POWER

ZECHARIAH 4:6 (MSG)
"You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit," says God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

LUKE 1:35 (MSG)
The angel answered,
   "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
   the power of the Highest hover over you;
   Therefore, the child you bring to birth
   will be called Holy, Son of God."

THE ESSENCE
God doesn't execute his plans through human power but through the force of the Holy Spirit. 

DAILY FODDER
So many of us seek power and influence to better the world. But that's not God's method of operation. Even though he has access to all power, he prefers to tackle things through his Holy Spirit.  

PRAYER 
From day one, Lord, your Spirit has been shaping creation. Forgive us for believing that with just a little more power and authority we can reshape the world according to our understanding of good. Come Spirit, come, and reshape me according to your understanding of good. I'm grateful that you sent your Son into the world through Mary. I want to be a part of your ongoing Spirit-shaped plan. So I renounce tactics that rely on force or power. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

THE NEEDY

 The Sixth Sunday in Eastertide

DEUTERONOMY 15:7 (NRSVUE)
Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor.

JAMES 2:14 (CEB)
My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it?

THE ESSENCE
Genuine faith is characterized by caring for the needy.  

DAILY FODDER
When it comes to faith, saying the right words, while valuable, is inadequate.  The kind of faith recognized by God always involves caring for those who are needy.

PRAYER 
Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that kindness is the greatest wisdom. Service brings the greatest joy. Melt my me-centered heart and heal my arthritic attitude. Your love is contagious. Help me be a carrier of your compassion with hands-on help for my neighbors today. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

THE HEART

1 KINGS 8:39 (CEB)
   You alone know the human heart.

JOHN 1:47-48 (CEB)
   Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
   Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”

THE ESSENCE
God alone knows what makes us tick and the integrity of our souls. 

DAILY FODDER
In the Bible, the heart represents the inner self, the seat of our emotions, intellect, and will. It's the source of our thoughts, affections, and decisions, the core of who we are—the central processing unit of a person's life. Only God has full access to someone's heart monitor. So, when Jesus declared Nathaniel "a genuine Israelite," he was not only making a statement about Nathaniel, he was revealing his own divine access to Nathaniel's heart monitor.

PRAYER 
Glorious God, you understand more about me than I'll ever understand about myself. Forgive me for pretending I understand myself or that I'm capable of making all my own decisions apart from you. Continue to transform my heart. I'd love to have you someday pronounce me as "genuine." Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

MISFITS

JEREMIAH 31:8 (NLT)
For I will bring them from the north
and from the distant corners of the earth.
I will not forget the blind and lame,
the expectant mothers and women in labor.
A great company will return!

LUKE 14:21 (MSG)
He was outraged and told the servant, ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and down-and-out you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’

THE ESSENCE
God's invitation includes the least fit. 

DAILY FODDER
Have you responded to God's invitation?

PRAYER 
Merciful God, thank you for including misfits in your plans. Forgive me for assuming I have to be a little more fit to secure a place at your table. Save me from such assumptions about myself and others. I want to be among those so secure in my place with you that I'm  able to go to the streets and alleys to extend your invitation. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.