Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give you our praises! When we face opposition as your children, may we remember that you are always by our side as a mighty warrior. Your love conquers all. You have overcome the world. Amen.
Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-13 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: In this passage Jeremiah is an example of God’s unchanging presence in our lives. My study Bible title this section as “Jeremiah’s Complaint.” Sometimes the word complaint can get a bad reputation, like someone just whining about their circumstances, but I think it is important to also see this as a lament. He is expressing grief over what he has experienced. Jeremiah is weary from the constant fight between his inner fire for God’s word and how quickly the world rejects him and the Word. Yet he finds that God is still present- “But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail” (verse 11)- and he rejoices in that. What strikes me the most from Jeremiah’s example is in verse 9 – “his word is in my heart like a fire; a fire shut up in my bones.” I cannot imagine what that would feel like. I am thankful to have had opportunities to share God’s word freely with others without fear of persecution. My favorite opportunities were being a staff member at Mount Luther and serving in mercy ministry in Philadelphia, sharing fellowship and a hot meal with people experiencing homelessness. What has been your favorite way to share God’s word and presence? --Anne Harshbarger
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