Prayer: Dear Lord, today I humble myself before you and my neighbors. Today I remember your words and take the lowest place at the table. Today I will remember that even when my actions go unrewarded, you will raise me up higher and higher with your great love. Amen.
Reading: Luke 14: 1, 7-14 (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: Luke 14: 11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” We sing a song at camp about humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord, for he will raise us up when we do so. It is a beautiful song, not too loud. Not too soft. Humbling. As the song progresses, the words “humble thyself” seem to transform, shifting from a proposition from the Lord into a promise from those who sing it. When I sing and hear this song, I am moved not only to humble myself before the Lord but before all of his people. Similarly, in this passage, the Lord reminds us that we are to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind to our tables, thus humbling ourselves not only before the Lord but before all of God’s people. This is not an easy task, though, as we all know. We face a particularly difficult challenge because we are surrounded by a society that promotes independence and success. It is difficult to remain humbled when attempting to rise to the top, whether this be at the office, in the classroom, or while participating in sports and hobbies. For this reason, this passage poses a particular challenge, a challenge that becomes even more difficult because it is one that is not immediately rewarded. We are told that although the poor, crippled, lame, and blind cannot repay us, we will be rewarded by God. We must remind ourselves of this when we are tempted to place ourselves at the head of the table. It is only when we humble ourselves that the Lord will raise us up. --Courtney Dunn
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