March 7 -- Spiritual Food and Drink

This week's lectionary texts: Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, and Luke 13:1-9.

Human beings, wherever they might live, whatever culture they might inhabit, whichever beliefs they espouse, all share the same basic needs, including shelter, clothing, and sanitation. Perhaps the most salient of these needs, however, are food and drink. We can survive just weeks without food, and only days without water.

And beyond fulfilling simple biological needs, food and drink serve important social functions. We share meals with those we love. We bring gifts of food to people celebrating achievements, or grieving losses. We toast special occasions and swap favorite recipes.

As food and drink are such an important part of human life, it seems no surprise that they have a key role to play in our religious lives. In Christianity, one of the central rituals of our faith is the sharing of bread and wine or juice at communion, symbolizing or transforming into the body and blood of Christ, depending upon one's beliefs. Communion serves to nourish us both physically and spiritually, as the food and drink we rely on every day reminds us of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In this week's lectionary texts, we read of the ways in which we are nourished by God's spiritual food. The authors offer intriguing reflections on the ways in which our relationship with God can have resonances with our need for food and drink.

As the psalmist writes in Psalm 63, "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you...My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed" (Psalm 63:1, 5). God is portrayed as that which quenches one's thirst and feeds one's spirit -- a source of "steadfast love" that is "better than life" (Psalm 63:3).

Meanwhile, we read in Isaiah the prophet's invitation to Israel to come share in the abundant life offered by God. "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters," exhorts Isaiah," and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!" (Isaiah 55:1). In the prophet's vision, God offers a bountiful feast that is free for all God's people, and which will be far more satisfying than anything the Israelites have ever known:

"Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live" (Isaiah 55:1-3).

Isaiah wants his listeners to understand that ways of life that do not honor God are unsustainable and unsatisfying, but that God has something even better to offer. God wants what is good for God's children -- God invites us to "delight" in delicious food, after all. We are called to the banquet of God's goodness, invited to find the joy that comes with sharing in the endless bounty that is God's love for us.

Paul, for his part, writes in First Corinthians about the importance of learning from the mistakes of our ancestors, cautioning the Corinthians not to fall into the sins of idolatry, sexual immorality, or grumbling. Promising that God will be faithful to the Corinthians, he reminds them that they share a common ancestry with the Israelites: men and women who "all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank that same spiritual drink" (First Corinthians 10:3-4). Paul is mainly writing to remind the Corinthians that God was not pleased with many of the actions of the Israelites, but his message also serves as a reminder that we share in a powerful spiritual lineage, one marked by our common understanding of God as someone who fills all our needs.

Indeed, throughout both the Old and New Testaments, we see examples of God's goodness represented through the means of food and drink. From the manna given to the Israelites in the wilderness, to the feeding of the five thousand with two fish and five loaves, to the transformation of the water into wine at Cana, we can read numerous stories of the ways in which God uses food and drink to demonstrate God's power and love. And Christ, "the bread of life," shows us that God is intimately connected with our daily lives, linking our need for physical sustenance with our need for spiritual nourishment.

Most of us are lucky enough to have never gone hungry or thirsty -- but even in our society of overconsumption, there are many who lack enough food or clean water to make it through the day. For these people, hearing God's love and goodness compared to food and drink can be a hard message to accept -- all the more reason for those of us who have more than enough to continue working for a world in which no woman, man, or child ever has to go to bed hungry.

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February 28 -- Going for the Gold

This week's lectionary texts: Genesis 15:1-12 and 17-18, Psalm 27, Philippians 3:17-4:1, and Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36.

From February 12th through the 28th, the 21st Winter Olympics are being held in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 80 countries have sent over 2,000 men and women to compete for their chance at gold, silver, or bronze. While never free from controversy, the Olympics offer a chance for countries around the world to come together in a spirit of friendship and friendly competition, showcasing some of the most talented and inspiring athletes the world has ever seen.

Every competitor at the Games has a unique story. Many have practiced their sport since childhood. Some have come out of retirement to make one more attempt to earn a medal. All have made sacrifices to compete at such a high level, enduring injuries and lost time with family and friends. And all have demonstrated their desire to keep practicing, keep pushing, keep overcoming obstacles, so that they can honestly say at the end of the competition that, whatever the result, they gave it their best effort.

