Friday 31st January 2014
Where we are headed:
readings for Sunday - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12
Readings for Today
Thurs., Jan. 30
Fri., Jan. 31
Psalm 15
Deuteronomy 24:17—25:4
1 Timothy 5:17-24
Thought for the day
As the saying goes "if I had a pound for every..." Well, I suspect that if I had a penny for every page written on these words from I Timothy I would be a rich man. Most of them have been written by people in my tradition trying to make sense of the 'plural' ministry left to us by the Swiss Reformation. I'm certainly not going to weigh in to the discussion here! Instead I am more interested in the theme of justice that is developing from our readings yesterday and today as we move toward Sunday. Justice in all our dealings with other human beings. That includes how we function in the church, and how those with important ministries, lay and ordained, paid and voluntary, part time and full time, work together to help the whole community of the church be kingdom orientated. But, if we never get further than that, we are falling short. 'Do not muzzle the ox' in Deuteronomy is part of a sequence of verses yearning for justice in interpersonal relationships. And, the most startling thing for us, in an age of austerity and drives for efficiency - is the command to stop short of being 100% efficient, for the sake of the poor. So where in our lives might a little less efficiency and a little more generosity be transformative for those around us?
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