Today’s Reflection
You can and will play an important part in strengthening and healing our faith communities. If you are willing to take a wise, honest, and informed look within yourself and at the people and events surrounding you every day, you will be an agent of change; you will be doing God’s work in the world. Be willing to embrace your most courageous self and move toward your discomfort rather than away from it. Though it sounds counterintuitive, when we sit in our discomfort and become familiar with it, we learn how to live with discomfort rather than deny or minimize it. This is when we all become our strongest and most capable selves.
Angela D. Schaffner, “Awareness of Reality,” in Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust Within Faith Communities (Discipleship Resources, 2023)
Today’s Question
What actions can you take to help heal your congregation? Join the conversation.
Today’s Scripture
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
—1 Chronicles 16:11 (NRSVUE)
Prayer for the Week
Holy God, we recognize that all people are entrusted to our care. We respond to your will for us to watch over one another. Help us keep our eyes alert to dangers and keep our ears attentive to even silent cries for help. Use our community to be a place of safety for all. Amen. [prayer adapted from Safer Sanctuaries]
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.
Something More
Now available in Spanish, Safer Sanctuaries is a trusted source of guidance for churches and other affiliated institutions as they work to reduce the risk of abuse in their communities. Learn more at SaferSanctuaries.org.
Lectionary Readings
- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
- Psalm 19
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
- Luke 4:14-21
Read the lectionary texts courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library here.
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
3 Comments
I can be present, offer my time and my attentiveness. If there is something tangible I can do – do it without hesitation.
The bitter cold will lift today and we will make it towards the freezing mark. It will be a noticeable difference, even though we are not likely to see the sun today.
I have tennis later this morning and then some errands to run. Depending on how long that takes me, I may eat while I am out. Have some school work to commit time to. Also, reading from winter break has carried over. I am reading two really good books, one is historical fiction and the other a memoir.
Stay involved. Don’t give up. Progress can be made. Think positive. Thank You, Lord.
I attend an online support group on a monthly basis. The theme of sitting with your discomfort has been mentioned as being therapeutic. I tried it and have learned a lot. …most importantly is that God is with me.
I pray that your appointment went well Jill. Pain is such an invisible and exhausting condition. I pray for you and your healthcare providers to move forward with the best plan.
We continue to provide prayers and financial resources to our church for them to use as needed. It may not seem like much, but it is what we can do even though we are not physically “doing” something. And like Robert says, we are staying involved.
Sending healing prayers and hugs to those in our family who are hurting. God is with you.
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