Living in the Spirit
July 31, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 9:1-3 

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. — Matthew 11:23

One of my relatives had no time for religion or any of its trappings. He was not necessarily obnoxious about it but he was unwilling to even give it any consideration. My mother never stopped trying. He just would laugh and make a little light fun of her as he did the last time I saw him. We were getting ready to leave from a visit, and Mom’s parting words were I love you and God does too. She said more but he had long ago tuned her out. I felt sorry for her. He hugged and kissed her goodbye and she left thinking she had failed him. He died some months later and she mourned her failure once more.

Paul wanted to bring the hope of Christ crucified and resurrected to his brothers and sisters in the temple and synagogues, but he was rejected and he eventually turned his attention to the gentile population and the Jews of the dispersion. Like my mothers’ pain, it hurt him to the core of his being.

I do think that we need to tell the story of Jesus with our lives and our words whenever and wherever we can and do it with all the love we can muster. Ultimately though an individual’s relationship with God is just that his or her relationship and we must do what we can and trust God through Christ to do the rest in mercy and with grace.

It is at that point that a rich prayer life is absolutely necessary. Our roots in God’s mercy and grace must be deep indeed to release our loved ones to his care.

Prayer: God grant me the serenity
 to accept the things I cannot change;
 courage to change the things I can;
 and wisdom to know the difference*. Amen. 

*From the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr (Read the full prayer at http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html)

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.