[Membersandfriends] Friday, August 20, 2004

Thu Aug 19 22:01:37 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Friday, August 20, 2004

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CALLED TO COMFORT
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Luke 4:14-21 (NRSV)

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 

"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." 

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

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Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
- Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
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MY art teacher phoned me a couple of days ago.  "I just needed someone to talk to," she said.

She had received some bad news about a member of our art group and wanted someone to share the burden.  I was glad to listen to her.  However, I was surprised she chose me.  I thought there were many people she would have known better.

I started thinking of the many people who have no one with whom to share either their burdens or their joys.  We can't listen to everyone, but we can and should listen for God's promptings in the needs of those around us.  These people can be as diverse as my art teacher, the cantankerous old woman down the road, or the confident person at work who appears to have everything.  As Christ's representatives, we are called to bring them his comfort and his peace.

Prayer:  Lord, help us to listen to those who have no one and so bring your love into their lives.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Those who seem to have everything still need God's love and someone to listen to them.

-- Jennifer Toni Scott (Hampshire, England)

PRAYER FOCUS: The lonely and isolated

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RELATED READING ...

Discover a world of saints whose faith, hope, and action will inspire and encourage you.  SERVANTS, MISFITS, AND MARTYRS looks at saints you know, saints you don't, and some you might not recognize as saints.  Howell offers vignettes of figures he calls teachers, Pray-ers, Preachers, Singers, Prisoners, Servants, Misfits, and Martyrs.  Meet misfits Francis of Assisi and Clarence Jordan, the creator of The Cotton Patch Bible.  Experience the stories of Billy Graham and Sojourner Truth.  Hear the stories of singing saints Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, and John Newton.  Read the accounts of Thomas More and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, both saints who were imprisoned for their beliefs and needs.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12673

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.