Living in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
September 17, 2014
Scripture Reading: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works. …
They asked, and he brought quails,
and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river. — Psalm 105:1-2, 40-41
We have spent a week dealing with poverty and barely scratched the service of all the issues that could have been addressed. It is depressing. Dealing with poverty can sometimes pull us into its wake of hopelessness. Such a poverty of the soul can render us inert, unable to be the active Body of Christ in the world today.
I attended a presentation of Jesus Christ, Superstar, many years ago. One of the scenes had Jesus walking up a steep pathway with all sorts of humanity grasping and pulling at him. While watching that, I was struck by the question, “How was he able to keep moving forward, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and teaching a better way?” Of course, the answer is simple, Jesus worked equally hard at remaining in close communion with God—the source of all strength and stamina—and we ultimately find our hope in God.
I have probably mentioned this before but I think it is very important. J. B. Phillips wrote a little book several years ago that changed my life. Its title says it all, Your God is Too Small. When we let the drain of ending poverty pull us down, we have reached that point when we are settling for a too small God. We can only do so much, but we need to do the much that we can do. When all of God’s children do that much that we can do the synergy of God comes shining through.
Oklahoma Fact: in 2013, 621,831 persons living in 287,298 households participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Prayer: Oh God, when we get weary, and we do get weary of the constancy and pernicious nature of poverty, help us always remember that Jesus experienced the same pulls and tugs at his heart when he walked this earth. You gave him strength to go forward and we are confident that you will grant us the strength we need. Amen.