The Thanksgiving gospel, as read by Lynne Butler, Executive Director of Metro CareRing on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at the Thanksgiving Eve Service at Bethany Lutheran Church. View the entire service HERE (Lynne begins at minute 25:55).Matthew 6:25-33
25-26 “If
you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you
don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes
in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the
food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the
clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered,
not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you
count far more to him than birds.
27-29 “Has
anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much
as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it
makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out
into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop,
but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten
best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
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