Outside looking in


No one is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all people; neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in,
save only our own unbelief. –John Calvin


I was raised in the church. From the time I was very little, Sunday morning meant going to church. Sunday school meant reading Bible stories and taking home a paper filled with pictures of children in Jesus’ loving presence. The stories, the words all pointed to one thing: a loving God whose love has no boundaries. This was the message I grew up with.

But somewhere along the way, it seems, some church leaders started reading a different version of the Bible than the one I grew up on. Or maybe they felt they knew, better than anyone else, what Jesus really meant when he instructed us to love one another.

I don’t know about that. Somewhere in Scripture (Luke 2:49), it says the son knows the Father’s business better than anyone. For someone to suggest they know God’s heart better than—well, better than God—seems highly suspect.

Where do we get the idea that a person’s skin color is reason enough to deny them basic human rights? Scripture also reminds us that God has numbered every hair on our heads (Matthew 10:30) and calls us by name (Isaiah 43:1). We are all God’s beloved.

The least among us are first in the eyes of the Almighty.

Monday Is there someone you haven’t seen in church for a couple weeks (even though it’s been miserably cold)? Pray for them; then drop them a line or make a phone call. Ezekiel 34:11-16

Tuesday If your neighborhood is like mine, we often lose touch during the cold months. Reach out today to a neighbor whom you haven’t seen recently. Romans 13:9-10

Wednesday Today (or another day this week), if you stop for a coffee or a bite to eat, consider paying for the person behind you in line. Luke 6:37-38

Thursday Pray today for those who are hospitalized. Pray, as well, for those travelling to the Clinic for surgical care. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Friday Pray for folks who volunteer in our community. Consider volunteering your time or perhaps making a donation to a local organization. Ezekiel 36:26-27

Saturday Today as you pray for yourself, give thanks for the many opportunities you have to reach out to others. Pause and think for a few minutes: how is your life a living Gospel? 1 Corinthians 1:17

Sunday Pray for our local students of all ages, especially those who have come to study at our exceptional colleges and universities. Give thanks for their curious minds. Proverbs 1:20-21

Hell is nothing else but nature departed or excluded from the beam of Divine light. 
–William Law

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more