Amos 8:4-7 (The Message) (NRSV)
Devotion
The message of the prophets always packs a wallop. I'm sure I had listened to readings from Amos and other prophets in worship growing up, but it wasn't until I went to seminary that I really heard what they had to say. I distinctly remember feeling like I had been punched in the gut as we unpacked the texts in my Amos and Hosea class—thanks Professor Diane Jacobson! And to be honest that "punch" is probably the point.
In this reading, Amos condemns practices that "trample the needy" and "ruin the poor." The contemporary language of The Message translation makes it clear these words are for us today—not just for "them" way back when. The prophet's call for justice, not just as individuals but a just society—and his critique of religion disconnected from daily life—is just as important for us to hear now as it was in Amos' day.
Prayer
Holy God, take away our complacency. Shake us up. Continue to open our ears and our hearts to the word and challenge of the prophets. Amen.