Today is June 23rdMay the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18. 10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Can you place yourself in this familiar story. We all KNOW we’re meaning to share the heart attitude of the tax collector... but very often, we don’t. Very often we develop into accidental pharisees. Our ego rises up, and our judgment of others does, too. Holding onto true humility is a discipline – it does come naturally to most. Think about your own heart. Think about how both show up in you.Many of us don’t often reflect on our own sinfulness. Many of us don’t regularly say: have mercy of me, God – I'm a sinner! Well, we might say the words. But all too often, in our hearts we actually feel like we’re pretty good people. Living pretty good lives. Doing pretty well with our spiritual disciplines. Listen again and pay special attention to the one sentence the tax collector speaks.Mercy is a wonderful thing. Mercy is when, instead of being given a punishment that is deserved... the punishment is withheld. Mercy is NOT getting what we deserve. And Grace is GETTING what we do not deserve. This is the nature of God’s kingdom because it is God’s nature: mercy triumphs over judgement. Consider those words as we end our time of prayer, and in particular... consider how they might help to form your own heart, your own ego, and your own proclivity toward judgment. Music Credit: Have Mercy - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

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