Sunday October 31 Pentecost 23
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Psalm 8
God is amazing in what God has created. It is astonishing that God cares for humans who are so small in comparison, because God has even given humans care for God’s amazing earth.
Psalm 84
I love to be with God. In verse 2 it may be that a bird built a nest near the actual altar in the temple, and the poet, seeing that, is thinking that if a tiny bird can be accepted by God and have a home in the temple, so God completely accepts me when I am at home in God’s presence. God cares for us more than we can imagine!
Some of the imagery is of people climbing the hill up to the temple in Jerusalem. Appropriate for a Sunday as we come to the presence of God at worship.
Nehemiah 5:1-19 What’s Nehemiah about?
While the temple and the city walls are being rebuilt, senior officials are oppressing the people and extorting money and slaves. Nehemiah insists that this exploitation stop, and he himself declares he will not receive money normally due to himself as the governor. The officials agree to his demand. This is a sign that the people will not again abandon their God of justice, which was the cause of the temple and the city being destroyed.
Luke 12: 22-31 What’s Luke about?
Jesus illustrates how generous God is to birds and flowers and encourages us to be confident in God’s care for us and not to be consumed by desire for external supports.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
whose chosen servant Abraham obeyed your call,
rejoicing in your promise
that in him the family of the earth is blessed,
give us faith like his,
that in us your promises may be fulfilled;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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