Monday, July 14, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 9:1–6
Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere. (nrsv)
Reflection
Jesus says to the disciples, “Go as you are.” Some days that’s good news. Some days I’d like to go as I am instead of getting all involved in showers, hygiene, appropriate clothes and coats. But I’m afraid you wouldn’t always like what you got on those days, looking just as I did when I rolled out of bed, wearing the same tunic (as Jesus puts it) that I’d been wearing for weeks. Not necessarily a pretty picture. But that’s the point. Jesus was more concerned about the what—what the disciples did—than how they looked. He called on them not to worry so much about how they appeared or what they knew but in whom they trusted.
Our suits and ties, hose and heels are often the way we find to protect ourselves. These guards prevent us from relying so much upon factors beyond ourselves. Who among us trusts God enough to leave all possessions and heed the call of God? It isn’t easy to be less concerned for ourselves than we are for proclaiming the gospel. But that’s what we hear Jesus saying. Put first the call to minister in my name. Put first the needs of those you encounter. Put first following me. It’s pretty clear. Jesus comes first. It isn’t always easy and yet it’s our challenge as Christians. Put Jesus first. Then worry about what you’ll wear and what you’ll eat and where you’ll go. Put Jesus first!
Prayer
Remind me, O God, that you call me to first follow Christ and later worry about the other things. Give me the courage to go as I am ministering in your name and believing that you can use me however I appear. In the name of the one who calls. Amen.
Written by Dana Ferguson, Executive Associate Pastor
dferguson@fourthchurch.org
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 9:12-17
The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (nrsv)
Reflection
Like many mothers, mine was a genius when it came to transforming meager fare into what to me as a child seemed a banquet—with leftovers yet. The story of the feeding of a huge crowd of people occurs in all four gospels, attesting to its import in the minds of the gospel writers.
Reading any of the four accounts encourages me in my ministry when I fear that what little I think I have to offer is not nearly enough to meet the enormity of the need I may encounter in others. Like the disciples, I want the need to go away so that I won’t have to deal with it.
Yet God won’t let me off the hook but continues to challenge me to do what I can with what I have. In many instances that may be only to pray for others, and prayers can seem paltry at times.
I am learning, however, that when I commit whatever resources I may have to offer to God, trusting that the miracle of multiplication can occur, more often than not the results can be amazing and sometimes more than enough—not always, but with just enough frequency to remind me that it is not about me and my scorecard, but about God and God’s grace. To those who are hungry, a little can mean a lot.
Prayer
Thank you, dear God, for helping me to see that in your hands a little can become a lot when it is given for the sake of others. But keep reminding me, because I sometimes forget. Amen.
Written by John H. Boyle, Parish Associate
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:1-11 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (NRSV)
Reflection Are you in the midst of planning a summer vacation? Have you mapped out your route or made your airline reservations? Have you booked a bed and breakfast, decided what sites to see and restaurants to experience? We expect to make plans when we travel, and we plan on having a good time. Travel in the Bible is different. From the sojourns of the Israelites in the desert to the travels of Peter, Paul, and “the Seventy” in today’s story, travel represents challenge. Can you imagine being one of the pairs Jesus sent out “like lambs in the midst of wolves”? You would be making none of the usual preparations, departing without packing, making no dinner reservations—just heading out, knowing that Jesus expected you to take your chances on being welcomed based on the greeting, “Peace to this house!”Travel in biblical times was rougher as described by Old and New Testament writers—not just due to the lack of amenities, but because it represented building a deeper relationship with God. Spiritual journeys are not always part of our vacation plans, but they can be. Why not seek spiritual and physical rejuvenation? It may mean setting aside the beach novel occasionally in favor of an inspirational book; it may lead you to go on a solitary bike ride and pray. In other words, you don’t need to start by going into the streets and proclaiming, “The kingdom of God is come near!”Discipleship is a marathon, not a sprint. Why not add “travel a few more miles with Jesus” to your vacation list? It is what God has been asking God’s people to do for a long time, and the good news is that God’s Holy Spirit accompanies us on that journey into the unknown.
