23 Whatever task you must do, work as if your soul depends on it, as for the Lord and not for humans, 24 since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 (NRSVUE) The work of the church doesn't just happen during special ministry events or on mission trips. It happens in the most ordinary moments of our lives—in conversations with coworkers, interactions with cashiers, responses to family members, and reactions to daily frustrations. Paul reminds us that everything we do can be done "for the Lord." This means that our work, our relationships, our daily tasks, and even our mundane responsibilities can become acts of worship and service when we approach them with love. Think about what this means for your typical day. When you're patient with a slow barista at your morning coffee shop, you're doing the work of the church. When you speak encouragingly to a coworker who's having a tough day, you're loving your neighbor as yourself. When you respond with grace instead of irritation to your family members, you're demonstrating God's love. The work of the church happens when you choose not to gossip about someone who irritated you. It happens when you give someone the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming the worst about their motives. It happens when you go out of your way to help someone who can't do anything for you in return. This is revolutionary because it means that every person you encounter is a ministry opportunity. Every interaction is a chance to demonstrate what God's love looks like. Every relationship is a place where the work of the church can happen. You don't need to wait for perfect opportunities or formal ministry positions. You don't need special training or ideal circumstances. The work of the church is available to you right now, in whatever situation you find yourself, with whatever people God has placed in your life. When you treat the grocery store cashier with dignity and patience, you're doing ministry. When you listen carefully to your teenager even when you're tired, you're loving your neighbor. When you choose to encourage rather than criticize, when you help rather than judge, when you include rather than exclude—you're doing the work of the church. This doesn't mean you need to preach at everyone you meet or turn every conversation into a theology lesson. It means you represent Jesus through your character, your kindness, your integrity, and your love. Sometimes people will notice something different about you and ask questions. Often they'll just experience God's love through your actions without even realizing it. The truth is that God can use ordinary moments to accomplish extraordinary things. A simple act of kindness can change someone's entire day. A word of encouragement can give someone hope when they're discouraged. A demonstration of patience can show someone what grace looks like. Prayer: Lord, help us see every day as an opportunity to love you and love others. Open our eyes to the ministry opportunities that surround us in ordinary moments. Give us patience in traffic, kindness at work, grace at home, and love for everyone we encounter. Help us represent you well in every interaction, knowing that you can use even small acts of love to make a big difference in people's lives. Amen.

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NRSVUE) We use the word "love" for everything. We love pizza and we love our spouses. We love our favorite TV shows and we love our children. We love sunny weather and we love our closest friends. With such broad usage, it's easy to wonder what Jesus actually meant when he told us to love God and love our neighbors. Fortunately, Paul gives us a detailed description of what biblical love looks like in action. And notice something important: Paul doesn't describe love as a feeling. He describes love as a way of acting, a way of choosing to respond to people and situations. Love is patient. The Greek word Paul uses literally means "long-suffering" or "slow to anger." This isn't about waiting in line at the grocery store without getting frustrated. This is about choosing to love someone even when they've disappointed you for the hundredth time, even when every part of you wants to give up on them. Love is kind. Paul uses this word as a verb, not just an adjective. Love actively does kind things. It sees needs and responds to them, even when it's inconvenient. Love doesn't just feel warmly toward people—it acts on their behalf. Love isn't jealous or envious. It doesn't feel threatened by other people's success or good fortune. Instead of thinking, "If they win, I lose," love says, "When you succeed, we all benefit." Love doesn't brag or act arrogantly. It doesn't need to be the center of attention or prove how important it is. Love makes other people feel valued and significant. Love isn't rude—it treats people with dignity, especially when disagreeing with them or when they can't do anything for us in return. Love doesn't always insist on its own way. It can let other people win sometimes because it cares more about relationships than about being right. Love isn't easily irritated. It doesn't let someone else's bad day become your bad day. It doesn't turn sharp when provoked. Love doesn't keep a record of wrongs. It doesn't maintain a mental ledger of every time someone has hurt or disappointed you. Love forgives and actually lets go. Love celebrates truth and justice rather than taking pleasure when things go wrong for people we don't like. And love doesn't give up. It keeps believing that people can change, that relationships can be restored, that tomorrow can be better than today. This is what the work of the church looks like in practical terms. This is how we love God and love our neighbors. It's not about having warm feelings toward everyone—it's about choosing to treat people this way regardless of how we feel about them or how they treat us. Prayer: God, your description of love both inspires and convicts us. We see how far short we fall of loving this way, and we need your help. Teach us to be patient when we want to be irritated, kind when we want to be selfish, and forgiving when we want to keep score. Transform our hearts so that this kind of love becomes natural for us, not just an effort of willpower. Make us people who demonstrate your love in tangible ways. Amen.