This week's lectionary texts encourage all of us, Olympic athletes and regular folks alike, to persevere. We are called to seek God, to ask God to show us the way we ought to follow, and to remember that God will give us the courage to make our way forward.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul encourages the community not to forget what they are striving for. He writes, "Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us" (Philippians 3:17). Paul walks the talk -- his letter has come to the Philippians from prison, where presumably he has been jailed for his unwelcome efforts to spread the gospel.

The Olympics, while characterized by competition among nations, also have the power to make us realize that we are all part of one global community. Paul takes things a step further, however. He warns against keeping one's mind on "earthly things," but rather urges the Philippians to remember that "our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:19-20).

Paul, explaining that Christ will transform his people, finally notes, "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved" (Philippians 4:1). Paul's deep affection for the Philippians is unmistakable in this epistle. He knows that following Christ can bring serious hardships, but also incredible joy, and he wants the community to be strengthened and encouraged in its walk with God.

In this week's reading from Luke, meanwhile, we read the story of Jesus' lament over Jerusalem. Just as Jesus finishes preaching that the last shall be first and the first shall be last, he is approached by Pharisees who warn him that Herod is out to kill him. Jesus instructs the Pharisees to tell Herod, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:32-33).

Jesus knows that he has work to do before his ministry is over; he also knows that everything will come to an end -- and a new beginning -- in Jerusalem. He is saddened over the state of the city: "How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Luke 13:34). But he still presses on, knowing that he has a job to do and that God will help him do it.

Indeed, perhaps one of the most powerful biblical reflections on persevering with God's help can be found in Psalm 27. As the psalmist writes,

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?...Though an enemy encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident." (Psalm 27:1, 3)

In this psalm, the psalmist expresses his confidence that God will come through for him, offering protection and strength. He knows that he will face adversaries and struggles, but implores God, "Be gracious to me and answer me!" (Psalm 27:7). In the concluding verses, he exhorts his listeners to similarly rely on the power of God: "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:13-14).

Even if we are not Olympic athletes, we all face challenges and difficulties in our lives. We all have goals we would like to achieve, but sometimes are held back by fear, or indecision, or uncertainty that our goals are even the right goals at all. But this week, we hear of the rewards to be gained by striving for God -- pushing ourselves to go farther than we ever thought we could go, pressing on through pain, and counting on God to help lift us up when we fall and cheer us on toward the finish line. Truly, as the psalmist writes, we have nothing to fear.

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February 21 -- Into the Wilderness

This week's lectionary texts: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 91:1-2 and 9-16, Romans 10:8b-13, and Luke 4:1-13.



This Sunday marks the first Sunday of Lent, the period of forty days leading up to the celebration of Easter. Many Christians have a complicated relationship with this portion of the liturgical year. For some, Lent feels like a dreary season, a time filled with deprivation and gloom. For others, Lent is a welcome season of renewal, a period in which to deepen one's relationship with God and reevaluate the ways in which we live out our faith. And for still others, Lent is both: a time of frustration and a time of peace, a time of discomfort and a time of refreshment.

In our lectionary texts this week, we read the story of the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. (Incidentally, Lent is forty days long to reflect this sojourn of Christ.) As Luke writes, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:1-2).

Luke says that Jesus fasted for the entire forty days, and, unsurprisingly, "was famished" (Luke 4:2). So the devil said to Jesus, "If [in this construction, "if" means "since"] you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread" (Luke 4:3). But Jesus, despite his hunger, replies, "It is written [in Deuteronomy 8:3], 'One does not live by bread alone'" (Luke 4:4).

Having seen that he could not get Jesus to budge when it came to his physical needs, the devil shifts his attention to power. He shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, saying, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority...if you, then, will worship me" (Luke 4:6-7). But citing Deuteronomy 6:13, Jesus answers that people are supposed to "worship the Lord your God, and serve only him" (Luke 4:8).

Finally, the devil tries one last temptation. He whisks Jesus away to Jerusalem, brings him to the top of the temple, and declares, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone'" (Luke 4:9-11). But Jesus answers him, "It is said [in Deuteronomy 6:16], 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test'" (Luke 4:12). And with that, the devil departs.

The devil, to be sure, demonstrates that he can quote scripture just like Jesus can; his last effort cites Psalm 91. But Christ knows that God's word asks us to trust God, not test God: "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust'" (Psalm 91:1-2).

