Re-entry

I'm back from Study Leave.
Re-entry is always overwhelming.
Stacks of mail...phone messages...emails...pastoral care needs...the coming Sunday.

I focus on pastoral care needs first.
Made one hospital visit today.

Began looking at Sunday's texts.
Can't get a grip on what the focus should be.
The Burning Bush passage is one of my favorites in Scripture.
When I took CPE decades ago I wrote a whole paper on that passage
which summed up my theological framework.
Exodus 3 gives us Mystery, Vocation, Covenant, Caring, Reverence,
Being, Eternity, etc, etc.
This Sunday's passage from Matt. 16 lets us see Jesus telling of his Passion,
and Peter trying to manage the Messiah.
Resistance to suffering.
Desire for a comfortable gospel.
Jesus calls Peter a name! (Satan -- Enemy)
The Rock becomes a Block -- a stumbling Stone.
That's preachable.