I will confine my comments to the Psalms. Although the psalmist refers to God as a “refuge” in Psalm 46, he most often emphasizes God’s strength and force: “my rock and my redeemer” (19); “He makes wars cease” (46); “God the Lord speaks and summons the earth . . .” (50); “. . . for you, O God, are my fortress.” (59); “. .
Today’s reading in Genesis describes Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy of their father’s love for him, and fear of his abilities to interpret his dreams. They sell him to traders and allow their father to believe he has been killed by wild beasts, rather than see Joseph’s spiritual gifts as a way for them to grow in wisdom. Psalm 119 speaks of God’s statutes providing comfort
Old Testament: Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him, but because of Reuben’s intervention they only stripped him of his robe and threw him into a pit with no water. Gospel: John gets arrested and Jesus walks away? That’s how the passage reads to me. Instead of going to visit John in jail, Jesus goes off to gather new followers. He then travels to Capernaum,
People often think about the season of Lent as a rather grim, dark time. After all, it usually falls in the dull, cold, gray days of late winter and is noted as a time of abstinence and fasting – of “giving something up.” But actually the name Lent comes from the same root word as “length” and it refers to the fact that at
Today’s gospel reading is very familiar; John preparing the way for Jesus and then baptizing him in the River Jordan. While a reading we more often associate with Advent, a time of preparation for Jesus’ birth, Lent is actually a perfect time to reflect on what Mark is telling us here. What does it truly mean to “prepare the way” for Jesus to come?
The following is one of the many lessons to be taken away from the Gospel of John. Here Jesus is praying to the Lord Father for his disciples, in doing so He teaches us, as believers, how to pray for each other. In this Jesus specifically says He is “not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are
In a world where things are often seen as black or white, we are often confronted with gray areas, predicament with a blurry line between right and wrong. In studying today’s readings, I’ve taken away one overall theme: to be present in and aware of our thoughts, actions, and interactions. We must be responsible for how we live our life. The Psalms contrast complaint
Prayers embrace many forms in content and expression, all of which are welcome at God’s literal and figurative altars whether they are whispered, spoken or sung. Each of us has our own expression. Contained in today’s readings are several forms. One appears to be spoken, John 17:1-8; another, Habakkuk 3:1-18, is considered a poem and a hymn according to various sources; and Psalm 37
“Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” –Eugene Peterson’s translation of 2 Corinthians 5:20 I don’t know about you, but the thought of Lent can be a bit exhausting: yet another series of promises and obligations so that I can get closer to God. This year, I have decided to take the same approach as I do to my New Year’s
Please bring your favorite cookies to the Annual Meeting next week and help us celebrate the strength of our community during the Annual Meeting.