Reading: 2 Peter 2:17-22, John 8:21-30, Job 5, Ezekiel 16

Recall:
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb,
“The dog turns back to its own vomit,”
and,
“The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.”
2 Peter 2:19-22

How sick is your heart, says the Lord GOD, that you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen whore... Ezekiel 16:30

Reflect:
Really graphic language, each in their own way, in these passages: Ezekiel speaking of whoring and Peter bringing up being a slave and quoting the Hebrew scripture of a dog returning to its vomit. But man, as I look at my life and the habits that often keep me from becoming everything I want to become and that can keep me from a relationship with God and others, those images really describe what I feel like sometimes.
Respond:
God, I will focus my attention on you. Every morning I will turn to you. Because I can't do it myself. The horrible truth about myself is that I am..no I am not...but my behavior often reflects that of the whore, the slave, the dog returning to its own vomit. I want to change.

Reading: 2 Peter 2:17-22, John 8:21-30, Job 5, Ezekiel 16

Recall:
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb,
“The dog turns back to its own vomit,”
and,
“The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.”
2 Peter 2:19-22

How sick is your heart, says the Lord GOD, that you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen whore... Ezekiel 16:30

Reflect:
Really graphic language, each in their own way, in these passages: Ezekiel speaking of whoring and Peter bringing up being a slave and quoting the Hebrew scripture of a dog returning to its vomit. But man, as I look at my life and the habits that often keep me from becoming everything I want to become and that can keep me from a relationship with God and others, those images really describe what I feel like sometimes.
Respond:
God, I will focus my attention on you. Every morning I will turn to you. Because I can't do it myself. The horrible truth about myself is that I am..no I am not...but my behavior often reflects that of the whore, the slave, the dog returning to its own vomit. I want to change.

John 8:12-20, 2 Peter 2:10-16, Job 4, Ezekiel 13-15

Recall:
John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

Job 4:17 "Can mortals be righteous before God? Can human beings be pure before their Maker?

Ezekiel 13:2 "Mortal, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying; say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the Lord!'"

Ezekiel 13:14 "I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it to the ground, so that its foundations will be laid bare; when it falls, you shall perish within it and you shall know that I am the Lord."

Reflect:
"He who follows me will never walk in darkness" -what a promise - can I count on it? What is darkness? So many questions I want answered before I follow, but they are never completely answered until I follow!

I wonder how many "prophesy out of their own imagination"? Heck, I wonder how often I do that?

I love the prophecy against the whitewashed wall. It's gonna fall!! Not because, I believe, God knocks it down, but because it just can't stand.

Inner transformation is what is needed--following Jesus, living in the light. It's all about consistency in the relationship.

Respond:
Yeah, Job's friend was a jerk, but in this instance he was right. I can't be righteous before God. There is nothing I can do outside of making myself available.

God, I will follow. I will--I have to--follow the Jesus way. I want my wall to be solid from the inside out. I want to be changed--I want those around me to be changed--I want the world to change.

John 8:1-11, 2 Peter 2:1-9, Job 3, Ezekiel 9-12

Recall
...then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to help the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement

Job 3:23 "Why is light given to one who cannot see the way, whom God has fenced in?

Reflect:
Wow. Not exactly inspirational reading. Here is the author of 2 Peter affirming ideas about a retributive, punishing God

The verse from Job is heart-breakingly poignant. I don't know that I have ever noticed it before. It is a cry of utter despair...Why is light even given to one whom God has fenced in? I wonder how many people sitting in our pew on Sunday morning feel that way? How can we respond to people in this situation?

Respond:
God, thank you for the reminders that you are not who I make you out to be. You are mysterious. You are God. You are you. Give me a heart for the hurting, for the ones so full of despair that they may even wonder why I'm talking to them.

John 7:45-53, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Job 2, Ezekiel 4-8

Recall:
Job 2:10 Shall we receive the good at the hand of God and not the bad?

Ezekiel 5:9 And because of all of your abominations, I will do to you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.

Ezekiel 8:6 He said to me "Mortal, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me from my sanctuary?"

Reflect:
Two different books, two different views of why God messes with people. Ezekiel we're ok with--the fact that God punishes us and causes bad things to happen to us when we screw up fits into a (probably the) common view of God. But then there is Job who had horrible things happen...because he was being good?! Because God wanted to show him off like a horse in a race?! So, it would seem you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Now, neither of these are a true reflection of God as I know God. But man, are they a good reminder not to put God in a box.

