From Pastor Lori:
I’ve had several people ask me what the word “laity” means. The church is made up of clergy and lay people. Clergy are folks like myself who have responded to a call to ministry and entered into a life of religious service as a vocation. Everyone else is laity. Most likely, that includes you! Regardless of whether we’re clergy or laity, by nature of our baptism, we are all called into ministry.
Our United Methodist tradition has a long history of celebrating Laity Sunday dating back to the late 1920’s. Like Methodism today, early Methodism would not have survived and thrived had it not been for lay persons in ministry. It is often the tradition to invite a lay person to share a reflection on this special Sunday.
Today we have the privilege and joy of having Caryn Blanton, co-chair of Shoreline Community Services, share the message for Laity Sunday.
For those of you who have met Caryn, you know that she has a keen sense of organizing, an unflappable commitment to helping those in our community who are most vulnerable and a deep faith that drives her work. For those of you who don’t know Caryn, I’m glad you’ll get a chance to meet her. She inspires me as I seek to answer my call with faithfulness and integrity. I trust that she’ll be an inspiration to you as well!
Scripture passages: Isaiah 61:1, 3-4; Isaiah 58:10-11
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