PrayerGod of all our journeys. Travel with me this summer so that I might return refreshed and ready to do your work in the world and that along the way I might learn a little bit more about discipleship and what you are calling me to do with the life you have given to me. Amen.
Written by Beth Truett, Executive Director of Chicago Lightsbtruett@fourthchurch.org
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 11:33–36
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.” (nrsv)
Reflection
“He finally saw the light.” Implicit in that familiar statement are the questions “What took so long? How could he have missed it?”
Light is rather obvious, after all. Even the faintest flickering light stands out, is noticeable, in a dark space. Yet, we still don’t always see that which is right in front of us, all around us. In the passage preceding today’s text, Jesus notes that the people of his generation are looking for a sign and yet they miss the sign greater than all those that have gone before. The people of Nineveh repented upon hearing the message of Jonah, he says, and yet here, among the gathered crowd, is one who brings an even greater message—and the people do not see it.
That message is from one who fills all with light, a light that shines into every corner of life. Those seeking to focus solely on ritual cleansing, heeding sabbath legalities, and other proscriptions for particularities of life are overlooking, says Jesus, that life in God’s kingdom is not compartmentalized. It is about the light shining into every corner, illuminating and informing every thought and action.
Where are those parts of our lives where we have not let the light of life in God’s kingdom wash over all that we do and are, where we have let darkness linger? How might we today not only let that light shine forth to others but also completely fill us?
Prayer
“I want to walk as a child of the light.
I want to follow Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus. Amen.
(from the hymn “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” by Kathleen Thomerson)
Reflection written by Ann Rehfeldt, Director of Communications
arehfeldt@fourthchurch.org
Friday, July 18, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 11:37–41
While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.” (nrsv)
Reflection
One chilling sequence in The Godfather shows a hit man stalking and murdering his prey, while parallel interposed scenes show an elaborate baptism ceremony in a church, featuring the very man who has orchestrated the hit. Pious religious observance is paired with gross immorality.
Nothing got Jesus more riled up than the incongruity between religious internals and externals. He had more respect for a blatant prostitute or tax collector than he did for someone playacting their religion. In this he was directly in sync with the Jewish prophets, who said that God was much less interested in religious observance than in the life well lived, “doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
You and I could do worse in our prayers than asking Christ to cast a searching eye on our own lives. Where does the living of our lives depart from the faith we profess? Areas needing attention may well include the basics: common courtesy, respect, kindness, helpfulness, personal honesty.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, look upon my life today, and show me where my attitudes and my actions need to draw closer to my faith. Activate my heart and mind to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. Amen.
Written by Thomas Rook, Parish Associate
trook@fourthchurch.org
Monday, July 21, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 11:42–44
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.” (NRSV)
Reflection
A saying of the past that still rings true for me is “We major in minors and minor in majors.” Luke 11:42 seems to make the same point. You count the herbs in the garden for tithing, but you have missed the big picture of love and justice. Or as paraphrased in The Message, “You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God’s love.”
How easy it is for us to major in minors, whether in politics, the church, or our personal lives. Government can become caught up in small issues, making it hard to stay focused on issues of justice and love that would have us look at poverty, the environment, energy policy, or health care. In church life we are guilty of the same thing. We become focused on legalistic issues, sidetracking us from bigger issues of love and justice. But even on the personal level we can fall into the same trap with those whom we love, nitpicking a number of small issues instead of simply loving people for who they are. Luke says that when we get caught up in these legalistic ways, the joy of living that God intended becomes strangled: “You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs” (The Message).
Over and over again, Jesus makes the same point: to keep the great commandment to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. That is the major focus of our Christian faith and life, and that puts all minor issues in their proper perspective.
Prayer
Loving and gracious God, help us each day to stay focused on ways to make your kingdom in heaven become a reality on earth. Amen.
