Ordinary Time

Pause

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ, all people here below;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore;
Praise Triune God, whom we adore.”

Neil Weatherhogg, “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow,” 1990

Listen

Let me hear what the Lord God says, because he speaks peace to his people and to his faithful ones. Don’t let them return to foolish ways. God’s salvation is very close to those who honor him so that his glory can live in our land.

Psalm 85:8-9

Think

A popular bumper sticker reads “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” One of the challenges with this theological approach is that it leaves little room for us to progress in our journey of faith. We aren’t called to serve a past-tense God.

What if we live our lives in confident expectation that the living God is not done speaking, but has a fresh word for us today? What “noise” must we remove from our cluttered lives, so we can truly hear what the Lord God says? Does it mean cutting back on social media, turning off the television, stepping away?

In some instances it might be easier if faith were as straightforward as that bumper sticker, but active faith requires more than that. Discernment and discipline don’t just happen. We must intentionally make room in our lives to listen to God. If we are open to it, what the Lord God says in the here and now may unsettle us — from places of familiarity and certainty to unexpected places of blessing.

Neil Myer

Pray

Living God, open my ears and mind to not simply listen, but to hear and understand what you are saying to me today and every day. Amen.

Go

Go into the world remembering God’s richest blessings are not found in the randomness of everyday life but in gift that is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.