Little Oslo

Saturday July 19^th, Matthew 13: "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"  11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.  Stories have a way of catching you on Monday morning.  They sneak past our defenses and inject the Gospel into our hearts without our being aware it is happening.  Garrison Kiellor does that.  William R. (Bill) White does that.  He was my pastor in High School  and is coming for a visit soon.  Go to Amazon and get a copy of his book or books, “Stories are for telling” is the name of one of them, and “Little Oslo” is his newest one.  Do yourself and your congregation a favor and order one or more today.