The claim that God has been chased out of God's sanctuary is one that struck a nerve. How often have we done that?

Respond:
You are not completely understandable, God, but to whom else do we turn? What other choice is there but to take the "good" and the "bad"? In everything God, I want to turn to you, cling to you, move farther into you.

John 7:37-44, 2 Peter 1:1-11, Job 1, Ezekiel 1-3

Recall:
2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape the corruption that is in the world...

Job 1:21 He (Job) said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Ezekiel 3:1-3 He said to me, O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was sweet as honey.

Reflect
2 Peter is a keeper. I'll have to memorize that. I have been given everything that I need for life and godliness--everything I need--thank you God!

Job was worshipping, Job was praising, even as everything he had was being destroyed. How can that be?! He seemed to understand--naked--he was naked when he came in and he would be naked when he left. God is eternal. That is what mattered.

I like the opening scene from Ezekiel--again, an example of Gd giving what is necessary, the sweet scroll, the word in turn to give to others.

Respond
Gracious God, you have given me all that I need. I have it. Forgive me for not using it. Forgive me for neglecting it. I know my life and the life of those I have encountered have been the worse for that neglect.

I will focus on drawing on what you have given me God. I will open my mouth and taste, the sweetness of your word and wisdom.

Reading: John 1:29-34, James 1:19-27, Ecclesiastes 2:17-26, Jeremiah 5-6

Reading: John 1:29-34, James 1:19-27, Ecclesiastes 2:17-26, Jeremiah 5-6
Recall:
Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves...Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:21-22, 27

For scoundrels are found among my people;
they take over the goods of others.
Like fowlers they set a trap;
they catch human beings.
Like a cage full of birds,
their houses are full of treachery;
therefore they have become great and rich,
they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no limits in deeds of wickedness;
they do not judge with justice
the cause of the orphan, to make it prosper,
and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD,
and shall I not bring retribution
on a nation such as this? Jeremiah 5:26-29
Reflect:
Well, obviously a doing theme here, talking about what a person of faith should do and should not do. Get rid of the wickedness, receive God's word, then act on it. DO it. I'm always interested in the being/doing tension of scripture. You cannot accept one and not the other. It is made clear in these passages that we are to be about supporting and comforting the marginalized.
Respond:
God, I want my "religion" to be pure and undefiled before you. Care of the poor, the orphans, the widows isn't glamorous work. It doesn't grow churches. But it is what you have called us to do.

Reading: John 1:19-28, James 1:12-18, Ecclesiastes 2:1-16, Jeremiah 3-4

Recall:
John 1:23
He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.

James 1:13-16
No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved.

Jeremiah 3:19-20
  I thought
how I would set you among my children,
and give you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful heritage of all the nations.
And I thought you would call me, My Father,
and would not turn from following me.
Instead, as a faithless wife leaves her husband,
so you have been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the LORD.

Reflect:
The prophets (and it seems to me especially Jeremiah, but it may just be because that is what I am currently reading) are so damn dramatic. It is really hard for me to pay attention when I am reading them. My mind wanders as Israel is repeatedly called a whore and the different metaphors for her destruction are listed. But sometimes I can let it wash over me, letting it be some kind of bizarre meditation.

The description in Jeremiah 3:19-20 applies to me so often. God sets me up in a beautiful place and I squander it.

"I am the voice crying out in the wilderness..." I love that image. That is really what all of us our now, I believe- facilitators of Jesus' coming, Jesus' presence. My job is to make people ready for the coming of the Divine.

The James passage is a keeper. I am going to memorize that one.

Respond:
I am going to prepare a way for the Lord. I want to live a life and proclaim a message that makes a straight path for Jesus to become involved in the lives of those around me. That means living a life in right relationship with God and right relationship with others.

Reading: John 1:1-18, James 1:1-11, Ecclesiastes 1, Jeremiah 1-2

Recall:
James 1:2-4
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

Jeremiah 1:4-10
Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you,
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.”
Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah 2:27b-28
But in the time of their trouble they say,
“Come and save us!”
But where are your gods
that you made for yourself?
Let them come, if they can save you,
in your time of trouble;
for you have as many gods
as you have towns, O Judah.
Reflect:
How striking the words of Jeremiah in chapter 2 in light of what is going on in the world today. We have made gods, maybe not out of trees and rocks like Judah, but out of stocks and houses and toothpaste. They looked so solid, so real. But when the legs get knocked out from under them, everything comes crashing down. They aren't there when we call. They don't matter anymore.

