Ordinary Time

Pause

“If God had a face what would it look like? […]
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make his way home?”

Joan Osborne, “One of Us”

This 90s pop song poses thought-provoking questions. What does God look like? How do we know if God is in our midst? Would we recognize Jesus if he were sitting beside us? The Spirit of God is in our midst today, but do we take the time to see God there?

Let us take time now to focus on being people of God who recognize and welcome Jesus, not only in our hearts but also into our daily living.

Listen

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

Think

How do you prepare your heart for Jesus? How do you give thanks to him? When we open our hearts to welcome Jesus, we give thanks, knowing that our God is a God who loves us unconditionally, no matter if you have talked with him recently or haven’t talked for quite some time. So we welcome Jesus by saying thanks that he is in our lives through the friends and family who are there for us when we are at our lowest points. We welcome Jesus through the kindness of strangers. We welcome Jesus knowing that his faith in us will endure forever.

Elizabeth Cluff

Pray

Loving God, I give you thanks, for you love me unconditionally. Thank you, that at my best and, more importantly, at my worst you still love me. Help me to open my heart, to receive your love daily. Amen.

Go

Where do you see God in your life today? Go out looking for God in your midst. Say hello to your Lord!

If you don’t see God, then maybe God is calling YOU to be Jesus for someone else. Open the door for a stranger, put down your phone to say hello to the cashier at the store, help someone out just because.

Wherever you go, God is sending you there for a reason!