Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

"You must love the Lord your God ...
you must love your neighbor"
(Matthew 22:37,3).

Reflection:

Christian love demands that we
show compassion toward those who
are hurting. But there are times when
Christian love demands that we speak
out in protest against those who are
doing the hurting. There are times
when we are called upon, as Christians,
to cry out "No!" against that which is
causing human hurt and human
exploitation. And often it requires great
courage to accept the consequences
when love compels us to raise our
voices in protest.

DO YOU HAVE THAT COURAGE?

(Sunday Sermon Outlines)

Scripture:

Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to
him, “You still lack one thing. Sell
everything you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
Luke 18:21-23 (in Context) Luke 18
(Whole Chapter)

Luke 11:41
But now as for what is inside you—
be generous to the poor, and
everything will be clean for you.

Luke 6:20
Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for
yours is the kingdom of God.

Reflection:

If you have been reading my blog lately, you
may have discovered a central theme. That
theme is poverty and oppression.  As a
follower of Jesus Christ, poverty is a major
concern. 
There are over 2000 verses in Scripture that
call upon us to show love and justice to all
those who are poor and oppressed. You
cannot call yourself a Christian, you cannot
claim to be a representative of Jesus Christ
and ignore Christ's teachings on our
relationship to the poor and the oppressed. 
According to the teachings of Jesus Christ, it
is our definite responsibility to share with the
poor and to be the voice for the voiceless
oppressed.  It makes no difference whether
you call yourselves conservative, liberal,
radical, or middle of the road, it is a Christian
obligation and previlage to vote for
representation and promote legislation that
turns the words and deeds of Jesus Christ
into social policy.  I agree
with the words of Gandhi when he says,
"Those who say religion has nothing to do
with politics do not know what religion is."

I am so tired of "Christian" leaders who
are concerned about gay marriage, or
whether mormons are Christians, and
not concerned about the following:
Over 6 million children die each year of
starvation or diseases related to
malnutrition.  That presently the United
States allocates less than four tenths of
one percent (0.4%) of its federal budget
to address world poverty.  That our
national budget ranks second to last
of the 22 industrialized nations for assistance
to the world poor. They don't seem to care
that poverty is an increasing reality in our
own country.  They don't seem to care that
you don't have to go to a third world country
anymore to visit the third world.  Third world
conditions exist in our urban neighborhoods
in cities across America and in the hills
of Appalachia.  They don't seem to care that
foreclosures on house mortgages are over the
top.  They don't seem to care that over 3.5
million people, 1.5 million children among
them, experience homelessness.  They don't
seem to care that 20 percent of homeless
people are veterans.  They don't seem to
care that every day, thousands more of our
fellow citizens become jobless and fall
below the poverty level.

After all of this what if we change the
statement, "They don't seem to care" to
"We don't seem to care".

All of us, who claim to be Christians, must
now, at this very minute, commit ourselves
to press for social policies that meet the
needs of the poor.

Prayer for the Homeless:
O God, as Naomi and Ruth journeyed from
one land to another seeking a home, we ask your
blessing upon all who are homeless in this world.
You promised to your chosen people a land flowing
with milk and honey; so inspire us to desire the
accomplishment of your will that we may work
for the settlement of those who are homeless in
a place of peace, protection, and nurture, flowing
with opportunity, blessing, and hope. Amen.

Scripture:
   
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus
knew that his hour had come to leave
this world and return to his Father. He
had loved his disciples during his
ministry on earth, and now he loved
them to the very end.
John 13:1, NLT

Reflection:
   
Jesus knew he would be betrayed by
one of his disciples, disowned by
another, and deserted by all of them
for a time. Still he "loved them to the
very end." God knows us completely,
as Jesus knew his disciples. He
knows the sins we have committed
and the ones we will yet commit. Still,
he loves us
 
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT
KIND OF LOVE?