In our first parable, Jesus tells a story of 10 brides-to-be. Five come prepared to wait, while five do not. When the bridegroom arrives, only the five prepared are able to go with Him. Jesus makes the moral of the story clear: “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” On the one hand, not knowing day or hour can be confusing. But on the other hand, it frees us to grab this moment – and the next – for the purposes of living out God’s mission.

Scripture References: Amos 5:18-24, Matthew 25:1-13

More Sermons from Jeffrey Schooley

From Series: "A Matthew 25 Church"

In 2016, the PCUSA put forth a new initiative called “Matthew 25.” Everyone from individual Christians to particular congregations to entire presbyteries were encouraged to commit to being a “Matthew 25” church. What is that? The Matthew 25 movement “calls all of us to actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities.” Matthew 25 churches “recognize Christ’s urgent call to be a church of action, where God’s love, justice and mercy shine forth and are contagious.” Since the lectionary is serving up the three parables of Matthew 25 over the next three weeks, we will explore what it means to be a Matthew 25 congregation and discern if such a mission is part of our identity as a church.