This week we will be focused around giving generously. In Acts 6 we find that the early church is struggling with everyone trying to do everything, and so the position of deacon is created. Elders teach, preach and provide Spiritual guidance, the deacons cared for the widows, orphans and those in need. How is God calling each of us to use our own gifts and passions to serve others in our community, to meet the needs all around us.
We live in an angry world. Many news outlets share a little bit of news and a lot of commentary about the bad guys, the people who you should be afraid of, or mad at. Much of our digital and now public dialogue takes on an aggressive, forceful tone. We are told to take a stand, to make our views known, to defend whatever it is we are to defend. Yet Jesus invites us to love our enemies. To love and forgive those who are different than us, and even challenges us that if we are not able to do that, we are no better than our enemies.
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Like you weren’t good enough or didn’t live up to the standards that either you or other people had set? In Ephesians 2, we will learn that this is not something that is new to our world. We will see how all were once separated from Christ, not originally included in the promises of God, but that Jesus made a way to extend the invitation to belong to the family of God for ALL people, including me and you!
We are so good at being good, we have a word to describe individuals who are hyper focused on it: perfectionist. We put attention into all kinds of things, our home, our work, our family, our social media, politics, but what if we were never meant to be perfect, or even pretend we can be close?