Daily Devotional for June 2, 2021

Yesterday, as I was eating lunch in the Dennis Hall breakroom, Breana and Emma walked in carrying the greasiest looking bag I had ever seen.  In fact, even though all I did was look at the greasy bag, my arteries began to clog.

Then, with a great deal of enthusiasm, they pulled their lunch from the bag.

They had bought mini tacos from Jack-In-The-Box.

That’s right.  In a town with incredible Mexican food, they had gone to Jack-In-The-Box for tacos.

I began to wonder if I was in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Then, as they munched on Jack-In-The-Box tacos, they began to discuss the merits of their choice.  Did I mention we live in a town with incredible Mexican food, but they had gone to a fast-food burger restaurant for tacos? 

At this point, the world began to spin in the wrong direction as I listened to a discussion that included Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, tennis skirts, oversized T-shirts, makeup, and caffeine.  Did I mention this bizarre conversation happened while they were eating tacos for Jack-In-The-Box?

While you didn’t get to attend the weirdest lunch in the history of lunches, I am sure there are times when you have felt completely out of place.  This incredibly uncomfortable experience happens to all of us at one time or another.  It’s not fun.

There are times when I worry that visitors in our worship services feel the same way.  And while we may not talk about Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, tennis skirts, oversized T-shirts, makeup, and caffeine, we do talk about confusing things like believing in the holy catholic church and singing “Here I Raise My Ebenezer.”

These sorts of things may lead to the same kind of disorienting feeling I got when listening to a weird conversation while two young women ate tacos from Jack-In-The-Box in a town with great Mexican food restaurants.  It was just wrong.

One of the main goals of worship is to remove any barriers that prevent us from growing closer to God.  This includes explanations about why we do what we do, printing everything in the bulletins, and not eating fake Mexican food in front of real Texans.

Sadly, some barriers can only be removed by the person carrying them.  This includes bitterness, jealousy, insecurity, needless guilt, an unwillingness to forgive others or self, the list goes on and on….

Paul said, “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”  (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Each of us carries a burden that separates us from the One who loves us more than life itself.  It’s time to remove the barriers.

Also, now that I’ve had a few minutes to think about the sins of Emma and Breana, I have come to a conclusion.

Emma is from Tennessee, so she really doesn’t know what real Mexican food is like.  I am pretty sure God has forgiven her.

Breana is a born and bred Texan.  She has no excuse.  I am pretty sure on Judgment Day, God is going to explain to Briana the gravity of her sin.  Pray for her!

I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins