As long as I can remember, a large oil painting hung over the sofa in my parents’ living room. For some reason, I loved that picture. So when my father died, Mother let me bring it home with me. Actually, she had never liked it—too dark for her tastes. But...

Dear God, help us reflect your steadfast loving-kindness and find goodness and beauty in others. Amen.


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Lectionary Week
May 20–26, 2024
Scripture Overview

The scripture passages this week give us an opportunity to reflect on the power and majesty of God and what God’s love, in its many forms, can mean for us. Through these verses, we get a glimpse of who God is and who we can be as God’s disciples: purposeful; humble; strong; joint heirs with Christ; open to God’s guidance; and recipients of peace, love, and eternal life. We read the account of the prophet Isaiah’s vision and calling. The psalm describes our sovereign God’s awesome voice. Paul declares that those who are led by the Spirit are children of God and joint heirs with Christ. In John’s Gospel we read of the story of Nicodemus’s visit to Jesus. Each scripture is compelling in its own way, but taken together, they illustrate the magnitude of a relationship with God that may be beyond our imagining but not beyond possibility.

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

Read Isaiah 6:1-8. Reflect upon a time you were chosen for a special task. What helped you feel empowered to serve?
Read Psalm 29. How have you experienced the glory of God? Through nature? Through music? Through art?
Read Romans 8:12-17. What might it mean to God that you are a joint heir with Christ? What do you want to inherit from God?
Read John 3:1-17. How has your life been reshaped by the Spirit? How do you share God’s love with others? Who shares God’s love with you?

Respond by posting a prayer.