Community: Ask God to help us form new and deeper relationships with people he has gifted in worship and intercession (whether they know him yet or not).
Passage: Isaiah 61:10-62:3
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
I like the image of God as the earth/garden. We sow tiny seeds of righteousness and praise into him, and he is the one who turns them into a great display of his glory, rooted in himself.
ReplyDeleteI just had one of my assumptions unveiled. The concept of Tea Sanctuary is built, in part, on the idea that many people genuinely care about knowing God and becoming deeper, more loving people. This is not a church planting concept that works if you assume that people have to be tricked, forced or bothered into coming to see if God is real.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering why the crown is in the Father's hand, not on his head. Then I realized it's probably because he is crowning Jesus. Such a beautiful image of Zion as Christ's prize and glory.
ReplyDeleteGod, thank you so much for giving Bill a job and a large gift at the same time without warning. You have been so kind to us and we appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteTeach us to walk in your life, as sons and daughters with free access to your great resources. Forgive and heal us of our worry.
Thank you, too, for putting us in a great body of people who love you. Thank you for rescuing us and leading us in a new way of living.
You've been so free and generous in the gifts that you give. I'm grateful for our bodies and families and homes and the joy we have in you, and that even in discouragement we will never despair again.
Thank you for your calling to create Tea Sanctuary. Please keep drawing new people in to live, pray and serve with us.
Love you.
The end.