The Parable of the Good Samaritan is among the most prominent and significant of the parables used by Jesus in his ministry. In the course of a conversation with a legal expert the question 'who is my neighbor?' is asked of Jesus. To answer that question Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which places an unlikely candidate in the role of the courageous protector. Through this parable Jesus challenges his audience then and his audience now to reconsider who we view as the other and to broaden the scope of who we view as our neighbor.

In the Bible we have many examples of people singing songs of praise to the Lord. In the summer months we awaken to a chorus of praise coming from the songbirds around us. As we hear the joyful song of the birds in this season, let us marvel at the majesty of God's Creation and rejoice in the Word of God that has been revealed to us.

Fran Jones leads this week's online ministry with a meditation on the book Postcards from Heaven by Claire Cloninger. In her book Claire Cloninger transforms selected Bible passages into little love notes from God. For our devotional Fran gives us a brief sample of these inspiring scriptures adapted into postcard format.

This week our online ministry looks at biblical prophets, the people called upon to bring the message of God to the world. During the reign of King Ahab, the Prophet Elijah spoke the Word of God by confronting the false prophets of Baal and by confronting the unjust and idolatrous behavior of Ahab and his wife Jezebel. We receive warnings about false prophets from many sources in scripture, from the book of Deuteronomy, the Prophet Jeremiah, the Apostle Paul, and also from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Thousands of years after the time of Elijah we can still find false prophets operating in the world today.

For this week's online ministry Pastor Bob marks Trinity Sunday with a discussion of the Holy Trinity. A cornerstone of Christian belief, the eternal Trinity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit comprises our essential doctrine of one divinity in three persons. Fran Jones concludes the devotional with a meditation on sorrow, reflecting solemnly on recent events. Drawing from Old and New Testament scriptures, Fran finds that solace can come from turning to the Man of Sorrows Himself.

In this week's online devotional Pastor Bob discusses the recent mass shootings committed in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.

'Love is patient, love is kind...' We continue our examination of the thirteenth chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, this week looking at verses 4-13. Paul's letter was directed at a church experiencing internal divisions, written as a reminder that the central occupation of the Christian faith is love. Knowledge and prophecy will fall away and in the end what remains, what matters most, is love. Fran Jones concludes this week's devotional with a somber reflection on hatred, responding to the recent massacre at a supermarket in Buffalo.

This week our online ministry takes a look at the first three verses of 1st Corinthians 13. In this chapter of The Bible the apostle Paul illustrates the centrality of love to the followers of Christ. Paul tells us that all achievements in knowledge, oration, prophecy, charity, and even faith are meaningless in the absence of love.

Fran Jones leads this week's online devotional with an observance of the National Day of Prayer. In troubled times we may turn to the cross to find stability. Using prayer as a cornerstone, we can share God's message and God's love with our children and with others.