Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lessons selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading and today's reading is from 2 Corinthians 8:8 22 reading from the Message I'm not trying to order you around against your will, but by bringing in the Macedonians enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you.

You are familiar with the generosity of our Master Jesus Christ.

Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us in one stroke.

He became poor and we became rich.

So here's what I think.

The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale.

Your heart's been in the right place all along.

You've got what it takes to finish it up.

So go do it.

Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't.

The heart regulates the hands.

This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out.

No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way.

Your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit.

In the end you come out even as it is written.

Nothing left over to the one with the most, nothing lacking to the one with the least.

I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have.

He was the most considerate of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with his relief offering of his own idea.

We're sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in the churches for his preaching of the message.

But there's far more to him than popularity.

He's rock solid, trustworthy.

The church has hand picked him to go with us as we travel about doing this work of sharing God's gifts to honor God as well as we can, taking every precaution against scandal.

We don't want anyone suspecting us of taking one penny of this money for ourselves.

We're being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God.

That's why we're sending another trusted friend along.

He's proved his dependability many times over and carries on as energetically and as the day he started.

He's heard so much about you and liked what he's heard.

So much so that he can't wait to get there.

This is the reading we're really talking about here, community care and mutual aid.

And this passage from Second Corinthians reminds me of some things that I've witnessed in my cancer support groups that I'm a part of when someone's going through treatment or some bad times.

It's amazing how people come together, sharing everything from meals to transportation to emotional support.

That's pretty much exactly what Paul is talking about here.

Community care in action.

Let's look at some points to ponder.

The first one is about reimagining wealth distribution.

Paul presents a radical economic model here that honestly sounds a lot like mutual aid.

You know, it reminds me when I watch my favorite teams, the Pacers with a fever, play games.

The best players.

The best plays happen when everyone on the court is working together, sharing the ball, making sure everyone's involved.

Paul's vision here isn't about charity from above.

It's about communities supporting each other so that everyone, everyone has enough.

Second point to ponder is about being voluntary, not coerced to giving.

Been married for almost 34 years now, and I've learned the best gifts come from the heart, not obligation.

Paul emphasizes this when he says, I'm not trying to order you around.

This is crucial for progressive Christianity.

Authentic generosity comes from genuine, compassionate and community connection, not guilt or pressure like when my wife and I are taking a walk or going hiking somewhere in a state park or a national park.

The idea is to leave them better than we found them because we want to, not because someone is coercing or making us.

A third point to ponder is about transparency and accountability.

Paul's emphasis on financial accountability is fascinating.

He's creating systems to prevent scandal and to ensure transparency.

In today's terms, he's basically saying we're open source about our finances.

This is particularly relevant for progressive communities thinking about ethical resource sharing and distribution.

Here's your action step.

I challenge you to identify one way you can participate in some mutual aid in your communities or things like food pantries or clothes closets, things like that.

Babies joining a community fridge project, participating in a buy nothing group, or setting up a neighborhood resource sharing network.

Remember, it's not about having extra to give, it's about everyone putting in what they can to ensure nobody goes without.

We'll come back and have a prayer here in just a second.

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Let's pray O God, you're the Divine Source of all.

Help us to reimagine what community care looks like when we're tempted to hold tight to our resources.

Remind us of the abundance that flows when we share freely.

Guide us in creating systems of mutual support that honor both givers and receivers.

Help us be transparent in our dealings and authentic in our giving.

Like Paul and his companions, may we be trustworthy stewards of whatever resources we share.

Give us wisdom to create communities where everyone has enough, where no one has too much, and we're all valued regardless of what they can contribute.

Amen.

My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.