I never get tired of reading James. Count it all joy! The trials are making me better. Boy, that's a different pair of glasses. Every challenge is making more mature, more complete. Thank you God!

Like Jeremiah, I am nervous about what you have called me to. But you are making me who you need me to be. You are touching my lips. If I am keeping my head up and paying attention, I will see every circumstance I face is an opportunity for you to mature me and complete me.

Respond:
Lord God, I want to be complete. I want to be used by you. I will face the trials with zeal, knowing it is an opportunity for you to form me.

Reading: Luke 21:1-19, Hebrews 2:1-9, Proverbs 19:15-29, Isaiah 6-8

Recall:
for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on. Luke 21:14
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” Isaiah 6:8
Reflect:
Who will go for us? Here I am send me. Each of us has to answer that many times. Even when we question whether or not we can. We're used to giving out of our abundance. We figure out whether or not we have some extra time to participate in something. We make sure that we and "our own" are taken care of first, then we can start to worry about others. But the widow gave out of her poverty. She scraped up all that she had and gave it. It mattered.
Respond:
Here am I; send me.

Reading: Luke 20:41-47, Hebrews 1:10-14, Proverbs 19:1-14, Isaiah 3-5

Recall:
The LORD enters into judgment
with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
What do you mean by crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord GOD of hosts.
Isaiah 3:14-15
Reflect:
It is so easy to not think about the poor, to be solely concerned with my own day-to-day necessities. I say I wouldn't exploit the poor, but how many of my daily practices do just that?
Respond:
I will examine how my actions--my purchases, my daily activities, etc. "ripple out" to other members of society.

Reading: Luke 20:27-40, Hebrews 1:1-9, Proverbs 18, Isaiah 1-2

Recall:
And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.” Luke 20:37-38

Loners who care only for themselves
spit on the common good. Proverbs 1:18

Some friends play at friendship
but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.
Proverbs 1:24

He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4

Reflect:
Pretty interesting, brilliant actually, midrash by Jesus in this passage from Luke. He took a statement from Moses and turned in into proof that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still living.
Good passages from Proverbs on relationship. I have to think that if the advice of Proverbs (and from Jesus in the Gospels and Paul in the epistles) on interpersonal relationships was heeded then we might actually get to Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 2.

Respond:
I will continue to work on my own relationships with others. It's a learning process.

Reading: Matthew 18:15-35, Acts 25:13-27, Psalm 41, Leviticus 11-13

Recall:
When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
Matthew 18:19-20 (The Message)

Dignify those who are down on their luck;
you’ll feel good—that’s what GOD does.
Psalm 41:1 (The Message)

When a man or woman has a disease on the head or in the beard, the priest shall examine the disease. If it appears deeper than the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an itch, a leprous disease of the head or the beard. Leviticus 13:29-30

Reflect:
Funny passage from Leviticus. The past few chapters were priest as butcher, now we have priest as doctor!

Matthew 18:15-35 is all about relationships. I guess I had never noticed that before. It talks about how we go to someone who we perceive has hurt us. And then it talks about forgiveness (70x7, Peter!) and the great story of the two debtors. What is interesting is Matthew 18:19-20 is tucked in there. It's like Jesus is saying, "Here is why you have to get along...when you agree on anything in prayer God will do it." Wow, so incredibly powerful. Do I believe it? I actually struggle with that. But, I guess I should practice what I preach and give it a try!

Peterson's paraphrase of Psalm 41:1 is fantastic. Dignify those who are down on their luck.
Respond:
Well, I have specifically been given something to respond to this morning. I will work toward finding agreement with others in prayer, both formally and informally.

Reading: Matthew 18:1-14, Acts 25:1-12, Psalm 40, Leviticus 8-10

Recall:
Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don’t have to make it worse—and it’s doomsday to you if you do. Matthew 18:7

Blessed are you who give yourselves over to GOD,
turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
ignore what the world worships; Psalm 40:4 (The Message)

And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
but God, don’t put it off. Psalm 40:11 (The Message)
 
Reflect:
In the Message, Peterson goes back and forth between actual children and "simple believers" that are not children. The NRSV stays with children throughout. But I like this verse, an acknowledgment that stuff happens, "hard times are inevitable." We often can't relieve people of their hard times--although we probably could more often than we'd like to admit--but we absolutely must not add to their problems.

