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

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’"

Matthew 25:31-36

Think

Are you a sheep or a goat? Sheep follow their shepherd, they obey and trust in the one who is their provider. Goats are more independent, they don’t follow a leader, they choose to separate themselves from the group. Scripture says that the sheep will be separated from the goats. The sheep will inherit the kingdom.

We know we are called to be sheep, but how do we live as sheep in God’s pasture? How do we follow, obey, and trust in our Good Shepherd? It begins by seeing a Shepherd in our midst. When we welcome the Good Shepherd, we submit ourselves to our Lord. We acknowledge that our lives are not our own but all that we do is for God. Following requires us to do what our Shepherd asks of us each day. Scripture tells us we are a sheep when we welcome Jesus in our lives: feeding, clothing, visiting, and providing for others. What is your Shepherd asking of you today?

Elizabeth Cluff

Pray

Good Shepherd, help me to be a better sheep. Help me to see you as our shepherd who will provide for us and tend to our needs. Help me to better trust and obey you, whatever you may ask of me today and in the days to come. 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!