1-Mar-26 (John 3:1-17)

One of the things that passes in Jesus' and Nicodemus' conversation is the idea that you need to get the basics right before you can hope to understand the deep things. "You are Israel's teacher and do you not understand these things?"
The basics of our faith are rather simple. Note that I said "simple" and not "easy." It's as simple as loving God and loving others as ourselves. It's as simple as caring for the sick and dying, visiting those in prison, caring for the orphans, widows, and strangers, the ones most likely to be left out.
Our offering is one way we do that. By giving to support the work of the Church, we help to make sure the basics are handled and, once we get those, we can make our way into the deeper things.
Let's consider our part in that basic work as the deacons come to take up our offering for today.

Prayer:

God who sent Jesus to show us the way we can live in love of you and others, bless these offerings, that they be put to use for the basic work of the Church.
Bless us as well, with generous and open hearts, that when we see need, when we see pain, when we see loneliness, when we see injustice and inequality, we will move in your love to address those things.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who showed us your way, Amen.