Luke 6:12-26
There are times when Jesus, in the words of the old expression, quits preaching and goes to meddling and a portion of our gospel reading for today seems to take us in that direction. “But woe to you who are rich,” says Jesus, “for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:24-26). In one fell swoop, Jesus manages to condemn the wealthy, the well-fed, the joyful, and those folks who have good reputations. Was that really necessary? Did he really need to risk alienating those who seem guilty of nothing more than being blessed?
Apparently so. But condemnation is probably the wrong term to use here. Jesus is really offering words of warning to people who may have become lost in their own circumstances. Wealth is not the point to life, Jesus is saying, nor is a full belly. In and of itself, joy is not a bad thing, but if it blinds us to the larger issues in life it can cause real harm. And anyone “who believes their own press clippings,” or who becomes infatuated with their own public image risks turning away from God’s will in an attempt to remain at the center of attention.
Let the rich recognize how blessed they are and embrace the opportunity to share from their own abundance. Let those with plenty to eat avoid gorging themselves and remember to provide for the hungry and neglected. Let those who are able to laugh share that joy with others. Let those who are highly regarded use their standing in the community to demonstrate a life of humble service and self-sacrifice. In these ways the blessings of God are multiplied many times over and become a source of wealth, sustenance, joy, and esteem for all.
Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to live as faithful disciples of your will in all that we do, for it is in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen.
Showing posts with label Joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joy. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Who’s Making All That Noise?
Isaiah 52:1-12
It isn’t always easy to perceive the work of God in our midst. God’s grace, God’s love, God’s mercy all take interesting forms and can come at us from surprising directions. But one thing of which we can be sure is that God does remain active transforming lives and restoring creation. This is, after all, the message that lies at the very heart of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, God was – and is – reconciling the world to God’s self. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to a time when the message of God’s salvation would ring loudly and clearly throughout the land. “Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8). To me the most obvious modern version of these particular sentinels is the church, and it seems appropriate that the people of God, called to be the body of Christ at work in the world, should lift their voices with exultation in order to proclaim God’s presence so that all the world may know and rejoice.
The key, I believe, is Isaiah’s call to “sing for joy.” Normally this would be a funny thing for sentinels to do. It brings to mind images of the knights of Camelot performing their wacky dance number in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But true joy has that affect, it causes us to dance and sing and become giddy with delight until others begin to wonder why and perhaps even to join in. The church, then, is a sentinel called to scan the horizon, not in dread of what may be coming, nor in gleeful anticipation of God’s fiery condemnation of “everyone else,” but with expectation and hope, knowing that God comes with power and might – yes – but also with love and justice. And when we see signs of God’s activity, when we glimpse grace unfolding in our midst “in plain sight,” we most certainly should “lift up (our) voices, (and) together sing for joy” in response.
Worshipping with a local congregation, serving in the wider community, offering prayers, reflecting on scripture, accepting others as God’s creatures as we strive to find common cause, giving generously of our time and talents: these are all appropriate ways to “sing for joy,” to make known that the Lord is near and that the kingdom of God has dawned. As the people of God let us rejoice at what the Lord is doing and let the good news be shared.
Prayer: Lord God, give us voices to praise you and the willingness to serve you in all we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
It isn’t always easy to perceive the work of God in our midst. God’s grace, God’s love, God’s mercy all take interesting forms and can come at us from surprising directions. But one thing of which we can be sure is that God does remain active transforming lives and restoring creation. This is, after all, the message that lies at the very heart of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, God was – and is – reconciling the world to God’s self. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to a time when the message of God’s salvation would ring loudly and clearly throughout the land. “Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8). To me the most obvious modern version of these particular sentinels is the church, and it seems appropriate that the people of God, called to be the body of Christ at work in the world, should lift their voices with exultation in order to proclaim God’s presence so that all the world may know and rejoice.
The key, I believe, is Isaiah’s call to “sing for joy.” Normally this would be a funny thing for sentinels to do. It brings to mind images of the knights of Camelot performing their wacky dance number in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But true joy has that affect, it causes us to dance and sing and become giddy with delight until others begin to wonder why and perhaps even to join in. The church, then, is a sentinel called to scan the horizon, not in dread of what may be coming, nor in gleeful anticipation of God’s fiery condemnation of “everyone else,” but with expectation and hope, knowing that God comes with power and might – yes – but also with love and justice. And when we see signs of God’s activity, when we glimpse grace unfolding in our midst “in plain sight,” we most certainly should “lift up (our) voices, (and) together sing for joy” in response.
