Dear Friends,

We hope that you are safe and well!

Today's Meditation is a reflection "It is just the Beginning" by Marilyn Pagan Banks.

 We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in healthcare, in the workplace, in the Church--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.

 In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that in God’s economy of abundance, when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.

 We hope and pray that you and your loved ones experience genuine peace of mind and heart, and remain in good health during this challenging time.

As Spring comes to birth, may you find peace, healing, hope, and the infusion of joy in your life!

With our love and care,

Ron & Jean

Daily Devotional

Daily Devotional

May 12, 2021

It Is Just the Beginning

Marilyn Pagán-Banks

I pray that the God of our Savior Jesus Christ, the Creator of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know God, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which God has called you, what are the riches of God's glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of God's power for us who believe. - Ephesians 1:17-19

When I was a small child growing up in a tradition that doesn’t ordain women, in my young mind I figured that the best I could do was to be a good person. Little did I know that being a good person was just the beginning of the journey of saying yes to Jesus.

I learned about the power of God that would not let me be in the presence of oppression and injustice, and the hope and light I was called to share and experience through the journey. I am still learning to trust the wisdom and revelation that has been given to me. Gratitude is my daily prayer.

I feel like that is what Paul is saying to the very young church in Ephesus: your love towards each other is just the beginning of the journey of saying yes to Jesus. The power of God is calling you to expand this love into works of hope and power, in a world that won’t always love you back. Pray for wisdom and clarity. Learn from the journey, and trust God’s call.

Paul’s message is relevant to churches today, too. What lessons have we learned during this Covid-19/1619 journey about what it means to be church? The desire to be back together in person is just the beginning. What has been revealed to us about what we were missing? What plans do we have in exercising our reclaimed power as a collective? How are we going to show up as hope and light, anew? What is God calling us to next?

Prayer

God of new beginnings, thank you for your Spirit that won’t let us be content until all are free and all know your love. Amen.

John Edgerton

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marilyn Pagán-Banks (she/her/ella) is a queer womanist freedom fighter gratefully (though not always gracefully) serving as executive director of A Just Harvest, Senior Pastor at San Lucas UCC, and adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. She is a joyful contributor to The Words of Her Mouth.