[Membersandfriends] Monday, August 23, 2004

Sun Aug 22 22:01:54 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Monday, August 23, 2004

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Writers' Workshops Led by UPPER ROOM Editors

Looking for ways to sharpen your writing skills? Workshops led by editors from THE UPPER ROOM magazine will be offered at a number of regional writers' conferences in 2004. Follow the URL below for additional information.
http://www.upperroom.org/ur_home_viewer.asp?item_id=141429
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SERVING OUR SAVIOR
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Matthew 25:31-40 (NRSV)

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"

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Jesus said, "'I was hungry and you gave me food.'"
- Matthew 25:35 (NRSV)
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AT 8:30 A.M., volunteers pour into the soup kitchen at the Community of Hope.  We begin preparing lunch to serve 200-275 men, women, and children.  Gleaners bring fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, meat, and desserts from local groceries.  Soup, salad, and sandwiches are prepared, and desserts are sliced, ready for serving.

At 11:30 A.M. sharp, the doors are opened.  A long line of our poorest and most unfortunate make their way through the line of attractively displayed food and drink, filling and then refilling their plates until their hunger is satisfied.  Some have addiction or health problems; some are out of work; some are stranded on the road without funds.  All are children of God -- just like you and me.

As I look into the faces of those passing through the line, I think of what Jesus said, "As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

Prayer:  Compassionate God, teach us to be more willing to share our time, talent, and money to serve those in need.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
We serve Christ when we serve those in need.

-- Roberta Zybach Yarbrough (New Mexico, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: The homeless

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RELATED READING ...

WRESTLING WITH GRACE: A Spirituality for the Rough Edges of Daily Life shows how to overcome obstacles with grace and how to bless the undesirables of life to open our spirits to deeper joy and love.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=107690

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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.