Do Not Become Proud, But Stand in Awe

This meditation is based on a passage for July 13, 2010 in the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: Romans 11:13-24

Reflection and Question: Paul continues to grapple with how Jewish and Gentile Christians are to be in one church. Here he speaks to the Gentile faithful and ponders upon the fact that some Jews have been cut off even as God has received Gentiles. Paul uses the extended image of the olive tree with its natural and grafted branches to remind the Romans that God is in charge of all of this. God chooses who is in the church, which, in our time, includes all the faithful, male or female, black or white, GLBT or straight. Ours is solely to be humble and stand in awe of God’s grace. What do you do in the face of God’s kindness and severity?

Prayer: Blessed Spirit of God, all creation rests in Your mighty and loving Hand. You create the church according to Your will, grafting some in, breaking others off, while all is holy, root and branch. Humbly we stand in awe of Your kindness. Amen.