THURSDAY, March 4

Mark 4:21-34. The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.

So that is the kingdom of God? I've always wondered.

Is it the kingdom of heaven? In Matthew (in the camel and eye of the needle story), Jesus talks about the two as though they are the same. As soon as the word heaven appears, I think fluffy clouds, ivory mansions, and gold streets. That's a wonderful ideal, but I need my meat and potatoes. Sometimes, my faith is pretty watery and I want to say, "What about right now?" I want to be able to touch that kingdom.

Jesus gives us that here. First of all, it's something we can comprehend. A person. A seed. Grain. Growing and maturing. Yeah, that's painting a simple enough picture. Ground. Night and day. A person sleeping, getting up, yawning, stretching, starting the day. Soil. I can touch that stuff.

This isn't up in the sky, some abstract vision conjured up by someone too holy to communicate with me. It's Jesus, and he's talking about things on the ground. Right now. Today. This very real moment. You. Me.

The kingdom. It is here. Welcome. (1998)

PRAY for the Diocese of Blackburn (York, England)

Ps [70], 71 * 74; Genesis 42:29-38; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com.

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People need to feel the Holy Spirit of God

Mar 04, 2010 at 8:41 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

I agree that people need to feel God in their lives. It is that need that drives many of us from one church to another, one charismatic leader to another. I need to feel God working through me and taking care of me. I need to feel God's love.

...

Mar 04, 2010 at 10:55 am

Written by Andrea,

I'm glad the kingdom is here, now. If I had to wait for an afterlife full of golden streets and fluffy clouds, I think I would probably have a hard time staying engaged as a Christian. Every time I pray, "Thy kingdom come," I am challenged to ask myself what I am doing to co-create the kingdom here and now. I know we're saved by faith not works, and that the kingdom of God is a gift freely given, but being called to live into it is what keeps me going. Maybe it's like what Steve said, I need to feel God working through me.

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