Scripture of the Day

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” — Colossians 3:23

Reflection

One of the great challenges of those who love birds is keeping the squirrels out of the feeders. It's easy to understand why it's so challenging -- a birdwatcher may only spend a few minutes thinking about how to keep the squirrels out, but a squirrel has the whole day to figure it out.

Many a birdwatcher could tell a story about the frustration of squirrels. But here's the theological question: can God really infuse the ordinary, difficult, sometimes absurd things of life -- the squirrels, the diapers, the dishes, the traffic -- with wonder and holiness and power?

The answer the sermon gives is yes. Not theoretically, but practically. The anointed life is not a life that escapes the mundane. It is a life in which the mundane is met by the presence of Christ.

This is the implication of the Incarnation. Jesus went fishing. He ate from a common bowl. He attended a wedding. He sat in the grass. The eternal Son of God did not hold himself above the everyday texture of human life -- he entered it, fully and without reservation. And in doing so, he sanctified it.

If Christ can be present in the catching of fish and the sharing of a meal, he can be present in your commute and your conference call and your conversation with a difficult neighbor. The question is not whether he is there. The question is whether we are aware enough to notice.

Jacob encountered God while sleeping with his head on a rock. The gateway of heaven is not always where we expect to find it.

Question for Personal Reflection

Which parts of your daily life have you mentally labeled as "unspiritual" and therefore off-limits for God's presence?

Action Step

Before you begin your tasks today, pray specifically over the most mundane item on your to-do list and invite God into it.

Prayer

Lord, nothing in our lives is too ordinary for your presence. Meet us in the everyday. Make even the squirrels a reminder that you are here. Amen.