It’s 9:59 p.m., and I’m still in the kitchen, washing baby bottles. I have just cleaned up dinner and packed lunches for the next day after getting my two little ones to bed. A basketful of laundry, needing to be folded, waits for me in the living room.

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

How spiritually hungry are we? As I meet with persecuted sisters and brothers around the world, I notice that their definition of “hunger” is often different than mine. They often exhibit a spiritual hunger that appears to keep their faith agile and alert.

Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Psalm 119:89

Most people are non-confrontational; they don’t like to confront people or be confronted if what needs to be said makes them feel uncomfortable. The great devotional writer, Oswald Chambers, says that the church confronts the world with a message the world craves because it is deliverance, but it is deliverance through the cross of Christ (The Best of Oswald Chambers, Vol. I, 48). They may crave it, but they may resist it and those who deliver the message. This makes it hard for those who are non-confrontational by nature.

For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

Ancient Israel comprised 12 tribes camping around the tabernacle. In the same way, Christianity has always contained various camps, tribes and denominations, often closely related and working together for the Kingdom. One of the fastest-growing in early America was the Freewill Baptists of New England, started when New Hampshire’s Benjamin Randall was converted in 1770. Freewill Baptists aggressively pursued evangelism and education in Northeast America and were among the loudest voices against slavery.

Luke 7:47 tells the story of Jesus at the home of the Pharisee named Simon. As they were eating, a woman of ill-repute slips in and proceeds to show gratitude and love to Jesus by anointing him with alabaster oil. Simon comments in a rather judgmental manner. If Jesus was really a prophet he would know the kind of woman who was performing these deeds of kindness to Jesus, implying that he would reject her. Simon was most troubled by the fact that Jesus told her that her sins were forgiven without having to perform rituals of the law to get forgiveness. Jesus responds to Simon’s criticism by telling a story about who was forgiven most, the one who had sinned a lot or the one who sinned little. The point Jesus makes is that since she had been forgiven a lot, she shows a lot of gratitude and love. Jesus was also speaking to Simon in an indirect manner. If you would recognize your sinfulness and ask forgiveness you, also, would show much love and gratitude because he who is forgiven much loves much. Conversely, he who loves much also forgives much. Simon lacks both love and forgiveness. He did extend a cordial welcome to Jesus as was custom for guests in one’s home.

This morning in the VOM chapel service for staff and volunteers, we sang a song that relflects so clearly the heart of our persecuted brothers and sisters that it is worth offering as today's blog post. Perhaps you know it and have sung it many times; perhaps you've never seen these words before. Either way, the song's lyrics invite us into reflection about where we place Jesus on our life's list of priorities and values: