These Days Devotional for August 16

I wrote a week's worth of devotionals for the devotional guide These Days.  This week is when they are in the book, so I thought I would share them here as well.

How Shall We Live?

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

Justice, Kindness, Humility

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

We get it wrong. At least that is what Micah and other prophets suggest. We argue about whether we are doing the rituals of faith properly and miss the acts that are called for.

I mean does God really care what colour the altar cloth is or how we serve communion? Or is God more worried about how the world is being transformed by our encounter with the Holy?

Christ came into the world to proclaim the Kingdom, not the church. In the Kingdom peace and righteousness are the rule and norm. In the Kingdom justice, kindness and humility will describe God's people.

And rituals may well be left behind.

Action Step: When you finish weekly worship or daily devotion, ask yourself and your community how you can help create a kinder, more just world today.

God, help us to be people of peace, kindness, and justice. Amen.