Scripture: Galatians 6:16-18
As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
Thought for the Day: Have you ever had a sliver that wouldn’t come out? I had one in the bottom of my foot yesterday, and though it wasn’t painful, it was irritating. And though it was rather large, the tweezer seemed incapable of actually grabbing hold of it. It’s amazing how such a relatively small thing can cause such irritation — both physical and emotional.
I’ve always laughed at Whoopi Goldberg who said, “I don’t have pet peeves like some people. I have whole kennels of irritation.” Don’t we all! Oh I’m sure there are some people who can rise above all irritations and annoyances, but that is a very small group of very special people. For most of us, we must pray for strength while biting our tongues…and even then, our facial expressions usually give us away. The Apostle Paul is equally irritated by the dissension. The translation known as the Message puts vs. 17 this way:
Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do – the serious living of this faith.
Paul is struggling with his audience, yet even though he doesn’t wish to be bothered any more, he still concludes by offering a beautiful blessing upon those who are the source of his irritation. Maybe there is something for us to learn in Paul’s concluding words:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters, despite you all being so doggone irritating (the last part is my addition).
Prayer: God, help me to be gracious in the face of irritating people. And before I get too frustrated with them, remind me of just how irritating I can be on certain occasions. Amen.
Sunday’s Worship Service
Trinity Sunday
&
Father’s Day
Also this Sunday…
Prayer Time
in the Chapel
at
8:00am
