Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Today’s text

Matthew 10:40-42

[Jesus said:] 'Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 'Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet's reward; and anyone who welcomes an upright person because he is upright will have the reward of an upright person. 42 'If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not go without his reward.'

Prayer

I see it, Jesus, a cup of cold water. Two hands cup around it lifting it to be received by another. But who?

Then I see your face. You receive the water. With that gift, a human soul connects with your kingdom; human kindness joins with the mercy of your eternal giving.

This is what your face evokes in our hearts. Seeing you, hearing word of a kingdom of grace we don’t make, this raises our hands to give what we can and have to your eternal project of divine kindness.

You evoke what you are in every heart willing to receive your word. So we go to our service expecting to see this miracle of transformation: human hands lifting their cup of cold water in gratitude for the word of grace we are privileged to bear.

Rejection and confusion come to all who follow you. But in every lifted hand bearing gifts of life, we find the blessing of oneness in mercy and mission with sisters and brothers we did not know we had.

So we lift our hands with gifts you have given.

Pr. David L. Miller