The texts this week emphasize the idea that no matter what temptations or struggles we face, God has promised to be there for us. In Romans, Paul explains, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). And as the psalmist lyrically writes,

"Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16)

We are not promised easy lives -- indeed, most of us have experienced our share of sorrows and pains, temptations and trials. But as the season of Lent begins, we are called to remember that such experiences need not have the final say. We can choose to trust and bless God, much as the Israelites do in this week's passage from Deuteronomy, thanking God for their deliverance from exile and celebrating God's goodness with their neighbors.

Trusting God is sometimes easy; other times, it feels nearly impossible. But when we are wandering through the wilderness, we can remember that as Christians, we worship a God who, through the person of Christ, has wandered that wilderness too, and a God who has promised to answer us when we call for help. Lent can sometimes feel like a wilderness: a strange and unfamiliar place. As this new season begins, let us give ourselves permission to reflectively wander, trusting that even if we get lost, God walks with us and will deliver us.


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February 14 -- The Mountaintop

This week's lectionary texts: Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, Second Corinthians 3:12-4:2, and Luke 9:28-43.

"Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy." (Psalm 99:9)

During my recent trip to Ecuador, I had the opportunity to hike part of Chimborazo, the highest mountain in the country. Our group drove up a good part of the way, and then made it up to about 16,500 feet on foot. The landscape was strange and unfamiliar -- virtually no plant or animal life, just rocks and dust and wafting mist as far as we could see. At such a high altitude, breathing was difficult; every couple of minutes I would have to stop walking and just pause to catch my breath. It wasn't an easy trek, but making it to our goal -- the second refuge hut up the mountain -- was incredibly rewarding and exhilarating.

This week's lectionary texts offer powerful examples of "mountaintop experiences." They invite us to consider what it might mean to meet God on the mountain, and how our experiences of God can transform us in ways both visible and invisible.

In Exodus, we read of Moses's 40-day stay with God on Mount Sinai, recording God's message to God's people. As he finally makes his way back down the mountain, Moses does not realize that "the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God" (Exodus 34:29). In fact, so striking was Moses's transformation that "when Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:30).

Moses, of course, eventually discovers that speaking with God has had a profound effect on him. He ultimately decides to wear a veil after such encounters, presumably to prevent his fellow Israelites from being afraid. But "whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out" (Exodus 34:34). In the presence of God, Moses felt free to be exactly who he was.

In Luke, we hear another story of mountaintop transformation, as we learn about the transfiguration of Jesus. Bringing Peter and John with him, Jesus goes up to pray on a mountain. "And while he was praying," writes Luke, "the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white" (Luke 9:29). Not only did Jesus's appearance change, but Moses and Elijah also appeared on the mountain, speaking with Jesus.

Peter, likely confused but trying to figure out what to do, says to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Luke 9:33). But no sooner does Peter say this, than a cloud covers the mountain, and a voice inside proclaims, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" (Luke 9:35). And suddenly, Elijah and Moses disappear, leaving Jesus and his disciples silent and alone on the mountain.

What are we to make of these experiences of Moses and Jesus? Paul, in Second Corinthians, suggests that we can read such texts to indicate the transformative power that God can have in our own lives. We no longer need veils, he writes, because God has freed us to be exactly who God made us to be:

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

It is important to remember that not everyone will have a "mountaintop experience," an unambiguous and transformational experience of God. God may speak to us in quieter ways: through other people or through the reading of scripture, for example.

At the same time, it's likely that many of us have either had such an experience or know someone else who has. Such experiences can be frightening or awe-inspiring, life-changing and surprising. Let us be on the lookout for what we can learn about God and God's life-affirming, unbelievably powerful love from such experiences, whether our own or those of others.

Traveling up Chimborazo was sometimes frightening. At some points along the road, the mist and clouds were so thick that we could hardly see more than a few feet in front of us. In the same way, we don't always know what lies ahead when God invites us to travel up the mountain. We can only keep walking, trusting that God will take us as far as God wants us to go, and knowing that we will go back down the mountain transformed, free to be ourselves and to be shining examples of God's light and love for others.

Photos by the author.

February 7 -- Listening for a Call

This week's lectionary texts: Isaiah 6:1-13, Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, and Luke 5:1-11.

Few pieces of technology have become as ubiquitous in modern society as the telephone. It would be close to impossible to find a person in the United States who has never made a phone call. As of June 2009, moreover, 89% of Americans had cell phones -- 89%!

