Cleansing

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. John 2:13-22

One of the challenges of our time, particularly in our churches, is anxiety over what we lack, especially money. Many parishes and ministries can only pay for part time clergy support. Many see this as some sort of failure or lack. Probably some of the monies collected in the temple were for the reconstruction of the temple and some went in greedy people's pockets. We can obsess about money to the detriment of everything else. We can miss the opportunity to pray, when we worry about the funds needed. We are invited to put prayer first in everything we do, asking God for the blessing and the increase.

Loving Creator, source of abundance

you never fail to fill our daily needs

yet we daily fail to be truly grateful

we assume these blessings are deserved.

Take us by the hand dear Lord today

turn us from the worry of commerce 

to the joy of being your children

and to serving others in your love.

Give us words of comfort in hard places

give us enough today so we can thrive

help us to set aside worry and pick up joy

for you are the source of love always. Amen.