"Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom"

                    

Monday musical meditations on God's good news

An opening prayer:

    Have no fear, little flock; have no fear, little flock,

    For the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom;

    Have no fear, little flock!

    Have good cheer, little flock; have good cheer, little flock,

    For the Father will keep you in his love forever;

    Have good cheer, little flock!

    Praise the Lord high above; praise the Lord high above,

    For he stoops down to heal you, uplift and restore you;

    Praise the Lord high above!

    Thankful hearts raise to God; thankful hearts raise to God,

    For he stays close beside you, in all things works with you;

    Thankful hearts raise to God! Amen.

Luke 12:32–40

• “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

•  35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,  36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

•  37  “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

•  39  “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

•  40 “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

•  helpful notes on Luke 13:32–34
•  helpful notes on Luke 13:35–40

Good news questions

• Jesus, the Master, says he will dress himself to serve you and wait at the table while you dine.
• What would you give up for that wonder?
• Are you ready for Jesus to return today?

For others pray

• That God spreads the good news of the kingdom of the Son he loves in Djibouti

J.S. Bach's beautiful music for today

• BWV 115 (YouTube, "Make yourself ready, my spirit")
• In this cantata, like last week, we have a talk with ourselves:
• Are we ready for Jesus to reappear?
• When he judges all people and destroys this world with fire, will that dash all our hopes?
• Or fill us with joy, since Jesus comes as our Helper/