Ordinary Time 
Pause
Slow, steady, deep inhale through the nose, hands on stomach to feel your belly rise.
Slower, steady, deep exhale through the mouth.
Say LORD HAVE as you breathe in.
Say MERCY as you breathe out.
LORD HAVE (breathe in)
MERCY (breathe out)
Repeat one final time, allowing your body to reflect your heart’s desire and mind’s focus to pause with the Holy One.
Listen
Naaman, a general for the king of Aram, was a great man and highly regarded by his master, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. This man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease. Now Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman’s wife.
She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could come before the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his skin disease.”
2 Kings 5:1-3
Think
There’s an ice-breaker activity we practice with our youth during their annual summer weeklong Montreat conference. You need a brown lunch bag, markers, and some paper. On the outside of the bag you write your name and describe yourself as you think others see you. Descriptions vary from physical appearances to personality traits to roles: the shorty of the group, bubbly extrovert, and athletic team leader. In the inside of bag are strips of paper. On those ripped pages you share how you see yourself, aspects that are perhaps not necessarily visible to others, such as fear of failure, worried I’ll disappoint my parents, and insecure about my appearances. Among many things, the exercise reminds us that our outsides don’t always match our insides, that there is more than meets the eye.
In today’s story, there’s more to Naaman, the successful military man, than meets the eye. This esteemed man of great strength has a weakness. His power is limited by an illness he cannot control. And so, Naaman needs help. Seems like a most relatable story. Couldn’t we all use a little help from time to time?
Aram Bae
Pray
Thank you for being a God who knows there is more than meets the eye.
Help me to show compassion and mercy towards others, trusting that I too will receive help when I need it.
In Jesus’ merciful name, amen.
Go
May God the Creator bless you and keep you safe today.
May Jesus the Christ smile upon you and be gracious towards you.
May the Spirit of Mercy lead you along the path of truth and wisdom.
And all of God’s people say —
Amen.
