic Church; Bishop, DMAS; & Rector of St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland

Today's gospel comes from a section of St. Luke's gospel which sounds very much like the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew. Jesus is giving a series of recommendations about how to live—proverbs of a sort. In this morning's passage he is addressing the issue, "How should we treat other people?"

Now we know that Jesus' basic instruction on how to treat other people, is "Love your neighbor as yourself." To love in the Christian sense is to act for the good of the other person without calculating the impact that sort of activity will have on you. The supreme example of love is what Jesus did on the cross. He got nothing out of his suffering and death, but we got our sins forgiven and the promise of eternal life in heaven with God.,

What Jesus has to say to us today spells out what love is a bit more specifically. First of all, he says that God will treat you the same way you treat other people. God will hold you to the same moral standard to which you hold others.

If you are critical of the details of another person's behavior, God will be critical of the details of your behavior. If you let other people's behavior get you so angry that you want to write them off and condemn them to hell, you run the risk of God's doing the same thing to you.

Does that mean we should have no standards at all as to what constitutes acceptable behavior? Of course not. If God wanted us to apply no standards at all to our own behavior or to the behavior of others, he would surely not have bothered to give us the Ten Commandments—or the commandment to love, for that matter.

Jesus is concerned about the spirit in which one applies the standards and draws one's conclusions. God applies his standards to our behavior, but he doesn't do it either to make himself feel good at our expense or to have a good reason to send us to hell.

God applies his standards to our behavior to get us to see where we have gone wrong and to give us the opportunity to admit our sins, say we are sorry, and then with his help do better. That is what Jesus means by the words, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

Mercy does not mean calling wrong right or overlooking bad behavior. God wants to bring us to judgment about our bad behavior so we can turn away from it and be saved. We like to use another person's bad behavior not as an opportunity to bring him to repentance and salvation but as a way of making ourselves feel good by comparison. That is not how God acts, and it is not the way he wants us to act. . . .”

All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee
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Upcoming Events
Sunday Services, 7:45, 9:00 & 11:15 AM nursery care provided during 9 & 11:15 AM services  (for online participation for the services go to: https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland/ )
Nursery at 9:00 AM & 11:15 AM Services

Sunday School & Men's Group on recess for the summer

Wednesday at Noon – Holy Communion

Saturday July 28, All Saints Anglican Church, Women's Prayer Seminar, Click here for details
Parish Picnic, Sunday September 18, Fort Hunt Park after combined 10 AM Service (7:45 AM Service will be held)
 
Next Vestry & Men's Group meetings in September

Please pray for everyone on the parish's prayer list that is in the attached bulletins.

Food Donations 
Please help this month with a food donation if you are able. Christ House is very thankful for the food we provide to them each month. Please also buy low sugar cereals (and not the kid's types that have lots of sugar).  Current needs include the following:
• canned meats (chicken, corned beef, spam)
• peanut butter
• jelly
• tuna
• canned vegetables (corn, green beans - (regular and low sodium)
• individual fruit cups (low sugar)
• canned fruit (low sugar)
• cereal (low sugar)
• pasta (regular and gluten-free)
• instant potatoes
• Macaroni & cheese kits
• Coffee, cooking oil, flour, sugar 
 
Updated List of Needs for MaRIH Center (crisis pregnancy center)
MaRIH Center with its all volunteer staff has been providing help to mothers-to-be and mothers in need.  If you can provide some of the items that are needed, please do so. (You can leave the donations where the food for the food bank is collected on the pew in the undercorft.)

Especially Needed
Baby wipes (an ongoing great need)
Diapers (sizes 1, 4, 5, & 6)

Clothing
Bibs
Sleep Sacks: Girls 0-6 mos.
Socks: Boy/Girl 2T
Short sleeved onesies: Boy/Girl 3-6 mos.

Others
Diaper rash ointment
Baby shampoo
Aldi, Giant, Safeway & Walmart gift cards (for food!)

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St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland
1607 Dewitt Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301-1625