Knowing Our Need

Knowing Our Need N. Gordon Cosby It's a very difficult thing to actually become the outcast, the needy one. The faithless one. The sinner. To come to the awareness that I'm not just to get close to the need of that person, and perhaps be contaminated because of the person's need, but I'm the person who has within me all the problems that the outcast has. This kind of identification, this real identification, is very difficult. We had a woman who came to me with great enthusiasm to announce that she had completed her requirements and was ready for membership. After she had finished the announcement and we had begun to rejoice together, she added a footnote. She said, "There's one thing I want to make clear. I am not someone who has the needs most of the members have. I'm coming to help you minister to the need." She wanted to make this clear. I told her that I thought she probably was not ready for membership because the only way one could come into this society was through an awareness of one's own need. One couldn't come in simply to help minister to it. What I'm saying is that we miss loving our neighbor when we think other people are "not our type." We miss Jesus. We can't find him because that's where he is. Source: Sermon May 1963 Read more and add your thoughts at inward/outward This message is a daily service of inward/outward. Was this message forwarded to you? Click here to sign up. No longer interested in receiving these readings? Click here to unsubscribe. Having trouble unsubscribing? Email Church of the Saviour Office: churchofthesaviour.office@gmail.com