Daily Reading
Daily Thought
Brubaker is a crazy, brilliant, amazing guy I served with in youth ministry. Whenever Bru meets you, he spells your name backward in his head, just to see if it does something interesting. He’s fun like that, so when we put him in charge of introducing first-time visitors to the youth group, we never knew what was going to happen. One week he handed out a piece of paper and scissors to each new person. He instructed them to cut a hole in the paper, hold the paper up to their face and peer through it. “You are looking through a knothole,” Bru explained, “because we are glad each of you are here, and we consider ourselves not whole without you.”
I cringe at the pun, but admire the point and still remember it. We often choose to come to church because we love God or it’s the right thing to do or it will be good for us or we enjoy seeing others or something like that. But Bru reminded each of us of a very important truth. When you’re not here, you may lose out, but so does everyone. You are robbing others of something very important. You are robbing us of you. We are not whole without you.
“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ~Hebrews 10:24-25
Daily Prayer
My God, the only God, God of all things, there is no question that You are worthy of my worship and trust. I place my life in Your hands. You are my Lord and Savior, and all that I am, all that I do, I give to You.
You have changed my life, and have placed me into a community of others that You have touched as well. May we grow close, learning to love unselfishly, sacrificially, like You, and may our love escape the walls of our church buildings and flood into the streets and neighborhoods of our towns and cities.
Amen