Luke 17:20-37 (NRSV)
The judgment coming
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you."
Then he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, 'Look there!' or 'Look here!' Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them - it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left."
Then they asked him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."
DEVOTION--Today is Saturday Psalmody; the mediation is offered as a psalm from my heart! If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)
THE KINGDOM IS AMONG YOU
Hidden in plain sight
I walk amongst you
You're looking
but you do not see
You're questing
but do not find.Where is the kingdom
you ask
running to and fro
Chasing dreams
and figments
and imaginations
and falsehoods
never realizing
that kingdom seed
is already in the ground
and it is growing up
around your feet
The vultures know...
they hover in the sky above
waiting for you to
bruise the kingdom
with your dancing, drinking, and carousing
as you chase vain glory.
But, seed
goes to ground
to die and rise again
season after season.
The kingdom of God
is amongst you
come first in silence, night
womb, and death.
Come a second time
splitting the sky
in resurrection victory
with loud trumpet blast...
Where is the kingdom?z
The KINGdom
is ME.
INVITATION
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