| August 25-31 Holiness: August 25. Little children, you are from God (1 John 4:1-6). One of the truths about human life is that we live in geographical neighborhoods and we carry within us our neighborhood values. �Little children, you are from God�- these words remind us that our deepest sense of origins is to be found in the life and values of God. To say that we are from God is to affirm our basic goodness as human beings and that the love of God for the world lives in our minds and hearts. No matter where we are, we can find this sense of home within us, return to it, and express the beauty of God�s love to those around us. O God, creator, I give thanks that no matter where I am, I can always call you my home. Amen. August 26. Jesus said, �Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!� (Matthew 11:20-24). Jesus experienced frustration and heartbreak in his mission, but he never lost his capacity for love. As he moved from place to place, he offered healing, hope, and best of all, his remarkably gracious presence. With Jesus, the last word is the word of compassion, offered in the midst of daily struggles. It is a word of grace from one who lived with a clear mind and a tender heart. O God of steadfast love, in all my varied emotions, show me what it means to be compassionate. Amen. August 27. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made (Psalm 145:8-14). As soon as our children were old enough to play with other children, we encouraged them to share. Learning to share not only makes life more pleasant, it is also a necessity as people make room for one another on our fragile planet Earth. Radical Muslims do not want to share with others. They want to force others off the planet, at any cost. O God of compassion, as I receive your grace may I share it with all people. Amen. August 28. Jeremiah said, �Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you made this people trust in a lie (Jeremiah 28:10-17). In order for faith to grow and mature, there must be truthfulness. �Living a lie� blinds us to the challenges that face us, and prevents us from calling upon appropriate resources to address those challenges. Jeremiah had harsh words for Hananiah, but at their root was the will of a loving God who desires that we not only speak the truth but live the truth. O God of honesty, grant me your truth, that I may face the future with a clear mind. Amen. August 29. I made the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord (Jeremiah 13:1-11). We spend enormous amounts of energy crafting things, relationships, and dreams. The truth of human life is that these creative acts do not always turn out as we intend. The clay vase leans badly to one side. The relationship does not result in a life that is truly shared. The plans for the city run into massive red tape. There is much talk in the Bible over ruined people and places, but there are also many stories of resurrection. Over and over again, God has shown a remarkable willingness to build on the ruined places, and on ruined lives. Just when it seems that God has reached the dead end of despair, a way is made out of no way and new life becomes a possibility even for a ruined people. May we approach the broken places in our lives with the same measure of hopefulness. O God of vision, renew me with your hope and love. Amen. August 30. �You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it�(Psalm 65: 1-8, 9-13). In his ministry, Jesus noticed individuals who were in desperate need of enrichment. To those people he brought the nourishment of water and food. Just as importantly, he offered the inspiring grace of his presence and friendship, which strengthened people in ways that even food could not. God of grace, fill me with your goodness, that I might be an ambassador of your grace. Amen. August 31. �Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news�(Romans 15:14-21). The sense of ambition in this passage is not about personal advancement or the accumulation of honor or wealth. It is about the desire to share the good news that God is alive and at large in the world. Christian faith does not ignore the human longing for greatness. In fact, Jesus encouraged his disciples to be ambitious. Whoever would be great, he said, must be the servant of all. The truly ambitious person is the one who wants to offer the possibilities of faith, hope, and love wherever they are needed. To encourage this kind of ambition is to be an ambassador of the peace that passes all understanding. O God of goodness, empower me to express, in word and action, your loving purposes for all of life. Amen. |
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