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Our September series on the book of Amos continues this Sunday. Here is a preview.
Amos preached a demanding message to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He asked them to take a good, long, hard look in the mirror to see where their lives were aligning with God’s priorities—and where they were not.
According to Amos, the glory of a nation is not about the whirring of its economic engine or the unparalleled strength of its military might. According to Amos, the glory of a nation, the honor, the goodness, the godliness is directly due to how compassionately and fairly said nation treats the least powerful and least advantaged in its midst.
Amos lays this specific, passionate judgment squarely at the feet of his people: “This country will collapse because you are unjust.”
That is an incredible witness. And an incredibly difficult Word to hear. Because like the crowds around Amos long ago, this Word scandalizes us, and we feel those defensive walls coming up fast inside us.
But the faithful response to this charge is not defensiveness. It’s not squirming, hissing, spitting, shouting, stomping off. It’s not a shocked, unexamined, “How can I not be the good guy?”
The faithful response to this charge is the question: How am I part of systems of injustice and oppression right here and right now? The faithful response to this charge is holding up that mirror and taking a good, hard, long look—even though we don’t want to. If we are going to allow Amos to speak to us, to move us, to change us, then this is what we must do.
Disciples, are we up to the challenge?
I’ll see you Sunday.
Jennie
P. S. Please remember to bring your non-perishable food items on Sunday to add to our collection for the Eureka Food Pantry.
Worship at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.
On-site at 302 South Main Street Eureka, Illinois
Online at eurekachristian.org/worship-online or facebook.com/eurekacc/live
