Pause

O the deep, deep love of Jesus! Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free, rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me. Underneath me, all around me, is the current of thy love; leading onward, leading homeward, to thy glorious rest above. S. Trevor Francis in “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” (1890)

Listen

All of you who are thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money, come, buy food and eat! Without money, at no cost, buy wine and milk! Why spend money for what isn’t food, and your earnings for what doesn’t satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good; enjoy the richest of feasts. Isaiah 55:1-2

Think

Come! Come to the party! Come, and receive what you need! Today’s scripture reads like a lovely invitation to an event I hope to attend: a celebration where all of our needs are met, and we are freed from the restraints of our money and status-focused society. When have you experienced a moment where you felt freed from the obligations and expectations of the world around you, and instead were invited to celebrate with loved ones all around you?

The image our passage paints is an alternative portrait of what many of our day-to-day lives might look like. A place where we receive what we need, and where we are able to experience abundant generosity and gladness. Your money is not needed, your work does not make you worthy of the abundance, you are welcome just as you are.

Come! Come to the party! – Paris Ball

Pray

God of abundance, thank you for inviting me to join in your celebration and reminding me that I am worthy of your love.

Help me remember that your care does not depend on my work, my status, or my abilities.

Help me receive your invitation with an open heart.

Amen.

Go

O the deep, deep love of Jesus! Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free, rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me. Underneath me, all around me, is the current of thy love; leading onward, leading homeward, to thy glorious rest above. S. Trevor Francis in “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” (1890)

Writer – Paris Ball is the Minister for Formation for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, and the Director of Shrine Mont Camps. She and her family enjoy lazy afternoons spent exploring local trails, listening and dancing to music, and working on shared art projects together.