Ephesians 1:11-23 and Luke 19:1-10 Paul had heard of the Ephesians faith through the way they loved others. Would Paul and the saints in the great cloud say the same about us? Zacchaeus gives an example of faith that is like this, a faith that is "public, obvious, and communal." (credit to Jill Duffield for this description)
Read MoreIsaiah 65:17-25 Isaiah's promise of a new heaven and new earth is filled with real, tangible blessings for the people returning from exile. God invites us to work for the new heaven and new earth, to bring real, tangible blessings into the lives of those we encounter right around us. Our stewardship of time, talent, and treasure is vital to this work.
Read MoreThe parable of Lazarus and the rich man shows that greed that results in the hoarding our blessings and ignoring the plight of our neighbors is deadly. It is deadly to both those in need and those with blessings. The good things we enjoy in this life are given so that we can share them with others.
Read MoreThe dishonest manager realized he had to change or face judgement He ceased squandering and began using his boss' resources to curry favor with others. We face a judgement in creation and we must change the way we have used God's creation. We must move from an ethic of "Mine!" to sharing with others, particularly with the poorest of the world.
Read MoreToo often when it comes to how we view creation, we act like the fool of Psalm 14 and the self-righteous man in Luke 18 who see no need for God. We need to remember we are to be stewards of creation, caring for it with the same love God shows us. We need to remember we are sinners and need to repent of our wasteful and abusive behavior towards creation. When we do, God rejoices and helps us return to wiser ways of living.
Psalm 1: The righteous are grounded in God's will and connected through God to one another. We are also connected with each other through God's creation. Our connections in the body of Christ and in creation call us to seek justice and righteousness. Our choices and lifestyles must include care for creation and wise use of its resources.
Read MoreThe righteous understand with humility that anything they have are blessings of creation. These are not had without hard work, both from themselves and others. Love of the commandments lead them to respect for Sabbath and generosity for the poor. We learn from their example that all the blessings of creation are for sharing. We should work to preserve these for future generations and help those who are suffering from the consequences of our misuse of creation.
Read MoreIsaiah 58: 9b-14 and Luke 13:10-17 Jesus healed a woman who had been for 18 years - she could not stand up straight. We can follow Jesus' example by noticing suffering, speaking healing words, and touching those who are burdened, helping them lift their burdens. When we do this we will be blessed by the great joy that ensues.
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