22-Jun-25 (Luke 8:26-39)

Whatever the demons that had wrecked the life of the young man whom Jesus encountered were, Jesus was able to remove their influence from him and restore him to health and stability.
I won't say that Jesus had an easier job, but the demons we face today are scourges like poverty and homelessness, systems of oppression so embedded into our institutions that we sometimes think "That's just the way things are." People suffer and are sick or in prison and no one visits them.
Those are terrible constant reminders that our world needs God's presence and our work to enter into the Realm of God.
One way we do that is through offering our time, our abilities, and our financial resources so that the important work of changing our world for the better continues, so that people see the love of God in action, even as they hear the words that call us to do so.
Here's an opportunity to do that right now, as our deacons come and take up our offering for today.

Prayer:

Please join me in an attitude of prayer.
Lord God, we have seen the ways in which demonic forces seek to tear us apart and make our world a place where evil wins.
Give us courage to face these evils in our own life, with your power and grace, and generous hearts to support the work of bringing your realm closer into being.
Empower us and these gifts to continue the work of casting out demons and bringing wholeness and peace to our world.
In the name of Jesus, our Risen Lord, Amen.