37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NRSVUE) Imagine trying to explain your job to someone in just two sentences. Most of us would struggle with that kind of simplification. Our work involves dozens of different tasks, multiple responsibilities, complex relationships, and countless details that change from day to day. But what if someone asked you to boil down the work of the church to its absolute essence? That's exactly what happened to Jesus. A legal expert, trying to trip him up, asked him to identify the greatest commandment. This wasn't a casual question—it was meant to be a trap. The expert was probably expecting Jesus to pick one of the Ten Commandments, which would inevitably offend someone and cause controversy. But Jesus that's not what Jesus did. Instead of picking from the Ten Commandments, he went deeper. He quoted part of the Shema, one of the most basic declarations of our faith: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind." Then he connected it to another passage: "You must love your neighbor as you love yourself." With these two commandments, Jesus summarized everything. He took the entire Old Testament—all 600+ laws, all the prophetic messages, all the wisdom literature—and distilled it into two simple statements. Love God. Love people. This is revolutionary because it means that no matter how complicated our lives get, no matter how many different roles we play or responsibilities we carry, the work of the church always comes down to these two things. Are we loving God with our whole selves? Are we loving the people around us the way we love ourselves? When we're at work dealing with a difficult customer, the question is: How do we love God and love our neighbor in this moment? When we're stuck in traffic and someone cuts us off, the question is: How do we love God and love our neighbor right now? When we're having a disagreement with our spouse or dealing with a challenging family situation, the question remains the same. So Jesus's answer to the questions, "What is the greatest commandment?" is simple enough for a child to understand, but comprehensive enough to guide us through every situation we'll ever face. We don't need a theology degree to know what the work of the church is. We don't need to memorize hundreds of rules or study complex doctrines. We just need to love God and love each other. This doesn't make the Christian life easy—loving well is often the hardest thing we can do. But it does make it clear. When we're unsure what to do, we can ask: What would love look like in this situation? How can I honor God and serve others through my response? The work of the church isn't complicated. It's challenging, but it's not complicated. Love God. Love people. Everything else flows from there. Prayer: Jesus, thank you for making the work of faith so clear. Help us resist the temptation to make following you more complicated than it needs to be. Teach us what it means to love you with our whole hearts, minds, and souls. Show us how to love our neighbors as ourselves, especially when it's difficult. Make love the center of everything we do, so that our lives become authentic expressions of your heart. Amen.

15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. Ephesians 4:15-16 (NRSVUE) Your hand doesn't worry about not being qualified to be a hand because it's not a foot. Your eye doesn't feel inadequate because it can't hear like your ear. Each part of your body has a specific function, and when every part does its job, the whole body works beautifully together. Paul uses this image to describe how the church is supposed to work. We're all parts of one body, with Christ as the head. Each of us has a unique role to play, unique gifts to contribute, unique opportunities to serve. When everyone does their part, the whole body grows and builds itself up in love. This means that the work of the church isn't accomplished by a few highly trained professionals while everyone else watches. It's accomplished when each person—regardless of their background, education, or experience—contributes their unique gifts and calling to the whole. The person who quietly prays for others is doing vital ministry. The person who notices when someone is struggling and offers encouragement is doing essential work. The person who uses their professional skills to help someone in need is serving the kingdom. The person who creates a welcoming environment where others feel valued is participating in God's mission. Sometimes we think that only the "up front" ministries matter—preaching, teaching, leading worship. But Paul's image of the body reminds us that some of the most crucial parts of the body are hidden from view. Your heart, your lungs, your liver—these organs are essential to life, even though no one sees them working. The same is true in the church. Some of the most important ministry happens behind the scenes, in one-on-one conversations, in acts of service that no one else notices, in prayers that no one else hears. These ministries aren't less important because they're less visible—they're the supporting ligaments that hold the whole body together. The key is that "each one does its part." Not just pastors. Not just Sunday School teachers. Not just committee chairs or long-time members. Each one. Every single person who follows Jesus has a part to play in the work of the church. What's your part? Maybe it's using your professional skills to serve others. Maybe it's your ability to encourage people who are discouraged. Maybe it's your gift for hospitality or your heart for those who are hurting. Maybe it's your willingness to work behind the scenes to make ministry possible for others. Whatever your part is, the body needs you to do it. When you hold back, thinking you're not qualified or that your contribution doesn't matter, the whole body suffers. When you step up and do your part, the whole body grows stronger. The work of the church isn't the responsibility of a few experts. It's the calling of every believer, each contributing their unique gifts so that together we can accomplish far more than any of us could accomplish alone. Prayer: Lord, thank you for making us part of your body, the church. Help us understand that we each have a unique and important role to play. Give us the wisdom to discover our gifts and the courage to use them. Show us how our individual contributions fit into your larger purposes. Help us work together as one body, each doing our part so that your love can reach more people and your kingdom can grow. Amen.

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. Acts 4:13 (NRSVUE) Peter was a fisherman. Matthew was a tax collector. Luke was a doctor. James and John were also fishermen. Jesus's disciples weren't religious scholars or temple leaders—they were ordinary working people with ordinary jobs and ordinary educations. But look what happened to them. After spending time with Jesus, these ordinary men became extraordinary ministers of the gospel. When Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus, the religious authorities were amazed. These weren't trained theologians or professional ministers. These were "unschooled, ordinary men." Yet they spoke with such courage and authority that even their enemies had to admit something remarkable had happened to them. What made the difference? The text tells us: "they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Their relationship with Jesus transformed them from ordinary fishermen into powerful ministers of the gospel. The same thing can happen to you. You don't need a seminary degree to have a ministry that matters. You don't need to be a professional speaker to share your faith effectively. You don't need to have your life completely figured out to help someone else who's struggling. What you need is what Peter and John had: a real relationship with Jesus and the willingness to let that relationship transform how you live and serve. Ministry happens when an accountant uses their financial skills to help struggling families create budgets. It happens when a teacher goes the extra mile to encourage a discouraged student. It happens when a parent models patience and forgiveness in difficult family situations. It happens when a coworker chooses to respond with kindness instead of frustration when someone makes a mistake. You don't have to wait for perfect opportunities or ideal circumstances. You don't have to wait until you feel completely qualified or until you have all the answers. You just need to be willing to let Jesus work through your ordinary life in extraordinary ways. The beautiful thing about God is that he specializes in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. He used a shepherd boy to defeat a giant. He used a young woman to become the mother of the Messiah. He used fishermen to become apostles. He used a tent maker to become the greatest missionary in history. And he wants to use you, too. Not because you're perfect, not because you have special training, but because you've been with Jesus. When people spend time with you, do they notice something different? Do they see courage where they might expect fear? Do they experience grace where they might expect judgment? Do they witness hope where they might expect despair? That's what ministry looks like. That's what it means to do the work of the church. It's not about having all the answers—it's about letting people see Jesus through your ordinary, everyday life. Prayer: Jesus, thank you for choosing ordinary people like us to do your extraordinary work. Help us remember that our qualifications come not from our education or training but from our relationship with you. Transform us as you transformed Peter and John, so that others will see something different about us and know that we've been with you. Use our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways for your kingdom. Amen.

11 He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity,[a] to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NRSVUE) There's a fundamental difference between a symphony conductor and a coach. A symphony conductor performs—they stand in front of the orchestra and direct the music while the audience watches. The conductor is the focal point; everyone's attention is on them as they lead the performance. A coach, on the other hand, equips. They spend their time teaching skills, developing strategies, encouraging players, and preparing the team to perform when it matters. On game day, the coach steps back and watches the players do the work they've been trained to do. Too often, we've turned our pastors and church leaders into symphony conductors when God intended them to be coaches. We expect them to be the performers while we sit in the audience and watch. We expect them to do the visiting, the serving, the evangelizing, the counseling, the ministering—while we evaluate how well they're performing. But Paul makes it clear that church leaders aren't called to do all the ministry. They're called to equip all of us to do ministry. Their job is to teach us, encourage us, develop our gifts, and prepare us to do the work God has called us to do. This doesn't diminish the importance of pastors, teachers, and other church leaders. God has specifically gifted these individuals with the abilities and insights needed to equip the rest of us. Their calling isn't less important—it's just different. They're not supposed to be the only ones doing all the ministry; they're supposed to help all of us discover and develop our own ministries. Think about what this means for your church experience. Instead of coming to church to watch the professionals perform, you come to be equipped for your own ministry. Instead of evaluating how well your pastor visits the sick, you ask how you can be trained to provide care for those who are hurting. Instead of critiquing how effectively your church reaches out to the community, you explore how God might want to use you to build relationships with your neighbors. The goal isn't to have a few highly trained professionals doing excellent ministry while everyone else watches. The goal is to have an entire community of believers who are equipped, encouraged, and empowered to do ministry wherever God has placed them. Your pastor's success isn't measured by how much ministry they do. It's measured by how well they've equipped you to do the ministry God has for you. And your success as a church member isn't measured by how faithfully you attend services. It's measured by how faithfully you serve in the ministry God has given you. When this happens, ministry multiplies exponentially. Instead of one person doing the work, you have dozens or hundreds of people doing the work—each using their unique gifts, experiences, and opportunities to serve God's kingdom. Prayer: Lord, help us understand the difference between being spectators and being participants in your kingdom work. Thank you for the leaders you've given us to equip and encourage us. Help them be faithful coaches, and help us be faithful players. Show us how to use the training, encouragement, and gifts you've given us to serve others and advance your kingdom wherever you've placed us. Amen.

7 To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7 (NRSVUE) 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.. 1 Cotinthians 1:2 (NRSVUE) When most of us hear the word "saint," we think of extraordinary people of faith—the kind who should be depicted in stained glass windows or have cathedrals named after them. We think of people like Mother Teresa, who spent her life serving the poorest of the poor, or Saint Francis, who gave up his wealth to care for outcasts and lepers. But here's what might surprise you: in the New Testament, the word "saint" isn't reserved for a special class of super-Christians. The Greek word we translate as "saint" is hagios , which means "different from the world" or "like Jesus." That's why many modern translations will say "God's people" instead of "saints." Look at how Paul uses this word. In Romans, he addresses his letter to "all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints." Not just the church leaders—all the believers. In Corinthians, he writes to the entire church, calling them "saints by calling." In Philippians, he addresses "all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi." Paul wasn't writing to a special subset of Christians who had achieved some extraordinary level of spirituality. He was writing to entire congregations made up of ordinary men and women who had put their faith in Jesus. Congregations that included people who were struggling with their faith, people who were dealing with conflict, people who were learning how to follow Jesus in the midst of real-life challenges. So, if you're a Christian, then you're a saint. Not because you're perfect, not because you've achieved some special spiritual status, but because God has set you apart to be like Jesus in this world. This changes everything about how we view ministry and service. You're not waiting to become qualified for ministry—you already are qualified because God has called you and set you apart for his purposes. You don't need to wait until you feel more spiritual or know more about the Bible. You don't need to wait until your life is completely together or until you've conquered all your struggles. As the cliche goes, God doesn't call the qualified—he qualifies the called. And if you've put your faith in Jesus, you've been called. You've been set apart. You've been made a saint, not because of what you've done, but because of what Jesus has done for you. This means that the work of the church—the work of ministry—isn't something you're hoping to grow into someday. It's your calling right now, exactly where you are, with whatever gifts and experiences and even struggles God has given you. The question isn't whether you're qualified to do ministry. The question is: What ministry is God calling you to do? Prayer: Father, thank you for calling us saints—not because we're perfect, but because you've set us apart for your purposes. Help us stop thinking we need to become something more before we can serve you. Open our eyes to see the ways you want to use us right now, right where we are. Give us the confidence that comes from knowing we belong to you and that you've equipped us for the work you're calling us to do. Amen.

11 He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ... Ephesians 4:11-12 (NRSVUE) Thomas Edison had only three months of formal education. His teacher actually called him "addled"—unable to think clearly—and his mother had to pull him out of school to homeschool him. Steve Jobs famously dropped out of college and had no formal training in computer engineering or business management. Albert Einstein's biggest breakthrough came while he was working as a patent clerk because even with his education in physics and math, no one would hire him to teach. What made these men experts wasn't their credentials—it was their willingness to start where they were and keep learning, keep working, keep growing in their understanding until they developed comprehensive knowledge in their fields. We've created a similar misconception in the church. We think there are spiritual "experts"—pastors, seminary professors, theologians, long-time Sunday School teachers—who are the only ones qualified to do the real work of ministry. Then there's everyone else, the ordinary folks who are just supposed to fill the pews, drop money in the offering plate, and maybe bring mac and cheese to the church potluck. But Paul's words in Ephesians completely flip this understanding. When he lists apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, he's not describing the people who do all the ministry. He's describing the people whose job it is to equip everyone else to do ministry. The work of ministry belongs to the saints—and in the New Testament, "saints" doesn't mean super-spiritual people depicted in stained glass windows. It means all of us who follow Jesus. How many times have you thought, "I could never teach a Sunday School class because I don't know enough about the Bible?" Or "I'll never be able to share my faith because I won't be able to answer all the questions someone might ask?" Or "I can't help with that ministry because I don't have the right training?" Here's the truth: you don't need a seminary degree to comfort someone who's grieving. You don't need to be a biblical scholar to invite a neighbor to church. You don't need formal ministry training to help someone who's struggling financially or to encourage a friend who's going through a difficult time. The work of the church isn't reserved for professionals. It belongs to all of us. Every conversation where you show genuine care, every act of service done in Jesus's name, every moment when you demonstrate patience instead of irritation—that's ministry. That's the work of the church. Your pastors and teachers aren't supposed to do all the ministry while you watch. They're supposed to help you discover the ministry God has for you and give you the tools and encouragement you need to do it well. Prayer: God, forgive us for thinking that ministry is only for the experts. Help us see that you can use anyone who's willing to serve, just like you used Edison without formal education, Jobs without a degree, and Einstein while he was working a regular job. Show us the ministry opportunities right in front of us, and give us the confidence to step into them, knowing that you'll equip us as we go. Amen.

12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2  Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-12 (NRSVUE) Paul calls our entire lives "priestly service"—our daily work, our relationships, our decisions, our responses to both joyful and difficult circumstances. This is a radically different way of thinking about worship. We usually think of worship as something that happens during specific times and in specific places. But Paul suggests that our whole lives can become acts of worship. This brings together everything we've been exploring this week. When Amos condemned empty worship, he wasn't rejecting worship itself—he was calling for worship that transforms how we live. When Jesus promised to be present wherever believers gather, he wasn't limiting his presence to formal worship services—he was reminding us that every gathering of believers is sacred. When Peter called us a royal priesthood, he wasn't creating a new religious hierarchy—he was declaring that every Christian has a ministry calling. Real worship integrates our love for God with our love for people. It connects our Sunday singing with our Monday serving. It links our prayers in church with our actions in the community. When our worship becomes authentic, it transforms not just our church services but our entire approach to life. This is why the purpose of the church matters so much. We're not just trying to have better programs or bigger buildings—we're trying to create communities of people whose lives are living sacrifices, whose daily choices reflect God's love, whose very existence demonstrates what God's kingdom looks like. When this happens, our worship services become celebrations of what God is doing through us all week long. Our church gatherings become times of encouragement, equipping, and sharing stories of how God is working through ordinary people in extraordinary ways. We're not just attending church—we're being the church. The beautiful truth is that God doesn't need perfect people to accomplish his purposes. He just needs willing people—people who are ready to let their lives become acts of worship, who are committed to loving God and loving others, who understand that the church's real impact happens when we scatter into our communities as salt and light. This is the purpose of the church: to help us become the kind of people through whom God's love, justice, and righteousness flow into every corner of our world. Prayer: God, we want our whole lives to be worship. Transform our minds and hearts so that every choice we make, every word we speak, and every action we take reflects your love. Help us be the church not just when we're gathered but when we're scattered throughout our communities. Use our ordinary lives to accomplish your extraordinary purposes. Make us living sacrifices that bring glory to your name and hope to our world. Amen.

9  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, [ a ] in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 (NRSVUE) Netflix figured out something revolutionary: entertainment doesn't have to be confined to video stores. They realized they could bring movies directly to people's homes, and eventually to their phones, tablets, and laptops. Entertainment could happen anywhere, anytime. The church has been learning a similar lesson, especially over the past few years. Ministry doesn't have to be confined to church buildings. In fact, some of the most powerful ministry happens in the most ordinary places: around dining room tables, in hospital waiting rooms, at Little League games, in office break rooms, and in neighborhood coffee shops. Peter reminds us that every believer is part of a "royal priesthood." In the Old Testament, priests were the bridge between God and people—they represented God to the community and brought the community's needs to God. But Peter tells us that now every Christian has this priestly calling. We're all called to represent God wherever we go and to bring the needs of our communities to God in prayer. This means that your workplace is your mission field. Your neighborhood is your ministry assignment. Your family gatherings are opportunities for pastoral care. Your daily interactions are chances to demonstrate God's love, grace, and truth. When we understand that we're all priests, everything changes. The conversation with a struggling neighbor becomes a pastoral care visit. The integrity we show in business dealings becomes a sermon about God's faithfulness. The patience we demonstrate with difficult family members becomes a witness to God's grace. This doesn't mean we need to preach at everyone we meet or turn every conversation into a theology lesson. It means we represent Jesus through our character, our compassion, our honesty, and our love. Sometimes people will notice something different about us and ask questions. Often they'll just experience God's love through our actions without even realizing it. The walls of our church building aren't barriers—they're launching pads. We gather here to be equipped, encouraged, and empowered. Then we scatter into our communities as God's representatives, carrying his presence wherever we go. Prayer: Father, thank you for calling us to be your priests in the world. Help us remember that we represent you not just on Sundays but every day. Give us wisdom to know how to show your love in our workplaces, families, and communities. Make us faithful ambassadors of your grace wherever we go. Help us live in such a way that others catch glimpses of your kingdom through our lives. Amen.

"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24 (NRSVUE) "He has told you, 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?" Micah 6:8 (NRSVUE) The image Amos uses is beautiful and powerful: justice rolling down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Have you ever stood by a waterfall or a rushing river? The water doesn't trickle—it flows with unstoppable force, reshaping everything in its path. That's what God wants justice and righteousness to look like in our communities. But what does this actually mean for us today? Sometimes when we hear words like "justice" and "righteousness," we think of big, abstract concepts that only apply to politicians or social activists. But biblical justice starts much closer to home than we might think. Justice begins with how we treat the people right in front of us. It's about paying fair wages and treating employees with dignity. It's about speaking up when someone is being mistreated or excluded. It's about being honest and faithful in our commitments. It's about using our resources to help those who have less. Righteousness is about living in a way that reflects God's character. It's about being trustworthy, compassionate, generous, and forgiving. It's about treating our family members, coworkers, and neighbors the way Jesus would treat them. When Amos called for justice to roll down like waters, he wasn't asking people to organize massive social movements (though sometimes that's needed too). He was asking them to stop exploiting the poor, to care for the vulnerable, and to treat everyone with the dignity they deserve as people made in God's image. This is why our worship becomes meaningful when it's connected to how we live. When we sing about God's love on Sunday and then demonstrate that love to difficult coworkers on Monday, our worship becomes authentic. When we pray for justice in church and then stand up for fairness in our communities, our prayers become powerful. The purpose of the church is to create people who live like this—people through whom God's justice and righteousness flow into every corner of society. We don't have to wait for perfect opportunities or ideal circumstances. We can start letting justice roll down right where we are, with the people God has placed in our lives. Prayer: Lord, help your justice and righteousness flow through us like unstoppable streams. Open our eyes to see where fairness is needed, where compassion is lacking, where your love needs to be demonstrated. Give us the courage to stand up for what's right and the wisdom to know how to help. Make us conduits of your grace in every situation we encounter. Amen.

20  For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20 (NRSVUE) Remember when we used to think that success meant having the right buildings in the right locations? Blockbuster built their entire business model around this idea. They focused on having more stores, more inventory, and more convenient locations than their competitors. And for a while, it worked brilliantly. But Netflix understood something Blockbuster missed: they weren't really in the video rental business. They were in the personal entertainment business. People didn't care about visiting impressive stores—they wanted convenient access to movies when and where they wanted them. When streaming became possible, Netflix pivoted immediately while Blockbuster kept focusing on their buildings. This same dynamic can happen in the church. We can become so focused on what happens inside our buildings that we forget what business we're really in. We can obsess over our worship services, our programs, our facilities, and our events while missing the bigger picture. Jesus reminds us that he's present wherever believers gather in his name. This promise isn't limited to church buildings or formal worship services. Jesus is with us when we gather around a hospital bed to pray for a friend. He's with us when we meet at a coffee shop to encourage someone who's struggling. He's with us when we come together to serve our community or to study the Bible in someone's living room. The church isn't defined by our buildings—it's defined by our relationships with Jesus and with each other. Our gatherings matter, our worship matters, our programs matter, but they matter because they equip us to be Jesus's presence in the world. We gather so we can scatter. We worship together so we can serve together. We learn in community so we can love in community. When we understand that we're in the people business, not the building business, everything changes. We start measuring success not by how many people come to our events but by how many people we're equipping to be salt and light in their workplaces, neighborhoods, and families. We start focusing less on getting people to come to church and more on helping church people go into the world as Jesus's representatives. This doesn't diminish the importance of our gatherings—it gives them purpose. Every time we gather, we're being prepared for our real mission field: our everyday lives. Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your promise to be with us wherever we gather in your name. Help us remember that church isn't just a place we go—it's who we are. Use our times of gathering to prepare us for our times of scattering. Make us your presence in every workplace, every neighborhood, every family, and every relationship. We want to be the church everywhere we go. Amen.