Ordinary Time

Pause

“‘A loaf of bread,’ the Walrus said, ‘is what we chiefly need.’”

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, 1871

Listen

God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ.

He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

Think

The great Chassidic rabbi Zusya said, “When I get to heaven, I know God’s not going to ask me ‘Why weren’t you more like Moses?’ or ‘Why weren’t you more like King David?’ God will ask, ‘Zusya, why weren’t you more like Zusya?’” This is what Paul is getting at in Ephesians 4.

God gifted you intricately and uniquely, unlike anybody else. Faith in Christ is not separate from your desires, your gifts, and your personality. In fact, growing as a Christian is about zeroing in on the fullest version of you and joining that to God’s work in the world through the church. Paul says, “God’s goal is for us to become mature adults — to be fully grown.” Maturing as a follower of Jesus means becoming fully yourself.

What makes you you? Is it your anger at injustice, your beautiful art, your desire to grieve with others, your intellect, your gift for communicating? In the body of Christ that we build together, there’s a place for everything that you are and are becoming.

Blake Tommey

Pray

God, help me to always be listening for who I am and for who you have created me to be. Use my gifts and the fullness of who I am to serve this world and build up the body of Christ with those alongside me. Let me be able to say that the life I lived was my own, according to your grace. Amen.

Go

“Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more.”

From “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” 1745, by William Williams