#invisible church

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Isaiah 42: Blind and Deaf, Blessed and Beloved

After speaking of God’s Covenant Servant, Isaiah now turned to a different kind of servant. servant. First, the prophet described what was wrong. #Isaiah42 #BlindandDeafServant #TheChurch

After speaking of God’s Covenant Servant, Isaiah now turned to a different kind of servant. servant. First, the prophet described what was wrong. Blind and Deaf Servant This servant was blind to the calling God had placed in their lives Listen, you who are deaf,    and you who are blind, look up and see!Who is blind but my servant    or deaf like my messenger whom I send?Who is blind like my…

[genderfluidmormon]

Good gender-neutral way to start a church talk: "Greetings, fellow humans."

[vickyvicarious]

“Lock him out,” said Mrs. Hall. “Don’t let him come in again. I half guessed—I might ha’ known. With them goggling eyes and bandaged head, and never going to church of a Sunday. And all they bottles—more’n it’s right for any one to have. He’s put the sperits into the furniture.... My good old furniture! ’Twas in that very chair my poor dear mother used to sit when I was a little girl. To think it should rise up against me now!”

Mrs. Hall's panicked supposition is so funny to me. She appears to be hypothesizing that Griffin's (too many!) bottles contain... ghosts, which he has been maliciously injecting into her childhood furniture in order to turn it against her. Truly diabolical.

Hmph. This is why no one should accept strange scientists as lodgers.

[possible-streetwear]

[momentsbeforemass]

The greatest work you will ever do

Anne and Joachim.

The parents of Mary. And Jesus’ grandparents.

They are today’s saints. And background characters in the Gospel narrative.

Deep background. There’s even less about them in the Gospels than the one-off characters that surround Jesus’ birth (like Simeon or the Magi). As in nothing.

Anne and Joachim didn’t make it into the Bible.

So, why do we care about them? What’s the point of having a feast for people who are this invisible?

Because – and this goes hard against the spirit of our own age – invisible does not equal unimportant.

Truth be told, some of the most important work ever done is never seen.

We’ve got a blind spot when it comes to people who do great things. Or even just people who are well-known.

We like to think of them in isolation. Towering, singular, self-made. As if they did it all by themselves.

Which couldn’t be further from the truth. Because no one – none of us – gets anywhere alone.

All of us are where we are because countless people have invested their time and effort in us. Equipping us, forming us, building us up, encouraging us. Making sure that we had what we needed. Whether for a moment or for a lifetime.

This is one of the many reasons why we make such a big deal about Mary. This is what she did for Jesus. She’s a big part of why Jesus is who He is. That’s obvious.

But how did Mary become Mary? Anne and Joachim.

They are why Mary became Mary. Because they answered God’s call. They used the gifts that God gave to them to lift her up. That is why we remember them, because they show us what we are called to do.

God gives you and me the same call, when he entrusts us with the gifts of our lives. God gives us the gifts of our lives – our skills, our abilities, our resources, and even our time – not for ourselves, but to use for others. To lift them up.

When you use your God-given gifts to help someone, you are being true to your God-given nature. You are being who God called you to be.

If you have ever wondered why there is such joy in helping someone? This is why.

Because the greatest work you will ever do is lifting up someone else.

Today’s Readings

[innervoiceartblog]

"The visible and invisible worlds are inextricably intertwined..once you’ve opened your eyes to this, you can dance between them."

– Alberto Villoldo

Autumn leaves at St Martins church, Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK

~ Photo REF: 0039943 by Adrian Miller

[desastreus]

reasons i hate living in a small town

people who think you're part of their church will recognize you and say hi

[isfjmel-phleg]

THIS IS A PERSONAL POST AND TUMBLR HAS NO BUSINESS RECOMMENDING IT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SORRY

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

The task of the church is to make the invisible Kingdom visible through faithful Christian living and witness-bearing.

J.I. Packer

[lordofthestrix]

@noblehcart said: They’re ’s a 10, but...he's infuriating. They’re ’s a 10, but...he's ridiculously weird about churches. They’re a 10, but... doesn't grasp the point of revolutions. Send “They’re ’s a 10, but..” and fill in the rest to call out my muse!

[scaredgirlsilly]

talk about dark souls 2 without shitting on it for like no reason challenge 2020 impossible edition

[bluesidedown]

...

[elitheanxious]

I've got a lot of emotions right now, so forgive me for not knowing how to word this.

Your access to something should not be granted or denied based on how you look. I'm on my way to the theater tonight with leftover adhesive stuck to me from last night's ER visit. I'm not dressed as fancy as I would like to be because I no longer fit in my proper dresses. I'm not wearing heals because I can't stand in them anymore. But that shouldn't change my ability to go to the theater.

Come as you are. You should be welcomed, no matter what.

[flickeringflame216]

It brings me enormous joy that you have a tag for me that's just my name with an exclamation point 💖‼️🥺

Aww! I’m so glad! If you were an in-person friend and walked into a room I’d say “RACHEL! Hiiii!” so it feels kind of like that but for my online people :)

[possible-streetwear]

[tenok]

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