Ordinary Time

Pause

Perhaps one of the most scandalous truths in the Bible is that God desires relationship with us. We struggle to comprehend it. That an all powerful Creator would care about us as anything more than subservient subjects.

Yet Jesus told his disciples that he considered them friends! Not servants of some distant, all powerful Deity, demanding obedience and reverence. Or even employees working for a benevolent Boss. But friends. Confidants. Partners. Maybe even co-conspirators.

God delights in us so much that God desires our companionship. So lean in close and contemplate the wondrous and beautiful truth that you are a friend of Jesus.

Listen

Sing to the Lord a new song because he has done wonderful things! His own strong hand and his own holy arm have won the victory! The Lord has made his salvation widely known; he has revealed his righteousness in the eyes of all the nations. God has remembered his loyal love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; every corner of the earth has seen our God’s salvation.

Psalm 98:1-3

Think

God is endlessly creative and has filled this life with wonder and beauty. So it seems strange how easy it is for us to fall into patterns in our relationship with God and in our worship. Maybe it’s no surprise. Our human friendships can be the same way. We find ourselves going to the same places, doing the same activities, and maybe re-hashing the same old stories.

We even try to re-create feelings and experiences from the past by repeating things and hoping we feel what we did the first time. We know this doesn’t quite work, but we keep trying.

Maybe the best way to love and praise God is with something new. What if our response to God’s creativity was to be creative in return? What new song can you sing today?

Chad Senuta

Pray

God, your love takes endless forms and never ceases. Drive out fears that let me settle for the routine, safe, and familiar. And inspire me with your wild creativity to join with you in generating something new. Amen.

Go

May relationship with God fill you with the delight of the One who delights in you.

May friendship with Jesus teach you to love, as you have been loved.

And may the companionship of the Holy Spirit free you to live and to share that which has been freely given.