^33 "But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers (Luke 10:33-36)?”

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer who asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” After declaring the Great Commandment—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.”—Jesus assured him, “Do this, and you will live.” Seemingly unsatisfied with Jesus’ answer, the lawyer asked, “And who is my neighbor?”

According to Jesus, the Kingdom of God defines a neighbor quite differently. Not only was the Samaritan in Jesus’ parable quite different from the Jewish lawyer posing the question, the Samaritan would have also been very different from the man he found who had been left half dead. This man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, which means he was probably Jewish. The road that led from Jericho to Jerusalem was the way most Jews took when traveling to Jerusalem because it routed them away from Samaria. Though this road would have taken them longer to reach Jerusalem, it would have allowed them to avoid any contact with Samaritans who were believed to be unclean. At that time, Samaritans and Jews did not live near one another, did not live like one another, and would have found it almost impossible to relate to one another.

And yet, according to Jesus, the Samaritan in his parable exemplified what it means to be a neighbor, despite his lack of proximity, similarity, or ability to relate to the stripped and beaten man he found. What was it then that made the Samaritan a neighbor? I believe it was his response to the needs of the person in front of him. He discovered a person in need, was moved with compassion, and chose to take care of him. This was the criteria Jesus used to define and illustrate what it means to be a neighbor—those who show others compassion and choose to help.

We may not encounter someone who has literally been stripped, beaten, robbed, and half dead, but we are surrounded by people in need. Those who have been stripped of their dignity and robbed of their self-worth due to sickness, disease, a health crisis or old age. We encounter people every day who have been beaten by the painful blows of grief, depression, divorce, abuse, bullying, and a number of other losses. We come face-to-face with people every day who are physically exhausted, mentally drained, emotionally shattered, and feel spiritually half dead. Their needs might not be as obvious as the man in Jesus’ parable, but if we look carefully and listen closely, it will not take us long to see and hear the desperate needs and heartfelt pleas of the people around us.

Fred Rogers, whose iconic invitation Won’t you be my neighbor?, once said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. '” According to Jesus, regardless of proximity, similarity, or relatability, a neighbor is one who helps. Someone who has compassion for the needs of another, and does what they can to take care of them. Apparently, loving God and loving neighbor is accomplished best by choosing to be a neighbor. When asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?,” Jesus offered the Great Commandment. When asked how to apply it, Jesus gave an illustration of what it looks like to be a neighbor. His conclusion, “Go and do likewise.”

Travis' sermon this week is titled "An Uncomfortable Detachment," and the scripture is Luke 19:1-10. Morning worship is at 8:45 and 11:00 AM, with virtual options. If you choose to worship virtually, you may access our livestream through our website or FB live. Sunday School is at 9:50 AM, and we have classes for every age and stage.

Read this week:

Meditate: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

Prayer: “A Christian is one who points at Christ and says, ‘I can’t prove a thing, but there’s something about his eyes and his voice. There’s something about the way he carries his head, his hands, the way he carries his cross - the way he carries me.’” -Frederick Buechner

Kids in 3rd - 5th grades are invited to attend our first crew of the year this Sunday, August 22nd! Meet in the church parking lot at 3:45 PM. We will head to Read Mountain Swim Club on the church bus. Cost is $9 for the pool, and pizza will be provided. Pickup at the church at 6:00 PM. More details to come through email. Questions? Contact Sarah.

This Friday, August 20th is the deadline to sign up and pay for the JOY Seniors' August Luncheon next Tuesday, August 24th. Entertainment will feature Phyllis Ertell and the Hat Show Ladies, based on comedy and scripture. Box lunches will be ordered from Hollywood's Restaurant & Bakery. The cost of the boxed lunch is $10 and will include a sandwich side, brownie, chips, and ice cream. Please plan on joining us at noon in the gym. Come early to enjoy the fellowship.

The JOY Seniors will be taking a trip to Lexington on August 26th to tour the Jackson House and Museum, VMI Museum, and Oak Grove Cemetery. We will also take a narrated carriage tour of historic Lexington. The cost is $25 plus the cost of your lunch. We will depart the church parking lot at 8:00 AM. You can pre-order your lunch by making selections on the menu available in the church office. This trip is limited to 30 people, and the deadline for signing up is Tuesday, August 24th.

*Sunday, September 12th- Welcome Back Night- We will be holding a church wide "welcome back" to our regular schedule and events at the Herman L Horn picnic shelter from 5:00-7:30pm. We will have some games and most importantly the Blue Cow Ice cream truck!!

*Sunday, September 19th- First Youth Choir and Extreme of the New Year- We will be returning to our pre-Covid Sunday night schedule. 5:00pm Youth Choir, 6:00pm Snack Supper, and 6:30 pm Extreme.

Parents and leaders: Please let me know if you would be interested in helping lead and chaperone in rotation or regularly for Sunday nights, Wednesday nights, or special events!

Plan to join us at 6:15 PM Wednesday, September 8th for our next Ministry Matters meeting. We will be discussing and/or voting on the 2021-22 Proposed Budget, among other business. You can find a copy of the budget by clicking here; paper copies are also available in the church office and on the table inside the C2 church office doors. If you have questions or concerns about the proposed budget, please contact a member of the VBC Budget Committee.

Our 7-session fall Bible study on Elijah (by Priscilla Shirer) begins September 8th in the Disciple Center. Plan to join us 10:00 - 11:30 AM each Wednesday, September 8th - October 20th. The participant's study guide is $16.99/each. You can sign up by calling the church office at 540-343-7685. Questions? Contact Susan Jones at 540-890-4887.

In person - 172

Online - 108

In person - 127

Online - 87

Sunday School - 213

Christian sympathy is extended to David Howell & Sara Fisher and families in the passing of their father, Wilson Howell, August 13^th; visitation is 6 - 8 PM today at Oakey's Vinton, and the funeral will be at 2 PM tomorrow in the Oakey's chapel. Christian sympathy is also extended to Becky Ingram and family in the passing of her brother-in-law, Donald “Wayne” Ingram, Sr., on August 9^th.

The Children's Ministry is in need of Children's Worship volunteers every Sunday. Thanks to all those who regularly help out! If you're interested in helping, but don't know what is required, please contact Sarah. Otherwise, please sign up here (dates available through September).

Use these questions as a guide as you continue reading Ruth Roe’s August book pick, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: