The Work of God

AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30 • PM Psalm 119:121-144
Jer. 18:1-11 • Rom. 8:1-11 • John 6:27-40

Today the disciples in John’s Gospel ask, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” This question has been asked and answered a million different ways by millions of different people. We seem to forget, or choose not to notice, that Jesus already answered it.

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

So, the work of God is to believe in Jesus. Well, what does that mean? For me, to believe in Jesus means to believe that how I perceive and conceive of the world around me…is flawed. It means that everything we think we understand about love, power, truth, the law, our culture, and daily lives…is too often broken. It means that there is more to mere human existence…and I am missing it all the time.

Suddenly, a simple answer to a simple question becomes the most daunting task ever asked of us. I imagine we keep asking “What does God want?” a million different ways in the hopes we will one day receive an easier answer.

A year ago, I could not have imagined putting on a mask every time I left my house. And now I struggle to imagine a day where I will ever leave without one (or two, or three, just in case). But what the trajectory of mask-wearing shows me, is that when humans are presented with a new reality, we adapt. We may be mortal, but we are capable. We can accept new ways of being in the world, even when those ways are challenging. Hard things become simple things; what God wants becomes clear.

Written by Emma Mitchell

When not serving the youth and families at St. Paul’s as the Youth Director, Emma enjoys a good craft project, a thrifting adventure, and hanging out with her husband Dave and small menagerie of animals.