Worshipping with a local congregation, serving in the wider community, offering prayers, reflecting on scripture, accepting others as God’s creatures as we strive to find common cause, giving generously of our time and talents: these are all appropriate ways to “sing for joy,” to make known that the Lord is near and that the kingdom of God has dawned. As the people of God let us rejoice at what the Lord is doing and let the good news be shared.
Prayer: Lord God, give us voices to praise you and the willingness to serve you in all we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Oh, Grow Up!
Ephesians 4:1-16
Our reading from the Letter to the Ephesians for today includes these words: “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). For the author of Ephesians, a life in Christ begins and ends in love. There is a time and place for righteous anger, sorrow is an appropriate response to many events in our lives, joy and happiness are blessings, but all of our emotions and feelings must be bound up in love if we are to become the people God has called us to be. As John Lennon sang, “Love is the answer, and you know that for sure.”
Consider the inability of many in our world to regard others with even a modicum of respect. TV commentators, editorial writers, politicians, entertainers, heads of organizations and lobbying groups, neighbors, even some who claim to be serving the church seem completely incapable of loving those with whom they disagree. Tom Lehrer, the satirical singer/songwriter, has quipped, “…I know there are people in the world that do not love their fellow human beings and I hate people like that.” Point taken. How are we to respond to the anger and animosity of others? Is it not typical to get angry ourselves? Yes, but it shouldn’t be, and this is where the message of Ephesians might be boiled down to the simple call to “grow up!” For growing up in Christ means doing our very best to love one another as Christ first loved us. As we seek to love one another we will find ourselves less and less capable of causing each other pain. The challenge is to see and affirm what it is that makes a person—even someone with whom we differ greatly––lovable, and in doing so, to set aside our anger, our insults, our hatred and speak in terms that express our convictions but at the same time seek to build a community of dialogue.
Why would a member of the National Rifle Association ever say a kind word to a member of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence? Why would a liberal Democrat ever waste a compliment on a conservative Republican? Why? Because that is what God calls us to do. God challenges us to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”and that means to be “built up in love,” because “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son… Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16a, 17).
Prayer: Lord, help us to love one another just as you have loved and cared for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our reading from the Letter to the Ephesians for today includes these words: “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). For the author of Ephesians, a life in Christ begins and ends in love. There is a time and place for righteous anger, sorrow is an appropriate response to many events in our lives, joy and happiness are blessings, but all of our emotions and feelings must be bound up in love if we are to become the people God has called us to be. As John Lennon sang, “Love is the answer, and you know that for sure.”
Consider the inability of many in our world to regard others with even a modicum of respect. TV commentators, editorial writers, politicians, entertainers, heads of organizations and lobbying groups, neighbors, even some who claim to be serving the church seem completely incapable of loving those with whom they disagree. Tom Lehrer, the satirical singer/songwriter, has quipped, “…I know there are people in the world that do not love their fellow human beings and I hate people like that.” Point taken. How are we to respond to the anger and animosity of others? Is it not typical to get angry ourselves? Yes, but it shouldn’t be, and this is where the message of Ephesians might be boiled down to the simple call to “grow up!” For growing up in Christ means doing our very best to love one another as Christ first loved us. As we seek to love one another we will find ourselves less and less capable of causing each other pain. The challenge is to see and affirm what it is that makes a person—even someone with whom we differ greatly––lovable, and in doing so, to set aside our anger, our insults, our hatred and speak in terms that express our convictions but at the same time seek to build a community of dialogue.
Why would a member of the National Rifle Association ever say a kind word to a member of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence? Why would a liberal Democrat ever waste a compliment on a conservative Republican? Why? Because that is what God calls us to do. God challenges us to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”and that means to be “built up in love,” because “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son… Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16a, 17).
