Living in the Spirit
August 16, 2016

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’—Jeremiah 1:10

Just like the earth exists in a constant pattern of cleansing and growth and harvesting and nature’s composting and reseeding and regrowth so too does the Kingdom of God. Like a river flowing to the sea, God is working God’s purpose out, as we partner in its course. While we may gain great joy from the building or the harvesting, they neither happen without the other processes.

Constant vigilance results in the wise use of our time and energy. Going through the motions of church without commitment to outcomes is not productive. Jeremiah’s call to be a prophet came at a time when the Israelites needed to hear such a message. All people of faith need to hear this message. Our worship and service done without our hearts and minds fully engaged are indeed as Paul described in 1^st Corinthians 13:1-3

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Prayer: God of Mercy, enable our loving so that we may further your Kingdom. Amen.

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.