Today, we look at a Day 5 text from this year’s summer curriculum, “Boundless: God Beyond Measure.”
Reading [Jesus] 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. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:22-32) Reflection Listen, Jesus, I watched a bird smack into my office window last week; I feel like we could have a better model of trust and insight than some avian advice. Then again, on the other side of that window, I find myself repeatedly drawn down the cycle of doomscrolling anxiety. It’s easy to sort of spiral these days, isn’t it? One bad headline, one breaking news hour, one new Twitter notification and suddenly I can find myself on an anxious turn that has the power to consume the rest of the day (or week or month or year). I mean, it all sounds well and good when Jesus says “I tell you, do not worry about your life,” but dang it I do. I do worry about my life and about the lives of others. I mean, how can you not? I’ll admit, sometimes those spirals of worry go deep. They leave me reeling, scrambling to find some sure footing underneath me. But every once in a while – on the good days – the world around me actually catches up. Driving in the car and seeing the open fields surrounding me, taking in the mountains standing in the quiet stillness on the horizon, even opening that same often window to hear the birds give rise to their song (even if they are recovering from sudden impact with double paned glass) – these are the things that help to bring me out of the spiral. They are tangible touchstones that reminds me of the God who clothes the grass of the field, who draws up the lilly, and feeds those clumsy ravens. They are the signs that ground me back into the world and set me to the work of being fully present in God’s kingdom. Maybe you can be grounded too. -– Justin Lingenfelter Prayer Grounding God, even amid our well-founded worries and anxieties of the world, you provide for our daily needs. Remind us of our hope in you, that we might find footing in your kingdom and reach back to this world you so love through your Son, Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen. ___________________________________________________________________________ Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man.The current season of Easter brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
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