Written by Donna Gray, Minister for Children and Families
dgray@fourthchurch.org
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:1–7
Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (NRSV)
Reflection
God knows us better than we know ourselves, and God loves us deeply. God knows our thoughts before they are upon our lips, and God has counted even the hairs upon our head. Just as the lilies of the field outshine Solomon in all his glory and just as the sparrow does not fall to the earth unheeded, we too are precious to God. In fact, we are told repeatedly that we are of more value than even the most precious of God’s creations. Yet, we don’t always believe fully; we do not always take these promises to heart.
Because God knows us intimately and cherishes every aspect of us as unique creations, we might pray for more trust to help claim who it is we are and to live in pursuit of God’s purpose for us on this earth, knowing that we are loved, cherished, and intimately known by our creator. There is nothing we would say to ourselves in the dark that is not known to God. Therefore, there are no secrets.
Today, let us aim toward living fully in this knowledge. We need not worry about things because God knows what we need. Instead, we are invited to dedicate our efforts to trusting in this all-encompassing love of God, who created us, made us good, and has a specific purpose for each of us. If there is anything secret, it is the secret, inexplicable joy of a person who trusts in such an astonishing love.
Prayer
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Written by Alice Trowbridge, Associate Pastor
atrowbridge@fourthchurch.org
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:13–21
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (NRSV)
Reflection
The parable of the rich man is often misinterpreted. The parable does not negate the possession of wealth and material goods as part of living in Christ. Instead, an important message of this parable is that wealth and material goods may be a sign of God’s goodness and blessing. In other words, whatever goods we have, little or much, come to us as gifts from God. It is God who supplies our daily bread.
A deeper message of this parable is the preoccupation we have with our possessions. Jesus intends us to examine what it is that is our life’s sole pursuit. The poverty of our abundance is exposed, and we are called to search for the meaning of life. Jesus promises life abundant. As followers of Jesus, all that we possess is to be given back as an offering to God: our life, our talent, our time, and all else that possesses us. A life in Christ is not a solitary endeavor but one lived in community with a worldview of generosity from our abundance to the least, the lost, the lonely, and the left out.
Prayer
O God, you enrich my life in so many ways. It is easy to forget that you keep me and my life under your wings, that you give me my daily bread. Help me to refocus my life, and if I can help someone along my way in life, then my living won’t be in vain. In the name of the one, Jesus, who comes promising life abundant. So, let it be so.
(Prayer adapted from an African-American spiritual)
Reflection written by Terrill L. Stumpf, Director of Chicago Lights Center for Whole Health
tstumpf@fourthchurch.org
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:22–31
He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you --you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (NRSV)
Reflection
Many Fourth Church mission trips are referred to as “mission in reverse.” On these trips, participants engage in a ministry of presence and active listening. They travel to experience others’ stories of life and faith and to learn from them.
Over and over on mission trips, our neighbors around the world remind their visitors of Jesus’ lesson about worrying. We Americans find ourselves worrying about material things, and we often horde our possessions and financial resources. Much of our energy focuses on feeding our appetites for food and clothing. We are anxious for a spacious house, a fancy car, and many other possessions because they signify success to our friends and to ourselves. We give away our old clothes and worn-out appliances and save our prized heirlooms.
In Third World cultures, the opposite is often true. People give away their heirlooms (many times to strangers), share their prized possessions with others who are in need, and live quite simply in very small houses with basic amenities. They have learned to trust that God will provide for them.
Our anxiety reflects our hesitancy to trust in God and our lack of a generous spirit. Jesus cautions us to not worry about physical and material needs to the point of letting them dominate our lives. He calls us instead to a higher commitment of loving our neighbors, near and far, and trusting that God will provide the things we need.
Prayer
Gracious God, I need to remember that you give grace in abundance and you always provide for my needs. Help me not to worry but to strive after your kingdom, always trusting in you and loving my neighbor. Amen.
Written by Vicki Reynolds, Director of Mission
vreynolds@fourthchurch.org
Friday, July 25, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:32–38
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.” (NRSV)
Reflection
Jesus never let anyone get away with anything. Here a crowd has gathered and some are asking Jesus questions about their personal situations. This one guy gets Jesus started on his favorite topic: money. But with Jesus, even a lesson on money isn’t really about money.
