Meditation/prayer for October 14, 2018. Based on Lectionary reading Mark 10:17-31

Ever providing God

Who is in all things generous and merciful, we your people responding to your boundless love come to you this day, to worship you in this silence, and receive again your words of grace.

And it is by your grace that we live each day, by your grace that you have sent us your Son as our Savior, to lead us by His example of what is good and right.  And through the stories and his ministry of Jesus that we come now closer to You, our Lord and our Creator.

For it is Jesus who has teaches us to love one another without ceasing, to love without condition as children do, without hesitation.  He calls us to share all that we have in caring for each other, even to giving up our wealth and possessions.  In our hearts we know that even as the world gives us praise for our accomplishments and status, that all these are nothing in Your eyes.  As we give without ceasing, and share with those who have nothing, we learn to establish again a life of faith and love.  Disconnecting ourselves from the dreams of status and power that are so common in our world today, we can begin to focus clearly on the message that Jesus lived out for us.

For He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to live in your eternal presence.  We look at all we have acquired, and the money collected, and hear your call once again to let go, to be generous to those around us, to seek out the lost, and to give to those in need. And just as we feel the resistance within ourselves to this spirit of endless love, so we find ourselves at the feet of Jesus in that time so many years ago, when his listeners were amazed at His teaching. 

Help us to find those around us who need your message of eternal love.  Where there are those without food help us serve in food kitchens or give funds to community projects that feed those without food.  Where there are those in our jails and prisons, may we be the ones to help those who visit in teaching and prayer with those who are incarcerated. For those who are without shelter, open our eyes to the enormous needs of the homeless in our community, the nation, and the world.  For those who are lonely and afraid, help us to provide assurance and be the outreached hand that brings them comfort. For we are all connected in our humanity to one another, and live to faithfully serve in Your Name that all might be closer to You. We remember especially those whose lives have been torn apart by the storms and upheavals from nature; the earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia, the damage of volcanoes in Hawaii, the hurricanes inflicting damage on the Carolinas and Florida.

Grant that we might open our hearts and spirit to those around us, to those who will benefit from your love and bounty.  For as we have given of our selves and our possessions, we will find that we have come into your presence, and are closer to You.  As we live out the timeless words from Your Son, Jesus, we begin to free ourselves to live truly free, connected forever to Your eternal presence.

For we ask this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus, who has so blessed us with His teaching. Amen.