2026 Pentecost Devotions II
Friday, September 11
Romans 14:1-12
1 Welcome those who are weak in faith but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat, for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on slaves of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it for the Lord. Also those who eat, eat for the Lord, since they give thanks to God, while those who abstain, abstain for the Lord and give thanks to God.
7 For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
12 So then, each one of us will be held accountable.
“… 7 For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. …”
Just a little over three months out of seminary and into his ministry at the Lutheran church in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Flight 93 crashed into a farmer’s field east of town. For the next decade, my friend Bob ministered not only to a community dumbstruck by the events of that September day, but to the families and friends of those who were on that flight and perished in that field. Throughout it all, he never lost sight of God’s grace present in the lives of that community – those who died, those who responded, and those who mourned and grieved.
Tragedy strikes all of our lives. It may not be as powerful and public as the events of 9-11, but the grief, pain, and sorrow still affect the lives of many. In the midst of such difficulties, it’s easy to forget or overlook God’s continuing presence. Sometimes, it’s even hard to remember that God is there at all.
Yet, as my friend Bob points out, even amidst the most horrendous and horrible of situations, God remains steadfast. Through the work of those who support and encourage, through the words of comfort and consolation, through the power of a community united as one, and through the uplifted prayers of many God’s presence and power are manifested – made real for all the world to see.
Paul writes that whether we live or whether we die, we are Lord’s. That’s a promise that transcends tragedy, revealing the promise of life given by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the promise of life. On this day, as we remember that events of that September day twenty-five years ago, remind us that You are ever present even amidst the tragedies and terrors of our everyday lives. Amen.