Prayer: Lord, help us to love one another just as you have loved and cared for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, December 3, 2012
In Spite of All the Danger
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
In July 1958 the band that was later to become the Beatles made a record for the very first time. One of the two songs from that historic session was Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day.” The other was the only song ever credited to Paul McCartney and George Harrison as a writing team. That song is called “In Spite of All the Danger.”
In spite of all the danger
In spite of all that may be
I’ll do anything for you
Anything you want me to
If you’ll be true to me.
I’m fairly confident that McCartney and Harrison weren’t thinking of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when they penned their song, and yet there are similarities. The Apostle Paul writes, “…in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers…” (1 Thessalonians 1:6b-7a). In other words, “In spite of all the danger” faced by the Christians in Thessalonica, the joy they displayed because of the gospel had become an inspiration to others.
I can only hope that despite whatever challenges I may face, whatever struggles come my way, I will live so as to reflect joy and peace to those around me. It isn’t always easy. I frequently find myself grumbling about even the most insignificant of matters. I fuss and I fume when things don’t go my way. But by God’s grace I also find myself reaching out to others in ways I wouldn’t have expected and touching lives in ways I would never have thought possible. And all the while, I am blessed by those around me and the sincerity of their faith and the joy with which they live.
“In spite of all the danger” –– or at least the struggles and the challenges that we face –– joy, like grace, abounds. And when we are at our best it is because we have become a source of inspiration for one another and the world.
Prayer: Lord, may we each find such joy in your word that our lives become a source of comfort and hope to others as they seek to follow you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
In July 1958 the band that was later to become the Beatles made a record for the very first time. One of the two songs from that historic session was Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day.” The other was the only song ever credited to Paul McCartney and George Harrison as a writing team. That song is called “In Spite of All the Danger.”
In spite of all the danger
In spite of all that may be
I’ll do anything for you
Anything you want me to
If you’ll be true to me.
I’m fairly confident that McCartney and Harrison weren’t thinking of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when they penned their song, and yet there are similarities. The Apostle Paul writes, “…in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers…” (1 Thessalonians 1:6b-7a). In other words, “In spite of all the danger” faced by the Christians in Thessalonica, the joy they displayed because of the gospel had become an inspiration to others.
I can only hope that despite whatever challenges I may face, whatever struggles come my way, I will live so as to reflect joy and peace to those around me. It isn’t always easy. I frequently find myself grumbling about even the most insignificant of matters. I fuss and I fume when things don’t go my way. But by God’s grace I also find myself reaching out to others in ways I wouldn’t have expected and touching lives in ways I would never have thought possible. And all the while, I am blessed by those around me and the sincerity of their faith and the joy with which they live.
“In spite of all the danger” –– or at least the struggles and the challenges that we face –– joy, like grace, abounds. And when we are at our best it is because we have become a source of inspiration for one another and the world.
Prayer: Lord, may we each find such joy in your word that our lives become a source of comfort and hope to others as they seek to follow you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Turns Out, the Older Brother Was Right
Luke 17:1-10
Remember the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son? Remember how, when his younger brother had come crawling back from a life of dissipation, their father threw the young man a party? The older brother was furious. “Listen!” he told his father. “For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” (Luke 15:29-30). If, like me, you have always felt a sense of solidarity with the older brother, then you will probably be challenged by Jesus’ words from today’s gospel reading. “Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" (17:9-10). To me this sounds a lot like what was expected of the older brother. And this is where the gospel––good news that it is––becomes very difficult for some people––even Christians––to accept.
When have we done enough? Is doing what we are told the limit of God’s expectations for us? Well, as the people of God we are told to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, give up our coats as well as our shirts (Matthew 5:38-41). The older brother may have worked like a slave, but that was his job description. And it is ours as well. To live lives of faithful obedience as disciples of Jesus Christ is to put all we are into doing the work of the kingdom, is to recognize that everything we have belongs God and to God’s purpose for it, is to accept the challenge of doing for others regardless of the personal cost. In short, it is hard work. But it is what Jesus did, and it is what our Lord challenges us to do as we follow him. Why would anyone accept such conditions? The simple answer is that we have been called to serve and set aside by God to do things that not everyone can or will do. We’d love to have the party, but it waits for another day. Now our joy comes from realizing that what we do serves the greatest purpose imaginable. We are agents of God’s word set to work in a world that desperately needs good news. We might think of it in terms of slavery, but we might also see ourselves as doing God’s work simply because it needs to be done.
