Opening
Dialogue
Behold, now is the acceptable time;
now is the day of salvation.
Turn
us again, O God of our salvation,
that the light of your face may
shine on us.
May
your justice shine like the sun;
and may the poor be lifted up.
Hymn of Light – O Light Whose Splendor Thrills (ELW# 563)
Thanksgiving
for Light
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and
praise.
We
give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you called light into being, and
you set light in the sky to govern night and day.
In
a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night you led your people into
freedom. Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ: may your Word be a
lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love
your whole creation, and with all your creatures we give you glory, through
your Son Jesus Christ, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Psalmody: Psalm 25 spoken responsively by full verse
Lord,
you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You
forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin.
You
withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
Restore
us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
Will
you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all
generations?
Will
you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show
us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let
me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him
in their hearts.
Surely
his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast
love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each
other.
Faithfulness
will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the
sky.
The
Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness
will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.
Hymn –
Christ, Be Our Light (ELW #715)
A
reading from Micah 6:6-8
“With
what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall
I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will
the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall
I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my
soul?”
He
has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but
to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Reflection
By David Kool and Andrew Ryskamp
Micah 6:8 asks us what the Lord requires of us. There are
many different ways to answer this question. You might have a passion for
evangelism. So you focus on the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. Or
you might be more focused on worship and emphasize verses like Psalm 95:6. You
may think that God wants holiness, and the Ten Commandments define what it is
that God expects of you. Or you may emphasize Christian character, and so the
fruit of the Spirit as described in Paul’s writings might be your favorite. The
wide range of answers to this question helps the Christian community to be
diverse, holistic, and inclusive, so that the passions, interests, and gifts of
all God’s people can be realized.
Perhaps thinking about what the Lord desires of us also
encourages us to develop a holistic spirituality that includes the parts of our
faith that are not in our wheelhouse. If I have a deep interest and call to
pray, I may need to push myself to make sure I head out from my prayer closet
to share my faith. If I love the experience of worship, I probably should not
ignore my neighbors as I walk or drive to church on Sunday morning.
Micah 6:8 connects our faith with our actions, our care for
those in need with our walk with God: “What does the Lord require of you but to
do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
While a number of Bible translations use the word “require,”
following this verse’s instructions perfectly is not a requirement for
salvation. God has grace for us even though we are not perfectly obedient. Some
translations instead use the word “desire” in Micah 6:8. God gives us the gift
of salvation by grace. This verse simply describes what God wants from us in
return: to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
To “walk humbly with God” is the basis for loving mercy and
doing justice. Because of what God has done, we fully invest in healing the
world around us through mercy and justice. Cultivating our walk with God
provides the power and passion for us to fully engage—it grounds everything
else we do.
The “walk” metaphor is used often in Scripture to describe the
overall direction one’s life is heading. In Deuteronomy, there are a number of
references to walking in the way of the Lord, several psalms refer to a walk
being blameless, and 1 John encourages us to walk in the light. This poetic
picture envisions a comfortable relationship of presence with God and a life
that fits into that path.
The adverb “humbly” moves us away from arrogance and the
egocentric need to always be better than others, to the simple acceptance of
the gifts that God has placed within us. The hymn “Trust and Obey” might come
to mind: “When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word, what a glory he
sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with
all who will trust and obey.”
Secondly, God desires for us to “love mercy,” or, in some
translations, kindness. This is the Hebrew word hesed, which can be used to
refer to God’s loving kindness to us. It is interesting to note that God wants
us to be drawn to mercy—having compassion for those in need. This is not always
easy, as we see so much human need; it is on our street corners and bombards us
in the media.
It is easy for our hearts to harden and our minds to judge.
These people are being both foolish and manipulative. They are taking advantage
of our care. And we need to hear God say once again, “As one of my people, I
hope you love mercy—for that is what you have received.”
Finally, God tells us to “do justice.” Perhaps you struggle
to know what it means to do justice. How did I do justice this past week? What
does it look like? We have often defined justice by placing it primarily in a
political, economic, or judicial realm. These definitions make it difficult to
identify that we are doing justice on a regular basis. Where are our courts and
police malfunctioning? What laws or practices allow for racial discrimination?
What businesses take advantage of low-income people and charge them exorbitant
interest rates? While these are indeed a part of social injustice, and we must
fully engage in them, they can be distant from our daily lives.
Our definition of justice is “to create a world where all
people have equal opportunity to fully develop the gifts that God has placed
within them.” While this does include the bigger political, judicial, and
economic challenges we face, it can also include more basic activities, like a
program that provides tutors so that kids in urban school settings have equal
opportunities to learn to read as suburban kids. Justice is supporting an
overwhelmed single parent who is struggling to find the time and resources to
give adequate time to his or her children. Justice is taking in a foster child.
Justice is employing a young person coming out of prison. Justice is a host of
other activities that level the playing field and provide equal opportunity for
all.
Doing justice is also developmental, meaning that we don’t
simply give things away to meet a need, but we help people help themselves.
Using the well-known fishing metaphor, we don’t just give people a fish, but we
teach them how to fish. In our daily lives, we all have the opportunity to do
justice with actions that help people help themselves. In this, we are creating
an environment where people can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Scriptural Dialogue
Long
ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has
spoken to us by the Son.
Gospel Canticle – My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness (ELW #251)
The
Prayers
In
peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for
the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
the health of the creation, for abundant harvests that all may share, and for
peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
public servants, the government, and those who protect us; for those who work
to bring peace, justice, healing, and protection in this and every place, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
those who travel, for those who are sick and suffering, and for those who are
in captivity, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For
deliverance in the time of affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all
servants of the church, for this assembly, and for all people who await from
the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
A time of silence follows.
Giving
thanks for all who have gone before us and are at rest, rejoicing in the
communion of all the saints, we commend ourselves, one another, and our
whole life to you, through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works: give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever. Amen.
We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected us today. We ask you to forgive us all our sins, where we have done wrong, and graciously to protect us tonight. Into your hands we commend ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels be with us, so that the wicked foe may have no power over us. Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our
Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give
us today our daily bread.
Forgive
us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save
us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For
the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
The
peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and our minds in
Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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