I want you to read the opening sentence of today’s devotional twice. Here’s the first time: “Have you ever noticed how many times the Bible lifts up the orphan, the widow, the foreigner, the poor, the prisoner, the grieving, and the sick?”
Because today’s piece didn’t have any particular scripture embedded, I thought of all the verses that would fit well; the ones that mention orphans, widows, foreigners, people in poverty, etc. But instead I was drawn to a scripture that we used almost exactly a year ago, in a devotional that was shaped by a particular song. The devotional was called Everyone is Welcome. The scripture is Isaiah 56: 1-8. If you click the link it’s there in the NIV. This time around let’s try the NLT:
This is what the LORD says:
“Be just and fair to all.
Do what is right and good,
for I am coming soon to rescue you
and to display my righteousness among you.
Blessed are all those
who are careful to do this.
Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest
and keep themselves from doing wrong.
“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD say,
‘The LORD will never let me be part of his people.’
And don’t let the eunuchs say,
‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’
For this is what the LORD says:
I will bless those eunuchs
who keep my Sabbath days holy
and who choose to do what pleases me
and commit their lives to me.
I will give them—within the walls of my house—
a memorial and a name
far greater than sons and daughters could give.
For the name I give them is an everlasting one.
It will never disappear!
“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD,
who serve him and love his name,
who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,
and who hold fast to my covenant.
I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem
and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
For the Sovereign LORD,
who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says:
I will bring others, too,
besides my people Israel.”
You’re encouraged to click the link to read that devotional again.
Today we’re introducing Jon Brudvig who writes at Walking to Golgotha: Reflections on a Lived Faith which he describes as “manifestation of my own time spent in the wilderness.” He’s been writing since 2015, and you can read this one at source by clicking the link in the title which follows.
Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Have you ever noticed how many times the Bible lifts up the orphan, the widow, the foreigner, the poor, the prisoner, the grieving, and the sick? Jesus is with them, and he invites his followers to join him in caring for the least, the last, and the lost.
Although we may like to passively observe the biblical narrative unfold, it goes without saying that discipleship is not a spectator sport. How can it be? Jesus repeatedly invites his followers of every time and place, people of varying ages and different abilities, to “Come and follow me.”
Why, then, do we hesitate to live into our baptismal vocations? Are we afraid of what the journey may require of us? We know how Jesus’ earthly ministry ended and none of us are eager to sign up for that. Are we?
Or does our hesitancy have more do to with a sense of inadequacy? Though we want to follow Jesus, we may feel ill-equipped for the work of ministry and mission. Discipleship does not come naturally for us. Speaking truth to power is not for the faint of heart. Is it? We avoid confrontation because it makes us (and others) uncomfortable. Following Jesus also moves us beyond the comfort of familiar spaces (our buildings) and faces to advocate for justice in our communities, to forgive our enemies, to love the unlovable, and to serve rather than being served.
The truth is that we need help. We are not called to sit passively on the sidelines and observe Jesus’ ministry. Discipleship requires a response. And that is where grace enters. Because if you are anything like me, experience proves that we fall short more often than we care to admit. We mess up, we struggle to get out of our own way sometimes, and we do our best to balance competing priorities.
At the heart of the good news of Jesus Christ is the promise that God does in us and for us what we cannot do ourselves. Sending the Holy Spirit to empower, equip, and accompany us every step of the way. Even in those moments when we are afraid. Even when we feel inadequate for the task. Even when we discount and downplay the gifts entrusted to our care. Even when we turn away.
The beauty of discipleship is that we are not called to participate in God’s mission alone. God always sends us companions for the journey – family members, friends, and mission partners. And that is where we draw our strength. From the collected gifts, ministries, and strengths of the community.
May we never lose sight of the gifts that each one of us brings to God’s mission. May we also celebrate and give thanks for the relationships that bind us together as the body of Christ, the church on earth. Because it is in community that our relational God shows up. And when God shows up amazing things happen.
“Alone, we can do so little,” noted Helen Keller, “together we can do so much.”
Christianity 201 
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