This week's devotions are written by Vicar Steve Bond.
More from Marva Dawn's Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God…
Whatever liberation our churches bring to others must come not from our exertion of alternate (specifically oppressive) powers, but from the tabernacling of God in our particular community, guiding us to distinct ways to love our neighbors.
Everyone is playing a game. Business people, jobless people, liberal people, conservative people, "religious" people-we're all playing games. The church is no different here, and to imagine that we are somehow above the rest of the world or have matured beyond playing is rather arrogant, frankly (not that this stops us from thinking it, though). We are called to live right in the thick of the world, loving it as God loves it. So it's not that we're too grown up to play life's games, but rather that God's grace has freed us to play by different rules. We no longer have to judge people by their prettiness or power, and we don't have to hold back from loving people who aren't on our team.
Now, to a world still playing by old rules-where what matters is getting the most points or proving you're the best-we will look silly. But that is the playful foolishness of God: while everyone else is intensely playing Battleship and Monopoly, Jesus invites us with a laugh to get up and join in "Follow the Leader" with him. What foolishness-what utterly divine foolishness.
Connection: Take your faith seriously today: let God's freely given love sink in and lead you to a playful delight in the goodness of life-in work, in family, in your resources-and to a joyful laughter in the freedom you have in Christ.
Gracious God, you set a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and my cup overflows. Coax me to drink of it deeply with joy, and lead me to invite them to sit down and share the meal.
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