The Practice of Belonging
Photograph by Beth A. Richardson / Camp McDowell, Alabama “Ubuntu ... speaks of the very essence Read More
Will McLeane | Read Genesis 18:1-8
Disappointment has a particular sting. It can shrink our imagination of what is possible in our world today. It can cut us off from the people who give us life.
Abraham and Sarah have lived through a cycle of monthly disappointment for years. At this point in the story, the...
Generous God, help me make room in my heart for the people you love. Open my imagination to the power and possibilities of new and renewed friendship. Extend your expansive love and welcome through me today. Amen.
Life with God leads us into the mysterious depths of God’s compassionate love. Like Sarah, we can’t help but stop and laugh at how absurdly wonderful God is. In the psalm and the epistle, we discover a God intimately familiar with the ordinary details of our everyday lives. God’s grace is continually transforming us and sustaining us in all seasons. In the Gospel, we are interrupted by the Lord, who calls us by name and commissions us as partners in the extraordinary work of healing and hope.
Read Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7. When have you waited for a long time for God? Amidst the pain of delay, who and what helped you keep your life open to God’s surprising blessings?
Read Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19. How might God’s attention to your life change how you talk with God?
Read Romans 5:1-8. What gifts have you received during seasons of trial and tribulation? How might you live as one grounded in the peace of Jesus Christ?
Read Matthew 9:35–10:8. How might God’s compassion lead you to partner with God’s mission in your everyday life?
Respond by posting a prayer.