I love this Psalm--I don't know if I have read it before, certainly not Peterson's paraphrase. I'm a mess, but God can do it!
Respond:
God, I continue the long process of giving myself over to you, but I am nothing and I have nothing: make something of me! You can do it! Don't put it off!

Reading: Matthew 17:14-27, Acts 24, Psalm 39, Leviticus 5-7

Recall:
When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?”

“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”
- Matthew 17:19-20, The MEssage
Reflect:
Is it real? Is it true? Does it work? This interchange haunts me. Is it possible that I am missing most of what God could do through me because of my lack of faith? Because I'm not taking God seriously?

Respond:
Here is all I know to do: consistently, relentlessly develop my relationship with God. That means trimming out everything that doesn't facilitate that. No more TV in the morning for me. It's the same news every day anyway. Do I really need to be the first person to know who McCain and Obama pick for their VP? Wouldn't that time be better spent making space to take God seriously?

Reading: Luke 13:1-9, 1 Timothy 1:1-11, Proverbs 1, Ezra 1-2

Recall:
and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:4-5

He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:8-9

Reflect:
The practice is the key, the "divine training," not myths and genealogies. It would be interesting to exegete that passage in the Greek. I want to practice my faith, practice love, and lead others to do the same.

The gardener is always advocating for one more year. He is always willing to give one more year, one more year.

Respond:
God, I will use this one more year for your glory, spending it in divine training, developing my relationship with you in truth and practicing love.

Reading: Matthew 17:1-13, Acts 23:12-35, Psalm 38, Leviticus 1-4

Recall:
Psalm 40:14-15
I don’t hear a word they say,
don’t speak a word in response.
What I do, GOD, is wait for you,
wait for my Lord, my God—you will answer!

Leviticus 1:14-17
“If a bird is presented to GOD for the Whole-Burnt-Offering it can be either a dove or a pigeon. The priest will bring it to the Altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the Altar. But he will first drain the blood on the side of the Altar, remove the gizzard and its contents, and throw them on the east side of the Altar where the ashes are piled. Then rip it open by its wings but leave it in one piece and burn it on the Altar on the wood prepared for the fire: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to GOD.

Matthew 17:1-3 (The Message)
Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him.

Reflect:
Reading the responsibilities of the priests in the preparation of the sacrifices, I am struck by the physical labor, by the dirtiness of the work of the priest. He is twisting heads off of birds and removing gizzards and scattering blood. It's an interesting contrast with the glory that Peter, James, and John experienced at the transfiguration. The work of ministry is always both it seems, the glory of the Divine presence and just plain ol' hard work.

Psalm 40 is powerful. "What I do, God, is wait for you..." What else is there to do?

Respond:
Good and gracious Lord, thank you for the privilege and responsibility of ministry. Thank you for the reminder this morning that it is often hard work. Give me the stamina to continue my labor for you. I will play my part by caring for my spirit and body, putting strengthening practices into my daily life.

Reading: Matthew 16:13-28, Acts 23:1-11, Psalm 37:23-40, Exodus 38-40

Recall:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Matthew 16:24-26

I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing. Psalm 37:25-26

Reflect:
Powerful paragraph from Matthew! Jesus said the gates of Hades itself will not be able to hold out the church. Now that is bold. But it definitely is not a descriptor for the church that I see now. What are we as the church, what am I as a follower of Christ, willing to risk to play a part in what God will accomplish through God's church?

I had never read this Psalm before, but what a wonderful testimony it is to God's provision, a powerful idea that should at least be experimented with.

Respond:
God, I want to be bold. I want to risk. I don't know that I'm willing to lose it all. But I'm willing to let you gently (I know, I'm such a wimp) start to strip what is not necessary, what is keeping me from following you and leading my church to do the same.

Reading: Matthew 16:13-28, Acts 23:1-11, Psalm 37:23-40, Exodus 38-40

Recall:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Matthew 16:24-26

I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing. Psalm 37:25-26

Reflect:
Powerful paragraph from Matthew! Jesus said the gates of Hades itself will not be able to hold out the church. Now that is bold. But it definitely is not a descriptor for the church that I see now. What are we as the church, what am I as a follower of Christ, willing to risk to play a part in what God will accomplish through God's church?

I had never read this Psalm before, but what a wonderful testimony it is to God's provision, a powerful idea that should at least be experimented with.

