Big thunderstorms today. They began about 2am and have continued non-stop since then. Wow. We did need the rain. But it will be amusing walking anywhere today..... hurrah for rubber boots!
Prayer: God, grant us the fruits of Your spirit so that we can live this day fully serving You. Grant us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This we ask in Your name. Amen.
Read St. Matthew 23: 29 - 32
Jesus continues with the fifth woe to you of “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites.” The Teachers of the Law and Pharisees were building granite tombs for the prophets and marble monuments for the saints… and declared that if they had lived back in the day, they would not have blood on their hands—they would not have killed the prophets. Jesus is stating that they protest too much and indeed they would have killed the prophets. Prophets are messengers from God who ask uncomfortable questions. Prophets are messengers from God who tell us we are not living Godly lives. Prophets are messengers from God that we would rather not have to listen.
While we shake our heads at the inability of the Scribes and Pharisees to see their own faults, how large are the faults of our own Churches? Do we worship each Sunday then forget to take the Good News out into the community in which we live? Do we sit by and do nothing when our Sessions and Ministers make bad decisions? Or do we ask God to help us see our inabilities and faults and to change those into fruits of God’s spirit?
Holy God, grant us Your Love. Holy God, grant us Your joy. Holy God, grant us Your peace. Mighty God, grant us Your patience. Mighty God, grant us Your kindness. Heavenly God, grant us Your faithfulness. Heavenly God, grant us Your gentleness. Almighty and Everlasting God, grant us Your self-control. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Many blessings!
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