| Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary! In these weeks after Pentecost and before Advent the Word of God as presented to us in the lectionary is meant to teach what it means to live in spirit-filled discipleship.
Now that the Spirit has been poured upon us, how shall we follow Jesus? Today’s readings tell us of how sin and division entered the world (the reading from Genesis), how evil tries constantly to divide us (a house divided against itself cannot stand), and of how we are united in Christ as one new family (whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother [to me]).
The Holy Spirit unifies us, the spirit of evil divides us. The Holy Spirit who unifies us also keeps us from discouragement (Paul). When we detect signs of discouragement or disunity, we know that we need to stop and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us. This listening to the Holy Spirit is what we mean by discernment.
Let us open a place in our hearts to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying, and not be like the scribes from Jerusalem whose minds and hearts were closed to Jesus.
Call to action: Unity in the Church has, historically, been hard for us. Some of the disunity we experience is, no doubt, because of the evil spirit who deliberately divides us. Some of it, however, comes from our own hard-heartedness and wanting things our own way.
We sacrifice the unity of Christ for the sake of our own pride, or because we are afraid of change. It’s hard to examine oneself and admit that we are the ones causing the problem! One important way to promote unity is through communication and listening.
In our modern world, we are graced with tools that allow us to be in communication with each other. Part of the mission of GiveCentral is to promote unity and dialogue among our people within our church communities.
Do you know how to use GC SmartText? Do you know how to use GC SmartGive for emails with an ask?
If you don’t know how to use them, now is the time to start learning! CLICK HERE and register to start your learning adventure! You’ll be glad you did.
Pastoral Action Points
- Give Central SmartTools can help you organize and register events like Vacation Bible School, the summer Parish Picnic, or an auction you may be running. GC can make it fun and easy. Questions? Email implementation@givecentral.org
- Are there more things you want to learn about how to use your GC SmartTools? We have On-boarding and Re-boarding sessions scheduled throughout the summer. Pick a time that works for you by clicking here!
- We’ve got webinars! Our webinars not only help you look at specific things you’d like to learn more about, but they’re also interactive and fun! Check out our schedule of webinars here – click here!
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