if........

"Others said, "It is Elijah."  And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.""  (Mark 6:15)

We have all done it, do it now and probably will continue to do it.  "If I had paid more attention _____" fill in the blank.  We have probably also said, or have a number of, "if only I had done ____."  What we need to think about is if we can change.  IF we can, maybe, turn the "if," and the "if only" into "what if _____."

The Scripture readings are about changing the "ifs."  David has taken his men and gotten the "ark of God" an are returning to to Jerusalem.  "Please note David, his men, and "all Israel," were celebrating.  (2 Samuel 6:5)  Paul is reminding all of us that we are "marked...with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."  (Ephesians 1:13)  God giving us Emmanuel AND the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us.  In Mark we are hearing the story of how John, Jesus' cousin, was killed.  The reaction of the people is causing Herod to be concerned.

So the question is about our ifs.  Is paying "more attention" to what God is asking us to do?  Are we we saying "if only I had one what God asked?:  Or are we saying "what if I did it"?  Are we speaking up, like in the Gospel reading, to say who we know Jesus to be?  Something to think about......​