Lent: Day 23

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2-7

“See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! ³We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left...”

Lent is a time of self reflection and self denial. Both are difficult for 21st century folks to do. But, as Paul told the Church at Corinth, and as we the church at Downers Grove need to hear, this is the acceptable time. We will move through the time of hardship and calamity, through riots and sleepless nights into the time of peace and holiness.

The upheaval in the Middle East, children being shot on the streets of American cities, AIDS, hunger and poverty all tell us that we are in that time of hardship. We know as good church folk, as the Corinthian Church may not have know, that we need to be the change we hope for.

Pray, work, don’t be silent. Let the Spirit work through you. The Acceptable Day of Salvation is near!

Prayer: Eternal God, Open our hearts to your Spirit that it may live in and through us to change the world. That we might live in your acceptable time. Amen.