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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

To be the good soil is not our achievement. It is more about being receptive to the gospel. The good soil is creating the conditions that make us more holy and more mature. To be holy in the Wesleyan tradition is to love God and our neighbor. And holiness and maturity are generative. Aside from anything else in life, this is the calling of an adult, a leader, a Christian: to be generative.

—Kenneth H. Carter Jr., A Beginner’s Guide to Practicing Scriptural Imagination (Upper Room Books, 2020)

Today’s Question

How is God calling you to be generative? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!
—Matthew 13:8-9 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth. Amen.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Connect people to God in their own language. Give to the international editions of The Upper Room daily devotional guide.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

7 Comments

  • Jill Posted March 13, 2020 3:48 am

    Yes, God is faithful and He will provide. Thank you, April, for that reminder.
    I don’t know that I have ever thought of being generative. What comes to mind is providing space and a proper stance for God to work in and through me. I don’t “generate” the goodness, the power – I generate a proper attitude and willingness to do His bidding. I will be anxious to hear other’s take on this.
    Yesterday was a day of significant announcements and protocols put into place. There is school today and Monday and then all schools will be closed for 3 weeks in my state. Churches are closing their doors and doing services on line.
    Quite honestly, I welcome this. This school year has been incredibly hectic for me – so this is a wonderful change of pace. Also, with so many potential side effects and adjustments with my new medication – I can now just relax at home and if I am not feeling well, I won’t have to push through and go to school. Also, not being around so many people, I have a much better chance of remaining infection free. I am so grateful to God for His protection concerning my health and my immune system.
    I am anxiously craving time to read for pleasure, amongst other things.

  • Gail Churchill Posted March 13, 2020 6:47 am

    I will contact by phone people from my church, many of whom are seniors, and see if they need assistance.

  • robert moeller Posted March 13, 2020 8:10 am

    In terms of generating in church, my community, I think I am not so able. Using creativity as a teacher I was able to generate interest in the courses I taught. I’m decidedly not a shaker and mover, but much more subtle.

    WILL STAY HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, LOTS OF FACTORS: AGE, 2016 I HAD A HEART ATTACK, CORONAVIRUS, THE FLU, AND COLDS ARE HIGH IN CARROLL COUNTY. SYMPTOMS ARE SIMILAR FOR ALL THREE. WANT EVERYONE TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. THE REGULAR FLU IS WORSE, MORE DEADLY, THAN THE CORONAVIRUS. HAVE SUPPLIES.
    TAKE ALL THE PRECAUTIONS AND STAY WELL, THANKFUL COMMUNICATION IS POSSIBLE

    One year I taught a class on tv. Didn’t have as much tech as today. It was a lot of work, as I remember it. Hope it all goes well. We don’t always appreciate what learning does at the time it is happening. At the same time there are lessons we learn that we never use after the class is over.

    May you all be safe, it’s not just the coronavirus, but the two strains of flu, and the common cold that we are facing. We use reason and put ourselves in God’s hands. Thank You, Lord

    • Julie Posted March 13, 2020 8:27 am

      I am glad you are taking precautions. I worry about my mother who is 76 and has diabetes. I continue to pray for you and your safety my friend.

  • Julie Posted March 13, 2020 8:24 am

    I never thought of this word in relaton to Christianity. I find myself that being generative involves generating something, in myself and others. Generating a love and respect for the Lord and His tenents. Generating more people to come into the fold of our Shephard. Since the UR has been tying Devotions and this reflection subject makes me think generating more Christians by discipleship is the generating meant here. The Devotion verses were the fiinal paragraph of Matthew where Jesus tells His dicsiples to go out into the nations and teach His word.
    Prayers for Jill and her students. I heard about Ohio schools being cancelled. Will you do anything online? I know in PA they have said if any school is cancelled the state agency that oversees school lunch programs will provide a means of feeding the chhildren. I know you expressed concern.
    Prayers for Gail and her thoughtfulness. May her phone calls be rewarded with many requests.
    Prayers for April and her word pictures of flowers that are so eloquent.
    Prayers for Rick, may his learning not suffer from online instruction and may he stay safe as he cares for his patients.
    Prayers for Lou and her children, may her youngest have safe travel.
    Prayers for Robert, may God guide his search for a vehicle and therapist.
    H is home today. He left early this morning as he always does and I know where he goes and what he does. He was planning to “retire” this year but hopefully the stock market will change that plan.
    Prayers and thank you UR

  • April Posted March 13, 2020 11:37 am

    It got pretty cold last night so my pansy faces will take a bit to awaken but the daffodils are smiling from petal to petal. The gardener did come yesterday and made a splash pot out of one that had cracked over the winter. He laid it down and rearranged the California Poppies that we just coming up so later it will look like the yellow poppies are popping out of the pot. He also transplanted all my extra lamb’s ears into a nice border row and planted my crocus and tulip bulbs(from gifts that I received this spring) in the area that he will add more to come fall. I suggested that he go ahead and move the tulips that are pushing up to the new location now, but he said that they won’t bloom if he does, so he told me he will follow up in the fall when it is the right time to move them. I just love his concern for plants!!
    The soil or generativity….another link to Spring. I think this will be on my mind today as I try to sort out which comes first.
    Love the prayer for the week and am hearing Connie sing along…
    Silently now I wait for Thee,
    Ready my God, Thy will to see,
    Open my eyes, illumine me,
    Spirit divine!
    And Something More: Connect people to God in their own language. Could it be the language of nature that we can use as an example to connect people to God?
    My prayers are for wisdom for all who have decisions to make regarding the new coronavirus that is rocking the world. May we all do our part to prevent the spread and help those affected. Blessings dear UR family.

  • Andrea Posted March 13, 2020 2:42 pm

    Blessings, all, and prayers in these difficult times. Robert, the flu is not more dangerous than Covid-19. Covid-19 is very contagious, more contagious than flu, with greater morbidity and mortality. Everyone, stay home if you are sick. Some people will not get very sick from the virus, but they risk passing it to people who are at great risk, who may get very sick. The more this can be avoided, the more it will help the burden on our health care system and save lives, the lives of people in the health care system and all the rest of us..

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