Listen

“So he got up and went to his father.

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then his son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! Fetch the fattened calf and slaughter it. We must celebrate with feasting because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.”

Luke 15:20-24

Think

I am a Youth and Campus Missioner and often reach out to former young people just to check-in and see how they are doing. Sometimes I get ghosted, and sometimes I get a guilty acknowledgement that they are not currently attending church regularly. But that’s not what my check-in is about. I literally just want to hear from them and know how they are doing. When they do text back and update me on their schooling or their current job, I love hearing about what’s happening in their lives.

We have an abundantly loving God, and as a Christian, I hope to embody some of that in my care for young people, both current and those who have grown up a bit. Like the father in this story, I choose to celebrate the life that “is,” and not worry about what “is not.”

Is there someone in your life who you would just be happy to hear from, no strings attached? Consider sending a quick message, just to say hello.

Karen Schlabach

Pray

Creator God, who empowers us in faith, be with us as we gather in a community of joy, comfort, and hope. Be with us as we celebrate our Regreso A Casa to a New Age of Faith. Let your spirit move through us to broaden our minds and open our hearts to one another. Send us from this place with your strength and courage to show the world your truth and accessibility so we may know our own dignity and belovedness. All this we ask through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Collect for #EYE23

Go

“We have to be braver than we think we can be, because God is constantly calling us to be more than we are.” (Madeleine L’Engle)

Breathe in: God calls me by name
Breath out: I am never alone

adapted from @blackliturgies on Instagram
by Cole Arthur Riley

Go forth choosing courage, finding ways to live out the values of love in how you interact with yourself, your family, your school, and your community. And in your going, remember: perhaps you were made for such a time as this.