Jesus starts off counseling those with money to lighten their load: “Sell your possessions; give alms to the poor.” If I were a slave, that would sound like good news to me. “You tell him, Jesus! My master just bought himself a silk rug, while my kid runs around in old clothes.”
But everyone has a role to play in the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus continues, now addressing the slaves: “Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes.” If I were a master, that would sound good to me. “I brought home an important guest, and my servants were not ready to receive us. I’m still embarrassed about the poor hospitality.”
What connects the master and servant? “Wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” God knows that the best way to learn about treasure is through the relationships, blessings, and challenges we will experience today. Whether master or servant, we learn who we are created to be not by escaping our situations but by letting them be transformed by Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Dear Lord, every day I itch to escape my real life, if only for a little while--slip away from the meeting, let someone else watch the kids, wait for elves to wash the dishes. But your desire is to transform my life by giving me a new purpose: learning to set my heart on you through the labor of my days and nights. Lord, open my heart to your treasure. Amen.
Written by Patty Jenkins, Director of Chicago Lights Center for Older Adults
pjenkins@fourthchurch.org
Monday, July 28, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:41–43, 48
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.
“But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (NRSV)
Reflection
Wealth. Possessions. Prosperity. We get many messages about them from scripture, from theologians and evangelists, and from our capitalist society. Unfortunately, they aren’t always the right messages.
God’s gospel isn’t about getting things. In fact, in the passage we read today, the fact that in this life some of us do get money and wealth may indeed not be the good news for the day but the bad news. Of such people much is expected, including responsibility.
Christ came to set us free from that which imprisons and oppresses people. That comes in many shapes and fashions, but often it centers on wealth: greed, control, dominance, scarcity, envy. So when we find ourselves in the category of wealthy and powerful, we’d better be paying attention. We’d best be paying attention to those things that oppress others and giving our best to rid our society, our world, and ourselves of them. That, my friends, is the gospel, and that is our best life now.
Ours is not to expect others to go out of their way to help us. Ours is to expect ourselves to go out of our way to help others. That’s what we should expect, and that’s exactly what Christ expects of us: our best life now.
Prayer
God of justice, remind me today that you don’t bring material wealth to peoples’ lives to reward them or make their lives better. Instead, instill in me a sense of responsibility that if I have abundance, it is my responsibility to use it to change structures of power and oppression and to lift up friend and neighbor pushed down by the burdens of scarcity in life. All to your glory and honor. Amen.
Written by Dana Ferguson, Executive Associate Pastor
dferguson@fourthchurch.org
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 13:6–9
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” (NRSV)
Reflection
If there is wideness in God’s mercy, as a hymn suggests, there is also harshness. Jesus was a realist when it came to human nature and the sometimes-harsh consequences of decisions we make and actions we take.
The stewardship of life requires that we be faithful in being whom we have been created to be: persons made in God’s image. A fig tree was made to produce figs. As persons made in God’s image, we are called to reflect that image of love and compassion in our lives as best we can. A poem I heard in my youth put it this way:
You are painting a portrait of God every day
By the deeds that you do and the words that you say.
People witness that portrait, whether false or true.
What is the portrait of God as painted by you?
In the parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus sets forth the gospel of another chance and the threat of the last chance. Knowing that our attempts at portrait painting are often crude and distorted, God is infinitely patient with us and keeps giving us another chance to get it right. Yet we dare not presume on God’s patience, lest we forfeit our relationship to God, even though God’s relationship to us remains intact. When God seems far away, we may want to ask ourselves, “Who moved?”
The peril of fruitlessness is its threat that another chance may be the last chance.
Prayer
Thank you, dear God, for giving me many other chances when I mess up my attempts to portray you, and continue to teach me how to be a better artist. Amen.
