Ordinary Time

Pause

Take a deep breath right now.

Notice one thing you see,

one thing you hear,

one thing your body is touching.

You are here in this place. God is here with you, too.

Listen

The message about the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place. The news about your faithfulness to God has spread so that we don’t even need to mention it. People tell us about what sort of welcome we had from you and how you turned to God from idols. As a result, you are serving the living and true God, and you are waiting for his Son from heaven.

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10a

Think

Can you imagine being so faithful to God that, when people hear your name, they already know all about you? Yeah, I’ve heard about her! She’s really faithful to God!

Do you know someone like that? Some faithful people I can think of are very well known, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mother Theresa. Some faithful people might be lesser known, like some ministers or authors. And some faithful people might not be known widely at all, like my grandma. But they all have something in common: they all serve God.

One very good way to know if someone is serving God is by what you see them do. Are they caring for others? Are they working for peace? Are they speaking words of love, justice, and kindness? Are they welcoming strangers, mending relationships, feeding the hungry? When someone is faithful to God, we can see it. Likewise, when someone is not faithful to God, we can see that, too.

What will others see in you?

Erin Spengeman Hutchison

Pray

God, I want to be faithful to you. In small ways and in big ways. Maybe no one will notice, but at least you and I will know that I am faithful and serving you. Amen.

Go

As you go, remember that God is with you and with those who do justice.

Dare to be with God, too.