Respond:
God, I want to be bold. I want to risk. I don't know that I'm willing to lose it all. But I'm willing to let you gently (I know, I'm such a wimp) start to strip what is not necessary, what is keeping me from following you and leading my church to do the same.

Reading: Matthew 16:1-12, Acts 22, Psalm 37:1-22, Exodus 35-37

Recall:
All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the LORD has commanded: the tabernacle, Exodus 35:10
Reflect:
GRACIOUS! We have to go through all of this again?! Enough with the tabernacle already! But as my mind drifted while reading yet another description of the building of the tabernacle, God, as God often does if I allow it, gently placed some insights. The first time I read about the temple, back when Moses was receiving the instructions, I was reminded of the "interior tabernacle," and the importance of the attention I give to my relationship with God. In Exodus 35-37, as the people of Israel are actually working to build the temple, it reminded me of the importance of the attention that we show to our relationships together within the community of faith.
Respond:
Yes, it can be boring. It can be painstaking and mind-numbing. However, it is vital that my connection with God and with others is maintained. I will nurture my relationship with God. I will make it a priority.

Reading: Matthew 15:21-39, Acts 21:27-40, Psalm 36, Exodus 34

Recall:
God’s love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
slips through the cracks.
 

   How exquisite your love, O God!
How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You’re a fountain of cascading light,
and you open our eyes to light.
Psalm 36:5-9, The Message

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn’t know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with GOD. Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him. Exodus 34:29-30, The Message

Reflect:
God is huge, God's purposes are huge. God is constantly working at the big picture level. Yet God still also works on the individual level, according to the Psalmist. That ability, if I can be completely honest, is on the very edge of my ability to believe. But what if it's true? How encouraging. I would be foolish not to put my complete trust in the one who has my best interest and the universe's best interest at heart.

Gotta love this passage from Exodus. Haven't seen many glowing faces lately!

Respond:
Exquisitely-loving God, love me. I don't know that I ever just let you do that. I'm always doing, always worrying about the stuff I've done. Rarely do I stop aand just let you love me. Not that you need my permission, you are always loving me. I just don't often enough stop and enjoy it. Thanks for not letting me fall through the cracks.

Reading: Matthew 15:1-20, Acts 21:1-26, Psalm 35, Exodus 32-33

Recall:
Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them.
Reflect:
This is another one of those little stories in the Bible that I don't recall reading or hearing. Paul went to see and give a report to James, the pastor of the church at Jerusalem. James, the original ornery Christian legalist, tells Paul that "people are talking" and "here is what I was thinking, Paul: go do the purification, head-shaving thing to show us you're with us."

I think I probably would have blown James off if I were Paul. "Don't you get it, man? It's not about that anymore!" But Paul said "OK." Paul did whatever he thought was going to help further the gospel.

Respond:
God, remind me always of what truly matters, people introduced to you and your good news of grace and life.

Reading: Matthew 14:22-36, Acts 20:13-38, Psalm 34, Exodus 30-31

Reading: Matthew 14:22-36, Acts 20:13-38, Psalm 34, Exodus 30-31
Recall:
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29
Reflect:
I love the Peter walking on water story. I love Peter! Continuous forward motion with him. Sometimes he gets it right. Sometimes he gets it wrong, but he's always moving forward and usually moving toward Christ.
Respond:
I could do much worse than following Peter's example. God, thank you for your call to be an apostle. May my life have the reckless abandon of Peter's life.

Reading: Matthew 14:1-21, Acts 20:1-12, Psalm 33, Exodus 27-29

Recall:
Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him,
the ones who are looking for his love.
He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times;
in lean times he keeps body and soul together.
 

We’re depending on GOD;
he’s everything we need.
What’s more, our hearts brim with joy
since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.
Love us, GOD, with all you’ve got—
that’s what we’re depending on. Psalm 33:18-22

“Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before GOD. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites. Exodus 27:20-21

Reflect:
Wow, In between catnaps while reading these passages from Exodus, my mind wanders to "Why?!" I can't believe that God would care about all of this pomp and pageantry. It seems to me to be religion run amok. How often to do we fall into this in our worship of God? Caring about the externals, making rules and policies and procedures?

But what if all of the pomp could be re-imagined as internal rather than external--kind of like the interior castle imagined by St. Teresa of Avila? The truth is that I don't have the connection with the Divine that I would like. I don't maintain a consistent discipline of coming to God, communing with God. Should I focus on building a tabernacle within, giving the attention to it that the crafters of the Hebrew tabernacle gave to it?

