Readings:
Micah 6: 1-8;
Psalm 15;
1 Corinthians 1: 18-31;
Matthew 5: 1-12

Collect:
God of heaven,
you send the gospel to the ends of the earth
and your messengers to every nation:
send your Holy Spirit to transform us
by the good news of everlasting life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Reflection

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself questioning what I am doing and whether I have the right gifts and skills to do it, “Am I the write person for the job?”  I think it’s something we all do, particularly when we’re asked to do something important because we all want to do our best.  You may, like me, question why me?  Can I do this?  Was it ok?  What could I have done better? I wish I had said/done this or that?  All natural things to do when we want to be the best we can, and we don’t want to let people down.  I think that this feeling of being good enough, is amplified when we think about being called by God to do something.  For it isn’t about us trying to do our best at work or school, and if we make a mistake, we are just letting ourselves down, when responding to God’s call on our lives and we make a mistake it feels like we are letting others down and more importantly God.  This pressure that we put ourselves through isn’t necessary or what God wants but somehow, we can’t quite believe that God has chosen us.

As I reflect on the readings for this week, I find myself encouraged and reassured that it’s not about being the best but that we are called to do justice, love kindness, and just walk humbly with God.  It’s not about being strong and knowing everything but being openhearted to those around us.  This is particularly brought home in the passage from the prophet Micah where we hear almost a dramatized exchange between God and the people with God asking ‘What have you done?’ Whilst the people respond with an extravagant offer of worship and sacrifice.  Before the prophet speaks sense to the people with a down to earth reminder that God doesn’t require us to be extravagant and we shouldn’t be attempting to repay God but that we should just be faithful to God in our day-to-day relationships where our character should reflect God’s values of justice, kindness and love.  Throughout it all walking with God. 

I can’t help being reminded of something that I first came across as a teenager whilst on a pilgrimage with the school and more recently spotted on facebook – Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow.  Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead.  Walk beside me and be my friend.  No matter what God calls us to do, no matter how inadequate or unworthy we may feel, God is there walking beside us as our friend.  As we walk beside God we can’t help but seek justice and love kindness.  It’s what comes naturally from having a relationship with God and seeing how Christ lived out his life on earth.  

We may feel inadequate and not quite sure of what to do or say, we may feel that we aren’t the best person to do this or that, but God has chosen us, God calls us and wants us to walk together through life opening our hearts to those around us.  It’s not about being the best, the strongest but about being ourselves, the people God created us to be.  

This weekend as we renew our covenant with God, we commit ourselves to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with God.  And each day may we remind ourselves that God has chosen us and walks beside us as our friend.

Mike Morris