Certainly, phones can be enormously useful tools, connecting families, friends, and organizations all around the world. At the same time, they can also seem like a mixed blessing. It seems that practically everyone has received an unwanted phone call at one time or another -- whether hearing bad news or simply being irritated by a telemarketer. We can't know what sort of call we're receiving unless we pick up the phone and answer.

This week's lectionary texts elaborate on the notion of "call," showing that every call is different, and can invoke different responses from those who hear it. We are led to consider the ways in which God may be calling us, and to evaluate how we are interpreting and responding to God's call in our lives.

In the passage from Isaiah, the author relates a powerful vision of God: the Lord is seen "sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him" (Isaiah 6:1-2). The prophet, bearing witness to the awesome sight, exclaims, "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:5).

Yet the seraphs purify Isaiah by applying a live coal to his mouth, and God asks, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8). To which Isaiah replies, "Here I am; send me!" (Isaiah 6:8). He has transformed from a man nervous about answering God's call to someone seemingly eager to do God's will. (Though, granted, God's will in this case appears to be that the people's minds become "dull" and that God pronounces judgment on them [Isaiah 10, 11-13].)

Like Isaiah, Moses was initially reluctant to answer God's call to lead his people -- indeed, God's calls can sometimes seem unexpected and even inexplicable. In this week's reading from Luke, for example, Jesus calls his first disciples: Simon Peter, James, and John. The men had "worked all night long but [had] caught nothing" when Jesus told them to let down their nets again (Luke 5:5). Simon Peter was confused by the request, but decided to oblige, and the fishermen "caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break" (Luke 5:6).

Seeming to understand that he was in the presence of a remarkable person, Simon Peter exclaimed, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8). But Jesus simply replied, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people" (Luke 5:10). And the men, writes Luke, took a risk and "left everything and followed him" (Luke 5:11).

God's call can be exhilarating, exciting, or thrilling; it can also be frightening, confusing, or even off-putting. It may come in the form of a nagging sense that there is something God is prodding us to do with our lives, or in the form of a trusted mentor, friend, or pastor talking with us about where our talents and gifts lie. It may come in a dream, a book we read, a song we hear, or a voice in our mind. It may come suddenly; it may take months or years to be recognized.

However and whenever God's call to serve God's people comes, it's likely that we won't feel prepared. "I'm not perfect," we might think, or, "I don't know what I'm doing." We might wonder why God has chosen us to do God's work, whether it's as something as drastic as selling all our possessions and giving the money to the poor, or as simple as volunteering at a nursing home or bringing an extra item to the food shelf each week.

But God doesn't make mistakes, as Paul understands. As he writes in First Corinthians, "I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:10). God can use anyone to do good in the world -- anyone! The Bible is filled with men and women who initially doubted their ability to answer God's call, but -- with God's grace -- went on to do incredible, transformative things.

It seems likely that God will only call us to work at which we can succeed, with God's help. So is there something you feel like God is calling you to do, or a place God is calling you to go? God's voice can be quiet and hard to hear in the clamor of our busy lives, so let us keep our ears open, remembering, as the psalmist writes, "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever" (Psalm 138:8).

Photo credit here.

January 31 -- Where is God?

This week's lectionary texts: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, and Luke 4:21-30.

News came this week that the Haitian government estimates that at least 150,000 people have died in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck that tiny, desperately poor nation on January 12. The number is mind-boggling -- imagine, for example, a quarter of Boston's population almost instantly wiped out by destruction and disease.

Watching the news or reading about the enormous tragedy, it can be hard to understand how a loving God could ever allow such a horrific event to take place. The question becomes particularly difficult this week, as we read in two of our lectionary texts about the great care that God is said to have for every single woman, man, and child.

In Psalm 71, the psalmist beseeches God for God's protection and strength:

"In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress." (Psalm 71:1-3)

God is portrayed as a powerful source of salvation -- a deity whose care for us has never wavered since we came into existence: "For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb" (Psalm 71:5-6). Even in the midst of worry, the psalmist writes, "My praise is continually of you" (Psalm 71:6).

Meanwhile, in Jeremiah, the theme of God's ever-present protection and care is highly evident. Speaking to the prophet Jeremiah, God explains, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you" (Jeremiah 1:5). He urges Jeremiah to take up the mantle of prophecy, promising to speak through Jeremiah and protect him from his detractors: "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you" (Jeremiah 1:8).