I do like the idea of the lamp, constantly tended by the priests, a constant sign that we are remembering the presence of God in our lives.

Psalm 33 is a wonderful reminder for our times. Even in the lean times, God holds us together.

Respond:
Love me God, with all you've got--that's what I'm depending on.

Reading: Matthew 13:44-58, Acts 19:23-41, Psalm 32, Exodus 24-26

Recall:
“God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.

“Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
Matthew 13:44-46 (The Message)

He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.” Matthew 13:52

Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—
you get a fresh start,
your slate’s wiped clean.
 
Count yourself lucky—
GOD holds nothing against you
and you’re holding nothing back from him. (Psalm 32:1,2)

Then they climbed the mountain—Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel—and saw the God of Israel. He was standing on a pavement of something like sapphires—pure, clear sky-blue. He didn’t hurt these pillar-leaders of the Israelites: They saw God; and they ate and drank. Exodus 24:9-11
Reflect:
Wow, I thought the laws were boring. I hadn't even gotten to the instructions for the ark of the covenant and tabernacle yet!

In Exodus 24:9-11, Moses, Aaron, and the elders were able to approach and see God. Verse 11 makes a special point of noting that they were not harmed. Why were they not harmed and later a big deal is made about Moses not seeing god face to face?

The Kingdom of God is like someone who finds a treasure in a field and selling everything he has to buy that field. I am starting to feel that way. I am beginning to hear whispers and feel the faint breezes of another world, another reality--or I guess the reality. My "reality"--life in Western culture, probably isn't very real at all. What if God is real? What if what God says is true? How then do I live?

Respond:
God, I don't want to hold anything back from you. I want to live my life in the Kingdom. I will keep practicing.

Reading: Matthew 13:24-43, Acts 19:1-22, Psalm 31, Exodus 21-23

Recall:
Another story. “God’s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.” Matthew 13:31-32 (The Message)

When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Exodus 21:22-25

Reflect:
Wow, I got into the law section of Exodus. What a joy--not. I stumbled across this passage that I have never heard quoted. It isn't one that the anti-abortion forces taut, for obvious reasons. If a woman miscarries as a result of injury, the perp has to pay up. If the woman herself is killed, the perp is responsible for life. It would seem that The life of the mother is more valuable than the life of the fetus. I don't know if any conclusions can be drawn from the isolated passage. I just thought it was interesting.

I heard Jesus' voice in Matthew 13. God's Kingdom is like a mustard seed (or a pine nut as Peterson imagines it?). Yeah, it grows big, but it takes a long time, more than a lifetime. I think some have realized that over the course of history, and they have stayed steadfast and watched the Kingdom grow.

Respond:
I will seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Reading: Matthew 13:1-23, Acts 18:18-28, Psalm 30, Exodus 19-20

Recall:
He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. Matthew 13:11-13

Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken. Acts 18:18b

You did it: you changed wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
I can’t keep quiet about you.
GOD, my God,
I can’t thank you enough. Psalm 30:11-12
Reflect:
Why do some people get it and some people don't? Why are some people tuned into the Divine and some people not? And what, if anything, can be done about it? The words placed in Jesus' mouth here are that some people that have the insight and some that don't. Peterson softens it a bit by imagining that Jesus tells stories to "nudge people toward receptive insight." Actually...Peterson completely re-imagines it. NRSV translates 12 as "For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away." Peterson paraphrases it as "Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears."

Jesus' strived to nudge people toward readiness. A MUCH better way of thinking about it.
Respond:
I am going to start imagining my mission as nudging people toward readiness.

Reading: Matthew 12:38-50, Acts 18:1-17, Psalm 29, Exodus 16-18

Recall:
“When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old haunt.’ On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place.
Matthew 12:43-45

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
worship the LORD in holy splendor.
 
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD, over mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
Psalm 29:1-4

When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.

So Moses told them, “It’s the bread GOD has given you to eat. And these are GOD’S instructions: ‘Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.’” Exodus 16:14-16
Reflect:
I was just talking to someone about this passage from Matthew. We have to take care to fill ourselves with something. We can't just get rid of stuff, we can't just keep fixing problems.

Spiritually, we have to go on the offensive. If I am chasing the Divine, there isn't time or space for the evil spirits to come back.

