Reflections from our Pastors

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Matthew 15: 21-28

The Canaanite Woman meets Jesus

Yesterday's Gospel reading is one of the most unsettling passages in the New Testament. This isn’t the Jesus we like to think about. This is Jesus apparently insulting and dehumanizing a desperate woman seeking the health of her daughter. This is Jesus writing Gentiles off as second-class citizens, calling them dogs. Jesus’ statement was full of prejudice and ethnocentrism.

This story calls us to confront Jesus’ humanity. Being human means being embedded in a culture. It means growing up with a certain worldview. It means inheriting traditions and language and biases—biases that can be wrongheaded and hurtful and alienating. Biases like the exclusion of Gentiles from the community of faith and the circle of those deserving compassion.

Jesus holds all the power in this exchange. The woman doesn’t approach with arrogance or a sense of entitlement associated with wealth or privilege. Rather she comes to him in the most human way possible, desperate and pleading for her daughter. And he responds with ethnic prejudice, if not bigotry. In our modern terms, we know that power plus prejudice equals racism.

Rather than being part of the solution to ethnic prejudice, Jesus seems to be very much part of the problem, according to this story. When confronted with the Gentile pagan in this story, he explains that his message and ministry are for Israelites only, a comment of ethnic exclusion and prejudice that calls to mind a similar refrain from a more modern time – whites only – that reverberated throughout the South not too long ago.

The Good News in this story is that Jesus doesn’t cling to his prejudice. He listens…Jesus listens. And he changes his mind. The hero of this story is not Jesus, but the Canaanite woman. Jesus had prejudices from his community that were magnified by his insulation from those who could challenge his views, but he listens when those views are challenged. He concedes his erroneous ethnocentrism and turns divine compassion toward all people everywhere. Jesus shows us in this story that inheriting bias is inevitable, but holding onto it is a choice.  Amen to that.

Mother Rosean

(Adapted from “Did the Canaanite Woman Teach Jesus not to be Racist?”

by Ian Paul, Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary.)

This Week at Mary of Magdala

301 Fellowship Group Meets TODAY

Hi everyone, let's meet!

• Open to all (21 and over 😊)
• Thursday, August 10 - 3:30 pm
• NEW BELGIUM BREWING, 

500 Linden Street

• Parking - Matrix Parking lot at 450 Linden Center Dr.

It's been two years since we visited. And on August 10, the MAC'N FOOD TRUCK will be on location for plenty of snack foods! 

While there, hope we can have a discussion about possibly renovating the circle garden in the front of the church. This can be a 301 Fellowship project!

See you there!

Len Russ

Annual CSU Student Welcome Event

Collecting items this week!

Downsizing? Have an abundance of something a student apartment could use?

The annual Student Welcome Event is Saturday, August 12 from 10 am-1 pm at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ. Students associated with LuMin’s Student Housing Security Initiative will be housed, two to an apartment, in furnished CSU apartments and empty kitchen cabinets.

International student housing will be more varied. In either case, the purpose of the Welcome Event is to provide, at no cost to the students, items that will help them make their space functional, conducive to study, comfortable and HOME. Begin now to set aside bedding, dishes/cookware, small appliances, etc.

Help them transform their apartments into HOME as fall classes begin.

Donations may be dropped off at Plymouth UCC at the following times this week:

· Thursday, August 10 -- 4:00-7:00 pm

· Friday, August 11 -- 10:00 am-1:00 pm

Questions? Want to volunteer? Email: mission@plymouthucc.org

Plymouth United Church of Christ - 916 W Prospect Road, Fort Collins

Details and list of suggested items to donate here.

--> RSVP This Week <--

All Are Invited to an Annual Event of the

Church of the Holy Family, ECC

You are cordially invited to the Church of the Holy Family Annual Mass and Picnic.

When: Sunday, August 20, 2023

Where: Home of Deacon Mike Weil,

5748 S. Quemoy Way

Centennial, CO 80015

Program:   9:30 AM 

Sound Bath presentation with John Gruenberg. A grounding, spiritual experience using Crystal and Tibetan bowls.

10:00 AM 

Mass with Bishop Kae Madden presiding

11:00 AM

Burgers, brats and beverages will be provided. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Seating: Bring your own lawn chair.

RSVP: By Wednesday, August 16 to Gayle Craun at phone/text 720.234.4590 or gcraun2001@yahoo.com

Request for Prayers

Please send prayer requests to marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Prayers will be listed for one month unless requested for longer. Prayers for the repose of souls will be listed for six months unless requested for a longer time.

Celebrating the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrate with Father Teri Harroun presiding on August 6. You can view the video of readings and Father Teri's homily here.

Mass Schedule

Sunday Aug 13 at 12:30 pm

• Mother Rosean Amaral is presiding In-person and with Zoom

Weekly Mass Wednesday, Aug 16 at

11:00 am

• Weekly mass in the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available

Sunday Aug 20 at 12:30 pm

• Father Michael Nicosia is presiding In-person and with Zoom

Weekly Mass Wednesday, Aug 23 at

11:00 am

• Weekly mass in the Fireside Room
• No Zoom available

Did you miss an article or announcement?

Past e-bulletins posted here



• Dedicating Altar Flowers? Contact Joan Stepleton at JoanStepleton@gmail.com or 864-650-2816. A $25 dollar donation is kindly requested.

• The purpose of the Mary Magdalene Society is to financially support aspiring and current priests and encourage the development of youth in their spiritual journeys. Read more here.

• The Summer newsletter from the Office of the Presiding Bishop of the Ecumenical Communion can be read here

• To read the ECC House of Pastors' Newsletter, click here



• An invitation to join the ECC Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Read Bishop Paul's invitation here

Mary of Magdala Parish Community

All are invited and ALL are welcome to join our parish community.

• Here is the webpage with more information on membership
• If you would like to contribute to Mary of Magdala, here are ways to schedule a single or recurring Sunday offertory.
• Need to view, update information or download a copy of the member directory? Just click here.



The ECC Regional Website is now live - View here.

Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal  

Click here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin.