Thursday, July 16, 2009

Thought for Friday July 17

I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

Matthew 12: 1 – 8 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."

Do I ever judge people about their observance of the Sabbath? Do I ever criticize people (in my mind or to others) at church because of the way they are dressed, or when they arrive, or how their kids act, or whether they receive Communion?

Action: Make a point of going to church this weekend and appreciating the presence of everyone who is there without judging anyone.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Guilty your honor! Yes, I didn't realize it, but I had been doing that. Last Sunday a woman sat a few pews in front of me and I thought "what a trashy outfit! How can anyone have the nerve to show up in church looking like that with all that skin showing??? Then I saw a guy, unshaven, messy hair, wife-beater undershirt, stained shorts, and same reaction "How can people come to church like that!?!" Well, the Holy Spirit must have come through because in my head I got the slap-upside the head I deserved: "At least they wanted to worship church! Do you think God cares what they're wearing?" So yeah, we all have judgmental thoughts and criticism and that's human, but refusing the urge to judge or criticize can be an encounter with the divine.