Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
An Episcopal Church once had a visitor from a non-liturgical congregation who came to worship at a service of Morning Prayer. He was warmly greeted, sat down, and started to look through the bulletin. Before the service began, he rose and headed out the front door. One of the ushers asked him if everything was alright and he replied, “I can’t afford to be in this church. You want too much money. You have a collect for the day, a collect for Sunday, a collect for peace, and a collect to renew life.” He ended by saying, “you take up too many collections.” The church is not immune from having its own lingo which makes it difficult for outsiders as well as newcomers to be incorporated into the church. Our “col-lecs” are meant to collect the thoughts of the day, lessons, and or season. Sometimes they are right on, others, not so. This coming Sunday we will pray: “O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.” We ask two specific things from God as we pray these words. To think those things that are right, and that we do them, being guided by God. In our readings about Abraham, we hear of God sending him to a new land, inspired by faith, and hope of what was to come. We hear of God guiding him along the way, not with fire by night and a cloud by day as the Israelites were guided in the desert but guided all the same. In our gospel of Matthew, Jesus himself will walk with Matthew from his tax booth until his ascension when he then turns his guidance over to the Holy Spirit. Today we pray that we like Abraham will not only think what is in accordance with God’s will but will also do those things in the hopeful expectation of receiving them, not because we earn our way with money or burnt offerings, but out of a desire to please God from whom all blessings flow.
Peace,
Bryant+