Exodus 16 is an almost comical passage to read. Comical because anyone who has ever led or attempted to lead people can identify so closely with this millennia-old passage. There will always be some who just can't or won't get it. Here's when you pick up the manna, here's when you don't. Pretty simple yet...

16:14-16 is a great picture of how God often works in my life. I have a concern or a need and God provides for it--often in a way that is completely unexpected, a way I didn't request because I didn't know to request it.
Respond:
Gracious God, you indeed are mighty. You provide. You provide. I praise you with the Psalmist. Continue your gentle work with me. Continue to draw me into you. You know what is best for me. You can take care of what I need and identify the things I don't.

Reading: Matthew 12:22-37, Acts 17:16-34, Psalm 28, Exodus 13-15

Recall:
I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:36-37

He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. Acts 17:17 (The Message)

GOD will fight the battle for you.
And you? You keep your mouths shut!”
Exodus 14:14
Reflect:
Amid the horrors of Exodus 13-15, including the song praising God for the dead Egyptians, there's a great insight. Let God fight the battle and keep your mouth shut!

I love the way Peterson paraphrases Acts 17:17. Paul went out and TALKED to people--anyone who happened along.
Respond:
I am going to talk to more people--the anyones who happen along--the people I come in contact with.

Reading: Matthew 12:1-21, Acts 17:1-15, Psalm 27, Exodus 10-12

Recall:
Matthew 12:6 "I tell you, something greater than the temple is here."

I’m asking GOD for one thing,
only one thing:
To live with him in his house
my whole life long.
I’ll contemplate his beauty;
I’ll study at his feet.
Psalm 27:14

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them—so that you may know that I am the LORD.” Exodus 10:1-2

and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And so they plundered the Egyptians. Exodus 12:36

Reflect:
This was an interesting juxtaposition of passages. As I was reading the beginning of the plagues yesterday, I was enjoying the tale. As I began reading it today, the opening verses of chapter 10 awakened me. What a horrible snapshot of God. Eugene Peterson's paraphrase even brings it our further "and so you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse." And then God kills the first born of the Egyptians, the Hebrews are allowed to leave and they plundered the Egyptians on their way out.

Exodus 10-12 is all about religion--convincing people their God is the best, convincing people to follow the religious observances, in this case Passover.

And then, bam!, Jesus comes along and says "something greater than the temple is here." Jesus modeled a life of true spirituality, connection with God, and genuine compassion. And we went and built religion around him, trying to convince people that our God is the better God and to follow the rules and festivals.
Respond:
Thank you God, for the gift of Jesus the Christ. I want to know him. I want to experience you the way he did. I want to see the world the way he did, no matter where that leads.

Reading: Matthew 11:20-30, Acts 16:16-40, Psalm 26, Exodus 7-9

Recall:
Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. 26 Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.” Matthew 11:25-26 (The Message)

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. Matthew 11:27 (The Message)
Reflect:
It has been a looong time since I have read the story of the plagues on Egypt--a wild story to be sure. I can't help but feeling sorry for the Egyptians though. They were punished for Pharaoh's hardness of heart. Or were they only experiencing the consequences of their own complicity in what was happening in Egypt?

Matthew 11 has some fantastic insights from Jesus. It is the hoe of one of my favorite passages--the "yoke is easy" line. Peterson takes some liberties, I noticed, in his paraphrase of this passage. I love verse 27--Jesus knows the father intimately and is willing to "go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."
Respond:
I am ready to go over it line by line. I think. Well, at least I'm "willing to listen."

Reading: Matthew 11:1-19, Acts 16:1-15, Psalm 25, Exodus 4-6

Recall:
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:2-6

wisdom is vindicated by her deeds Matthew 11:18

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Acts 16:3

Then Moses answered, “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail”—so he reached out his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand—“so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Exodus 4:1-5

Reflect:
I have often been so concerned about believing the right thing. And I guess it's important to believe the right thing. But it's not about believing the right thing just so we can say that we do. Scripture is concerned with action--what we do based on what we believe. To John the Baptist's question about whether Jesus was the one, Jesus responds "look and see!" To Moses' question of whether or not the people would listen to him, God responded-"What's in your hand boy?!"

Respond:
I will act. I will continuously go to God, my Source, and continuously go back out and act in the world.

