06-14-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 14, 2020
Scripture: Matthew 9:37-38
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Thought for the Day: Jesus invited his disciples to pray for the Lord to send out laborers because the harvest was ready. For Matthew, this is an eschatological image, a picture of God’s new reign. It is interesting how the disciples are called upon to pray for these laborers, and upon turning to chapter 10, we learn how the answer to the disciples’ prayer is for the disciples to become the laborers whom Jesus sends. In fact, Matthew will use the language of apostle to describe the twelve for the first time which means to be sent out. Have you ever prayed, asking God to solve a problem, and God’s answer appears to be, “I call you!” Matthew West has a song that we would occasionally sing in the Contemporary Service: Do Something. There are some great lines in the song, including:

So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t you do something?”
God said, “I did, I created you.

If you are like me, I have wept often during my prayers the last few months, but even more intensely since the death of George Floyd. The prayers have been a mix of grief and hopelessness, but with a hint of frustration directed at God, “Darn it, God, do something!” Though if I am interpreting the divine response, it is a gentle, but firm, “You, as a human race, can do this. You must do this.” In a 72 hour period, I have had 41 separate conversations (a mix of Cypress Creek folks and community folks), mostly online, about race in this country. Though not everyone, my take away was ha been that most people are hearing the same message from God.

Prayer: Lord God, I have a strange feeling that I am once again the answer to my own prayer, or at least a part of that answer. Wherever my gifts can be put to use, show me. Wherever I need to learn a little more, help me make the time. Call me, as you have so many others, to be a part of those who are being sent as laborers in the restoration of all creation. Amen.

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