Welcome to Riverside Anabaptist Collective! Glad you’re here! Lyrics Today’s Text: Matthew 18:21-35 The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g] 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Chris Scott is the pastor at The Exchange which is a Mennonite Church in Winchester, Virginia. Chris is also Facilitator for Emerging Faith Communities for Mennonite Mission Network. Chris has a BA in Bible and Religion from Eastern Mennonite University, an MDiv from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Church Planting through Asbury Theological Seminary. Chris lives at the top of Virginia with his wife, who is an artist and a high school art teacher, their two daughters, and a whole collection of animals. Message Response Song: Question for Discussion: * When you hear the word “forgiveness” what thoughts or emotions come to mind? * In the parable, the forgiven servant immediately choked and demanded payment from a fellow servant over a tiny amount. How does forgetting or minimizing our own need for God’s grace toward us lead us to be harsh or unforgiving toward others? * How can we unstop the flow of grace and mercy out of us once we have experienced that beautiful grace and mercy from God? * How can we move more fully into the river of Grace running to us and through us to the world God so loves? (Lyrics are in the description) Blessing I release you in the power of the Holy Spirit into the world God so loves, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the God, who sees goodness and grace in you - and walks proudly with you. Lyrics Riverside Anabaptist Collective is a community created to support small groups and congregations with simple worship resources. We do the work of crafting the service so that you can do the work of service. Our mission is to support you as you connect, lead, and love. * To receive this resource in your inbox each week, become a free or paid subscriber. * To help us get the word out, Subscribe to the Riverside YouTube channel and share our videos with your dear ones. * Begin your own small group. Here at Riverside, the service is crafted with leaders in mind. Is God calling you to lead? We provide resources for a simple service, leaving you free to focus on bringing people together. Loneliness is an epidemic, and we can help people get connected to each other and to God! With these resources you can do church anywhere, any time, with your dear ones. Picnic church? No problem! Hiking church? Easy Peasy! Church in the attic while you’re cleaning out? Still easy. LOL! * Does your pastor need a sabbatical but your congregation can not afford the paid time off? We’re here to help. Contact me privately to discuss how we can support you in your ministry. There are creative and cost effective solutions available! We are here to support you in your ministry! Many blessings! ~ Pastor Carmen Shenk This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carmenshenk.substack.com/subscribe
