1 Corinthians 4: 14-20: I appeal to you then, be imitators of
me… For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on
power… Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a
spirit of gentleness?
I had the honor of attending a conference led by Bishop
Gene Robinson. His focus during the conference was on
getting in gospel trouble like Jesus did! He said, if we think
about it, we are really admirers of Christ, not prophets. We
give money generously in support of Outreach but we rarely
“get our hands dirty.” He gave as an example a friend of his
who is Rector of Church of the Epiphany in Washington,
DC. It is in an area with a huge homeless population. As
they strolled the streets together, his friend greeted each
homeless person by name! Each Sunday, the doors of this
Church open and the homeless pour in to get warm and to
sleep for a few hours. Most attend the 8:00 am service and
then are fed breakfast. Bishop Robinson was the Celebrant
one Sunday and as he greeted the congregation at the Peace,
he was overtaken by the odor. Suddenly, he realized that this
is what Jesus smelled! To really make a difference in the
lives of others, we have to get a little dirty. We have to give
of ourselves. Bishop Robinson charged us each with finding
just one thing to do that really makes a difference. Looking
at his gentle face, surely I saw the face of Jesus!
Psalm 56, 57; Genesis 41:46-57; 1 Corinthians 4:8-20(21);
Mark 3:7-19a
These Lenten meditations were written by the people
of St. Barnabas' for the people of St. Barnabas' as part
of our recognition of the 50th anniversary of the founding
of this church. We hope that you will find them helpful
in your own Lenten devotions.
