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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

 

Today’s Reflection

Everyone is welcome in the house of God, but not all behaviors are welcome. Everyone is welcome, and for the sake of safety and dignity, we set boundaries for how to be together respectfully. However, it is important to differentiate the actions and expressions that are really harmful from those that are idiosyncratic, unusual, or even uncomfortable to those unused to accommodating them but are ultimately the sign to an observant faith community of the compassion of an all-embracing Christ.

—Rosalind C. Hughes, Whom Shall I Fear? Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence (Upper Room Books, 2021)

Today’s Question

How does “the compassion of an all-embracing Christ” shape your faith community’s practices? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
—Colossians 3:12 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Lord,
Even though I walk through lonely and dark times, I will fear nothing, because you are with me; your guidance and authority comfort me. (Adapted from Psalm 23:4)
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

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Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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3 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted July 11, 2021 6:37 am

    Very thankfully the church I attend, support, am a member of is all-inclusive. I wouldn’t attend, support, and be a member if it wasn’t. The message of Jesus is love, love conquers all, love covers a multitude of sin, without it salvation is impossible. Behavior that opposes love is rejected. Thank You, Lord.

    • Lou Posted July 11, 2021 2:00 pm

      Yes Robert!!! I so agree with you – thankfully the church I attend is the same – otherwise I wouldn’t be there either! Thank you for this post.

  • Jill Posted July 11, 2021 4:42 pm

    God’s love is for all and the Bible clearly and distinctly sets guidelines for acceptable behavior and characteristics for people who will follow Him. Yes, He is accepting and He is forgiving. He is also just and has a holy standard for His people. My church stands firm on the foundations laid out in the Bible. We are welcoming and listening. But we also stand on His Word – and will point out when a person is displaying a pattern of sinful behavior, as stated in the Bible.
    Lots and lots of rain here. My god son’s baseball tournament got washed out. I ran a few errands after the cancer support group meeting this morning. By the time I got home, it was really coming down. Took a lazy nap with Roger in the recliner. Now hoping for a break in the rain to get a walk in. Dad and I have an early morning tee time, but don’t know that the course will be playable with the amount of rain that came down. My sister and I are to go on a bike ride in the afternoon – but not sure what the conditions will be like for that either.

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