Written by John H. Boyle, Parish Associate
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 14:7–14
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (NRSV)
Reflection
Today’s text seems a bit strange, in part because we are generally not familiar with the strict adherence to the custom of reciprocity common in first-century Mediterranean culture. In Jesus’ time, an invitation to a banquet required the guest to invite the host in return or suffer social embarrassment. Thus, the only way to avoid indebtedness—and “buying into” a culture of exclusion—was to invite those who could not reciprocate!
You may not wish to invite strangers to your next banquet. But Jesus’ admonition to sit at table with the least, the lost, and the lonely is still in force. This is what motivated Dr. Elam Davies to create the Social Service Center, now named for him, at Fourth Presbyterian Church. The work that he began opens the door for you to heed Jesus’ call in 2008: to serve or sit “at the table” with those who are homeless or cannot afford food due to the high cost of their rent.
Luke’s story offers up the opportunity to respond to God’s grace by serving or dining with those who may not even own tables, much less sponsor banquets: Sunday Night Supper is a tradition every Sunday evening at Fourth Church. On Monday evenings, Fourth Church Deacons sponsor a supper at Catholic Charities and every fourth Friday Fourth Church joins ecumenical partners in serving another evening meal there.
The good news is this, the gift promised in return by God’s Son still holds: “You will be repaid at the resurrection of righteousness!”
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to see you in every stranger and to welcome the least, the lost, and the lonely to the banquet of life. Help me to make room for others just as you make room for me at your table. Amen.
Written by Beth Truett, Executive Director of Chicago Lights
btruett@fourthchurch.org
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:3–7
So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (NRSV)
Reflection
The poet Coleridge once wrote that the theology that had sustained him most in his life was the theology he learned from the hymns of his childhood. I am not a particularly musical person, but I would concur with Coleridge about the important role that hymns and songs play in the reflection on, and practice of, our faith.
I admit to disliking the idea of having our places of worship full of multimedia video screens on which the words of the latest song or praise chorus scroll down. This is not because I am against innovation in worship and certainly not because I am against new songs and hymns (because I love new hymns.)
Rather, it reflects something a friend said to me. He described how the hymn book he was brought up with was more than just a list of numbered songs that was handy to have to take to church with you. His own copy was like a prayer book, he said, in which the central tenets of the faith and the hopes and prayers of God’s people over generations were stored in an accessible and readable form.
I agree with him. Whenever I read the parable of the lost sheep, I go over the last lines of a hymn I learned only a few years ago. It is a paraphrase of Psalm 23 by Isaac Watts (Hymn 172 in The Presbyterian Hymnal). Let those lines be our prayer for today.
Prayer
The sure provisions of my God attend me all my days,
O may your house be my abode and all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest, while others go and come;
No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home. Amen.
Reflection written by Calum MacLeod, Associate Pastor
cmacleod@fourthchurch.org
Friday, August 1, 2008
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:8–10
“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (NRSV)
Reflection
When I read the words of this parable, I hear too the words of Martin Luther advising how it is that we should begin each day:
When you rise in the morning, make the sign of the cross and say, in remembrance of your baptism, “In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Our waking thought, said Luther, is to be a daily reminder and an embrace of our identity as children of God. Through God’s grace, we can and are to embark on each new day secure in the knowledge that we are known and claimed by a loving God.
So often in reflecting on these parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son, we focus on the “lost” and the “found,” rightfully reminding ourselves and taking comfort that there is nowhere we can go outside the love of God, nowhere that God won’t search and find us.
But what is easy to overlook is that it is not only when we have been lost that we are found; it is not in the being found that we are valued. We, like the lost coin, are of value because of who and what we are. Whether we are feeling lost or found, near to or far from God, we each are, always have been and will be, valued, loved, and claimed as a child of God.
Prayer
In each new day, O Lord, may my first and last thoughts be the acclamation that I am a child of God. You have loved me and claimed me, you value me and know me. Help me always to live in the reassurance and joy of that knowledge, to live secure in the warm embrace of a loving God who has called me and named me a child of God, forever. Amen.
Written by Ann Rehfeldt, Director of Communications
arehfeldt@fourthchurch.org
