Saturday, March 30, 2002
Saturday, March 30, 2002
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with
whatever gift each of you has received.
What the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem that day did not realize was that God
was offering them an opportunity to join Him in doing a new thing. Rather than simply
smashing the oppressive government of that day, God was beginning at the bottom up to build
a new world order. He was starting with a small group of men and women--a ragtag salvation
army--that would grow person by person through the ages until it transcended all the
governments of this world. That ragtag army now numbers in the millions and it is still growing.
It is building hospitals and universities and schools. It is healing the wounded and setting at
liberty captive peoples. It is bringing people from darkness into light. That salvation army is, of
course, the church of Jesus Christ. That is why we lift up our anthems of praise this day. That
is why we are shouting, "Hosanna!" Christ is alive and he is still leading his ragtag salvation
army until that day when oppression is no more and everyone lives in dignity and peace and
freedom together under the Lordship of Christ. Can he count on you? Are you ready to join in
the salvation army parade? It's easy to shout; what he needs is people willing to serve.
(1 Peter 4.10
NRSV)
It is easy to shout, but it is much harder to serve. You have seen those bumper stickers--
"Honk if you love Jesus." Then there was a follow up: "Tithe if you love Jesus. Anyone can
honk." Everyone loves a parade, everyone loves to get excited. Sometimes we, too, get
caught up in the excitement of the moment. We are filled with great enthusiasm, a fresh burst
of energy over a particular project. Unfortunately our enthusiasm soon fades. We lose
interest. It was great while it lasted but now it's gone. It's easy to shout--it's hard to serve.
Dear God, you can count on me. Amen.
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