Our guest speaker is Rev. Kenneth Heintzelman from the Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Phoenix. As Pilgrim Church goes on its journey to decide whether or not to become a sanctuary church, our brothers and sisters of Shadow Rock offer their support. Today, the Reverend is speaking on the subject of sanctuary. This relates back to the reading from Luke which tells the story of Jesus not having a place to rest on his travels. Jesus is in solidarity with all those who are seeking a place to rest their heads. Rev. Heintzelman uses the imagery of rocks to help us reflect on the theme of sanctuary. The story of Jacob talks of him using a rock as a pillow then as part of an alter to help mark a special occasion.
Throughout history, people move. It is a natural human phenomenon. According to Margaret Mead, a sign of civilization is the ability to help those who cannot help themselves, showing compassion. Her example was a broken femur. The group stops, feeds, and cares for the person until they are better. Pilgrim has already taken some steps forward. We have seriously talked and learned what sanctuary involves. We have taken in several families seeking sanctuary in the U.S.. Rev. Heintzelman speaks of the journey his church took as they became part of the sanctuary movement. Taking inspiration from the bible and remembering our history, he asks how can you not offer others the help they need to find some sanctuary in our world today.