God Sent a Prophet, Pentecost 18
Naaman is Cured of Leprosy British Museum London, England [RCL] Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-11; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19 Look again at today’s collect. “Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works…” That’s a good thing to pray for— “that we may continually be given to good works.” In other words, we should do good work—God’s work—in the world. Just in case we get caught up in the idea that our works might be the source of our salvation, this prayer calls our attention to the true source of those good works: God’s grace. We pray for God’s grace to precede and follow us because God’s grace is precisely what makes our good works possible. The order of that is very important. God’s grace comes first. Our works follow. When you look at it that way, it can make that work seem a whole lot more manageable. As a part of the Church, we are living members of the Body of Christ in the world. Our mission is God’s mission.
