Three wise girls

Randy loves her enemies and now Kelsey (“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”) and tomorrow Kristina (Matthew 7:1-5) each selected their Confirmation verses from the Sermon on the Mount. Cool.

Again, this 3rd of Christ's powerful sermon is like drinking from a fire hydrant. I love the headings today:

The World Is Not a Stage
"When you help someone out, just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out."

When you think about it, all we ever see are God's fingerprints. He doesn't announce when he helps us. We usually don't even realize he's done it until after the fact.

Pray with Simplicity
"This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need."

I would much rather have my kids sit in my lap and talk with me from their very souls than try to say the right words in order to get what they want from me.

We're basically asking God to keep us alive, forgiven, and safe. That is enough. The rest is gravy.

"God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well."

Serve quietly. You have been claimed for God's kingdom.

A Life of God-Worship
"You can't worship God and Money both. If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion."

Think deeply about that this holiday season.

It all comes down to this:
"What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Join me this Advent in a conspiracy to spend less, so that we can give more. Any individual gift to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal will be matched dollar for dollar until Dec 31st. For more info, check out www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/ELCA-World-Hunger.aspx.