Monday - more than Church on Sunday

Prayer:  Great God,  may we prepare the way  for all to return to Your love and Your peace.    May everyone know that in You is all our hope and joy. In  Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read St. Luke 7:  24 – 35

When John’s Disciples went back to report to John,  Jesus turns to the crowd and says  “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild?  A weekend camper?  Hardly.  What then?  A sheik in silk pajamas?  Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot.  What then?  A messenger from God?  That’s right,  a messenger!  Probably the greatest messenger you’ll ever hear. “   (St. Luke 7:  24-26  The Message Navpress,  2005).

Jesus is telling the crowd that John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of the One.   John the Baptist, prophet and messenger,   preached repentance – return to God and all is forgiven.     And people were baptized by John.   Ordinary and disreputable people were baptized by John.  There is clear evidence.  

Yet,  continues Jesus,  there are those in the synagogues and temple who will not repent and be baptized for they think they are already in one with God.     Instead those who are religious and learned religious were like spoiled children and refused to believe in the messenger and in Jesus.  Ouch.   Do you think the priests and elders were impressed with Jesus’ comments?

Do we have to watch out what we believe today?  While our sins are forgiven,   do we  need to be aware of what we are learning about the Christian life?  Indeed.  One can not be a Christian and just show up for Church each Sunday.     God calls us to share the Good News, so therefore  we need to read the Bible daily.   God delights when we worship God, so therefore we need to pray daily.  We are to bring Christ’s healing presence into our community, so therefore we need to meditate upon God’s Word each day through devotions and study of the Bible so that we can respond to our community with the presence of God.

 Prayer:  Immortal God,  may we share the Good News of Christ Jesus this day.  May You delight in us as we worship You each and every day.   May we bring Christ’s healing presence into our community.  May we meditate upon Your Word each day so that we can respond to our community with the presence of the Living God.  Amen.