Ordinary Time

Pause

Slow down, breathe deep, and connect to your power source.

“In this room you see a big bulb and a big switch. But, if there is no connection with the main power house, then there can be no light. Faith and prayer is the connection with God, and when that is there, there is service.”

Mother Teresa

Take a moment, connecting with God, and know this: Faith carries you through. Faith calls you to action. Faith is enough.

Listen

We have the same faithful spirit as what is written in scripture: I had faith, and so I spoke. We also have faith, and so we also speak. We do this because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus, and he will bring us into his presence along with you.

2 Corinthians 4:13-14

Think

When I was a kid, my Sunday school teachers had us memorize scripture so when our faith was challenged, we would know what to say. I thought facts and the perfect sequence of words were what I needed, and so I was always worried I wasn’t prepared and wasn’t a good enough Christian.

The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that’s not how it works. I don’t think it’s as much about knowing what to say as it is about just saying something — just speaking up when the situation demands it. Our faith is shown and our faith grows through the act of speaking. Speaking up for justice, amplifying the voices of the oppressed, and even knowing when it’s our turn to listen while others speak are exercises of faith and are what keep us going.

Chris Cherry

Pray

Lord, I often find myself in position to speak up, but I hesitate because I do not know what to say. Instead of waiting for the perfect words to come, give me courage to be part of the conversation and to speak for justice. Amen.

Go

Faith is both amazing and frustrating. Faith is what invites questions and what keeps us going. What step can you take today?

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr.