Go Out Into the Hedgerows and Byways

This meditation is based on a passage for November 8, 2010 in the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: Luke 14:12-24

Reflection and Question: All my life I have loved the hedgerows and byways of this story. I take Jesus’ admonition to heart when I throw a party and I almost always invite everyone including “the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.” And in our culture right now, God’s welcome, embodied in the host of the story, definitely includes LGBT people, especially LGBT faithful, who are left by many at the side of the road. And those of us comfortably in the church need to take care that we not give an excuse when the invitation comes. How do we know when we receive an invitation to God’s banquet?

Prayer: Jesus, our Savior, You tell us to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind when we plan a party. You promise that we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. May we do this both figuratively and in reality in our lives. Amen.