Society: Week 22 of Ordinary Time

Look: Metropolis in Harmony II, Wisnu Sasongko - Source

Listen: Day by Day, The Porter’s Gate (feat. Joy Ike) - Bandcamp w/ lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: Isaiah 59:9-20; Psalm 13; Hebrews 5:11-6:12; Mark 10:46-52

Readings for the rest of the week*: Leviticus 19:1-18; Psalm 15; Isaiah 65:17-25; Jeremiah 29:1-14; Matthew 7:1-5, 12; Romans 13:1-10; Revelation 21:1-8

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Twenty-Second Week After Pentecost

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: For the final seven weeks of Ordinary Time, we’ll consider God’s gifts of work and rest - both spiritual acts of worship.

Bobby Gross introduces this week’s chapter:

“From the beginning God designed us to live in relationships: families, tribes, communities, cities, nations. Each level of human society carries great cultural complexity: beliefs, values, mores, rules, structures and, of course, history. Although our fallen state distorts and damages us at teach level, part of our work as creatures and as Christians is to seek and shape a society marked by God’s shalom - a state of peace, justice, wholeness and human flourishing. In obedience and hope, we invest ourselves in this vision for human society."

Find a quiet location in your neighborhood or city to pray in specific ways for the welfare of your community. Begin the time by noticing your surroundings, what’s above you, behind you and beneath? Pay attention to your senses. What do you hear, smell, see, feel, and taste? Give thanks for the goodness around you. From this place of restful gratitude, ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight to the following questions: What is one tangible action you could do to make your corner of society a bit more the way God intends it to be?

Related: Last week we completed the third retreat in the Rhythms of Grace series for Ordinary Time. Thank you to all who joined us! As I’ve prayed about ways to continue encouraging us to live into the unforced rhythms of grace Jesus invites, I’ve created a FREE 31-Day email guide for you and your families, friends, colleagues to enjoy.

We're just getting started and you're not too late to join us!