It can be difficult to hear these promises of protection in scripture and try to square them with the devastation currently making the front page -- and indeed, with the natural disasters and evil deeds that happen every day.

The rest of the lectionary passages for this week, however, offer some help as we try to sort out the mystery of how a good God can exist in a world like ours. Luke's depiction of Jesus's near death at the hands of an angry crowd shows that humans don't always understand God's ways; as Jesus says to the confused and upset group, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown" (Luke 4:24). (And, incidentally, even Jeremiah faced imprisonment and personal attacks once he obeyed God's command to prophesy.)

Furthermore, in a beautiful passage in First Corinthians, Paul expresses the idea that as human beings, we simply cannot know everything that God knows, though someday we may hope to: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

And, as Paul concludes, "Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love, he believes, "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:7-8).

As Christians, we are called to be the body of Christ: to be God's hands and feet in this world. Perhaps the earthquake in Haiti happened for a reason that we simply can't understand. Perhaps there was no reason at all, and the earthquake was just an earthquake -- a natural event not controlled or directed by God, albeit one made worse by our past neglect of Haiti and its people. Whatever the case, it is up to us to step in and help, and to keep helping long after the first wave of attention has come and gone.

It can be incredibly difficult to understand how a loving and protective God exists in the midst of a tragedy like the one in Haiti -- indeed, many argue that events like the one of January 12th prove that God can't be real. Let us not stop wrestling with painful and challenging questions like this one. But at the same time, let us remember that we are called to love in word and deed, following the example of Christ and doing whatever we can to heal Haiti and the rest of our world.

There are numerous groups currently working to aid the Haitian people. Consider making a monetary donation (as aid workers are calling for funds, not supplies) to an organization such as the Red Cross.

Photo credit here.

January 24 -- The Body of Christ

This week's lectionary texts: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, and 8-10, Psalm 19, First Corinthians 12:12-31a, and Luke 4:14-21.

I recently returned from a week-long trip to Ecuador with a group of divinity, theology, and business students. During our time in South America, we learned about issues as diverse as globalization and debt, food sovereignty and ecology, indigenous spirituality and refugees. We also had incredible opportunities to meet a variety of Ecuadorian women, men, and children, and were often overwhelmed by the hospitality we encountered.

On one of our last nights in Ecuador, we were invited to a church service held in a tiny chapel in a tiny mountaintop village near Guamote. The service was attended by many local families, our entire group, and a few people from Guamote (as well as a kitten who kept darting in and out).

Since I speak neither Spanish nor Quechua (the indigenous language spoken by most of the village's residents), I rarely understood exactly what the celebrants were saying. But as we all got up to take communion, I marveled at what a beautiful moment we were sharing: men and women from all over the world, coming together in one of the oldest rituals of Christianity.

This week's texts also emphasize the importance of coming together as the body of Christ. As Paul writes in First Corinthians,

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

Paul wants to make clear that every single person is important for the body of Christ to work together; nobody is any less critical than anyone else. We are inextricably linked, he radically writes: "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26).

Both the readings from Nehemiah and Luke, for their part, offer examples of the faithful coming together to listen to God's word. In Luke, Jesus stands up in the synagogue to read the words of Isaiah, saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19).

It seems important that Luke records, "The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him...All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came out of his mouth" (Luke 4:20, 22). Jesus's declaration, which comes near the beginning of his ministry, was not made alone, or to a select few, but to his whole synagogue -- he was inviting his community to share in his announcement of hope and salvation.

In Nehemiah, we hear the story of Ezra bringing God's law to the people: "The priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly...in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law....And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people...Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen,' lifting up their hands" (Nehemiah 8:2-3, 5-6).

But Ezra does not simply read the book of the law to the people. Rather, his peers then "read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading" (Nehemiah 8:8). It was important to Ezra that everyone, not just the elite, could have the chance to fully understand God's word -- the community was stronger for it.

Indeed, coming together in community is essential for our walk with God. It is in community that we learn and grow, question and have our questions echoed or answered, build relationships with people like and unlike us. The psalmist writes, "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). This is a beautiful, incredible world that God has given us to share. How important, then, that we seize opportunities to explore it, improve it, and seek to strengthen the body of Christ, a body whose members are scattered throughout the globe.