“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ; since God is making his appeal through us.” -2 Corinthians 5:17–20a
A prayer for the day:
Gracious God, you have shown your love to us in so many ways, and especially through the gift of Jesus. Help us to feel that we are indeed your new creation, and open our hearts as we seek to understand new ways to be your representatives in the world. Help us to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to be wise, courageous and compassionate ministers of reconciliation to those we meet in all parts of our lives. Amen
This reading and prayer were featured in “Called to be Women in Mission,” part of the “Called to” series published by Women of the ELCA in 2002, and available at womenoftheelca.org.