The older brother was right in what he said to his father. But the father spoke a greater truth, one to which Jesus returns later in Luke. If we are to serve God faithfully, we must find our joy in that work. For that work itself produces greater joy than we could ever find on our own.
Prayer: Lord, give us the strength we need to serve you all the days of our lives with everything we are and everything that we have. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Remember the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son? Remember how, when his younger brother had come crawling back from a life of dissipation, their father threw the young man a party? The older brother was furious. “Listen!” he told his father. “For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” (Luke 15:29-30). If, like me, you have always felt a sense of solidarity with the older brother, then you will probably be challenged by Jesus’ words from today’s gospel reading. “Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" (17:9-10). To me this sounds a lot like what was expected of the older brother. And this is where the gospel––good news that it is––becomes very difficult for some people––even Christians––to accept.
When have we done enough? Is doing what we are told the limit of God’s expectations for us? Well, as the people of God we are told to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, give up our coats as well as our shirts (Matthew 5:38-41). The older brother may have worked like a slave, but that was his job description. And it is ours as well. To live lives of faithful obedience as disciples of Jesus Christ is to put all we are into doing the work of the kingdom, is to recognize that everything we have belongs God and to God’s purpose for it, is to accept the challenge of doing for others regardless of the personal cost. In short, it is hard work. But it is what Jesus did, and it is what our Lord challenges us to do as we follow him. Why would anyone accept such conditions? The simple answer is that we have been called to serve and set aside by God to do things that not everyone can or will do. We’d love to have the party, but it waits for another day. Now our joy comes from realizing that what we do serves the greatest purpose imaginable. We are agents of God’s word set to work in a world that desperately needs good news. We might think of it in terms of slavery, but we might also see ourselves as doing God’s work simply because it needs to be done.
The older brother was right in what he said to his father. But the father spoke a greater truth, one to which Jesus returns later in Luke. If we are to serve God faithfully, we must find our joy in that work. For that work itself produces greater joy than we could ever find on our own.
Prayer: Lord, give us the strength we need to serve you all the days of our lives with everything we are and everything that we have. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Laughter Like No Other
Psalm 126
One of the evening psalms for today is Psalm 126. It paints a wonderful picture of restoration and hope. “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced” (Psalm 126:1-3).
We are hearing a lot of music these days because it’s that time of year. But the sentiment of Psalm 126 is about more than chestnuts roasting on the fire, or bells jingling on a sleigh, or even being home for Christmas. Psalm 126 is about more than a season of good cheer, it is about life set right and about the fulfillment of God’s promises. It is about laughter rising from the hearts of those who know beyond a doubt that the road ahead is filled with blessing, and that to journey on is to do so in the company of God’s people in a fellowship of gladness and praise. This is what the birth of a Savior is really about, and this is what the coming reign of God is about as well. If we really understand what Christmas means for us then we will allow the joy to fill us up and the laughter to come flowing out every day of our lives.
Prayer: Lord, fill us with your joy during this season and beyond. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Indescribable!
1 Peter 1:1-12
Justification by grace through faith is one of the hallmarks of the Reformation and one of Martin Luther’s great contributions to Protestant theology. There is nothing we can do to secure our own salvation, Luther assures us. We are completely dependent on God’s grace and on the faith which itself is a gift from God. The author of 1 Peter helps to make this point. “Although you have not seen [Christ], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). We are receiving the outcome of our faith. We are being overwhelmed by salvation through God’s grace. When we recognize what God is doing in our lives there is no other possible response but rejoicing “with an indescribable and glorious joy…."
Of course we are not always joyous. We spend much of our time lost in a sort of spiritual malaise where God seems to be the furthest thing from our minds. Is this God’s doing as well? No! This is what we might call “sinful forgetfulness,” what happens when we allow our worldly concerns to creep into our consciousness and to overwhelm our senses. The best antidote to this condition is to regularly exercise our faith with Bible study, corporate worship, prayer, and care for others. When we flex our muscles and keep ourselves focused on God we are less likely to forget or to fall into what John Bunyan calls the “slough of despond (swamp of despair).”
Today (and all days) remind yourself of God’s grace in your life, of the faith that has been given to you, of the joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. Remember and be glad “with an indescribable and glorious joy.”
Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to your love and grace and to the faith that you have given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Are Any Cheerful?
James 5:13-18
James puts it this way: “Are any [among you] cheerful? They should sing songs of praise” (James 5:13). I’ll admit that it’s not always easy, but one of the greatest gifts we can offer to the world is a cheerful disposition. Not a false, “smarmy” happiness, but a genuine sense of joy. If we can convey that message, if we can project that image, then we can lift the spirits of others and cure many ills.
But James is really telling us more than “be of good cheer.” He is also telling us to direct our joy toward God with songs of praise. It is not enough to be content. We should offer thanks for our contentedness. It is not enough to be well. We should offer thanks for our wellbeing. It is not enough to be in a good mood. We should offer thanks to God who is the ultimate source of our joy. Realizing where our joy originates helps us also to recognize that it is God “from whom all blessings flow,” that God alone can give us the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Offering praise to God in times of joy can also keep us focused on the world and those in need, those who could use our cheerfulness and our encouragement as they go about their lives. I won’t pretend that I am always happy, but I will tell you that when I am, and when I accept that happiness as a gift from God, I am able to do so much more for others.
Prayer: Lord, grant us cheerfulness that we may praise you all the days of our lives. Amen.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Completed Joy
John 17:12-19
Our reading from John includes a portion of what is called Jesus’ high priestly prayer. One of the petitions that Jesus offers on behalf of his disciples is that “they may have my joy made complete in themselves” (John 17:13). Two things strike me about this verse. The first is that Jesus refers to his joy. Here he is, on the cusp of his passion, about to suffer and die, and yet he speaks of his joy as a present reality. The second thing that strikes me is that Jesus wishes this same joy for his disciples in as full a measure as he himself possesses it.
On April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King delivered what would be his final sermon, what is now entitled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” At it’s conclusion King makes a startling claim. “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!” This seems to me to be as close as one might come to Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Like Jesus, King speaks of his joy as a present reality. And like Jesus, King wishes that joy for the congregation that night.
I know that I spend far too much of my time in a fret about the future, about money, about relationships, about time, about hurt feelings. What I don’t spend very much time doing is feeling joy. If Jesus, who knew he was about to suffer and die, and Martin Luther King who may have had a premonition of his death (but who surely knew his life to be in danger) could speak of joy—well, I want some of what they’ve got. And the only way that is going to happen is when I turn my life over to God as fully as I can and I allow God to guide me in the steps that I take. That was Jesus’ joy. King, too, said that he just wanted “to do God’s will.” Now, today, at this moment, it is my turn. By God’s grace I will reach out in confidence that a deep joy awaits me regardless of what happens in my life. Come on, let’s go there together.
Prayer: Lord God, source of all joy, help us to live in obedience to you that our joy may be complete. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Waiting Room
2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
My son and I have a morning tradition. As I drive him to his high school he gets to pick the songs we listen to off of my iPod. This morning he choose one of his favorite bands, one with the odd name Death Cab for Cutie. The song was “What Sarah Said.” As I drove along, the lyrics oozed through my morning malaise.
“'Cause there's no comfort in the waiting room
Just nervous pacers bracing for bad news.”
“What did he say?” I asked my son. He repeated the lines for me.
Comfort. That and joy are supposed to be among the end results of Advent, which is, after all, a sort of temporal waiting room. “Joy to the world.” “Comfort, comfort my people.” “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” But when I look around I think I see “nervous pacers bracing for bad news.” We pile on the stress. The anticipation that builds is too often about worldly concerns. When Christmas ends we are almost relieved because we can get back to our daily lives with their “real concerns.”
Paul wishes something better for us. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Paul wants our “waiting rooms” to be places where we expect good news of great joy, where we are sustained for the living of these days and do not become fixated on the weariness of life.
For my part, I’m going to hold Paul and Death Cab for Cutie side by side, allowing the tension between the two to help me make better decisions and to look ahead with greater clarity this Advent and beyond.
Prayer: Lord, may your comfort overwhelm your people and may your good news permeate our lives. Amen.
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