Reading: Luke 1:39-56, Ephesians 2:1-10, Psalm 119:17-24, 1 Kings 4-5

Recall:
King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel; the levy numbered thirty thousand men. 1 Kings 5:13

All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:3-10
Reflect:
1 Kings 4 and 5 is a description of how the wise Solomon went about his business. It relates how his subjects were organized to supply for his needs. Then it describes how Solomon decided to build the temple his father was not allowed by God to build. Solomon "conscripted forced labor out of all Israel." In other words, Solomon built the temple with slave labor. This is the wisdom of God?! What's up with that?

Ephesians 2 is such a powerful passage. Ephesians 2:8-9 was drummed into me growing up, but, like so much of the theology that I was exposed to, it only tells part of the story--a very small part. We have to back up and look at the big picture. In 4-7, Paul imagines us "alive together with Christ...and raised...up with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace toward us in Christ Jesus" Wow! Good stuff! And why? Why did God do this for us? V.10 "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Shazam! Bang! Here it is! So incredibly simple. Seven verses that explain the whole thing. Jason is a glorious child of God, seated with Christ, created to do good works. Let's get on with it boy!

Respond:
Gracious, glorious God. No longer will I deny who I am. I will waste no more time. I want to remember in every moment of my life who I am and why I am here.

Reading: Matthew 10:21-42, Acts 15:22-41, Psalm 24, Exodus 1-3

Recall:
“Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut— make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.

  “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.
- Matthew 10:34-39 (The Message)

It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities: Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood, for instance); and guard the morality of sex and marriage.
These guidelines are sufficient to keep relations congenial between us. And God be with you! Acts 15:28-29

God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw what was going on with Israel. God understood. Exodus 2:24-25

Reflect:
Eugene Peterson softens the language of Matthew 10 a little bit, but wow, it's still powerful...and confusing. His desire is to "free us for God." Anything that stands in the way of that has to be removed. However, it is in those relationships, quite often, that we do the hard work of finding and relating to God. It would be easy for some, I think, to point to this verse, leave their families, and park themselves in a desert somewhere. But I don't know what good that does them or the Kingdom.

Genesis 2:24-25 is a bit perplexing as well--perplexing, but comforting. Perplexing because it seems that God needed the Hebrews to remind Him that they were suffering and that God had made a covenant with them. Didn't God already know that? But it is comforting to note that "God understood" their plight.

Respond:
God, it is so good to know that you understand me. It's a remarkable thought actually. If I shared everything about myself to anyone--my thoughts, my feelings, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't understand me. I don't even completely understand myself. But you understand.

Thank you for the gift of my family. Maybe the reason that Jesus' words sound so harsh to me is that I have such wonderful, strong relationships. I will continue to submit those relationships to you, so they may bear the most fruit--for me and Trish, and Emerson.

Reading: Matthew 10:1-20, Acts 15:1-21, Psalm 23, Genesis 50

Recall:
Genesis 50:19-21
Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid. Do I act for God? Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I’ll take care of you and your children.” He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.

Matthew 10:5-10
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

“Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. 10 You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.

Reflect:
'Til the very end, Joseph continued to get it. Forgiveness. Not for the sake of the one forgiven, although it is quite beneficial to them--but for the sake of the one forgiven. Un-forgiveness blocks, forgiveness opens up the channels of life and blessing.

Don't worry about the fund-raiser! I love that! "Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here." It is so easy. But how does that fit in with the way we do church now. There is no guarantee built in to the charge. Jesus told those sent that they would have enough for three meals a day, not enough to maintain their buildings and programs.

Respond:
Well, I don't have the luxury of figuring out how this works out in the end, all I can do is obey--tell people the kingdom is here.

Reading: Luke 1:26-38, Ephesians 1:15-23, Psalm 119:9-16, 1 Kings 2-3

Recall:
“Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?” 1 Kings 3:9

I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! Ephesians 1:16-19

  How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Psalm 119:9-11
Reflect:
What a richness. The verses describe a huge leap of faith. It's a message that has been coming back to me repeatedly over the past few weeks. If I turn it over to God, if I trust in the Spirit, will God take care of the rest. Here is what is implied in these verses: If I trust in God, then I will have endless energy, boundless strength, wisdom, and the ability to lead. Wow. What a gospel I have to proclaim, what a gospel I have to live.
Respond:
God, I want to put my trust in you. I want to give myself to the Spirit, so that I respond to her breath as if it were my own. Continue to lead me, continue to draw me further into You.

Reading: Matthew 9:27-38, Acts 14, Psalm 22:12-31, Genesis 49

Recall:
Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.
Acts 14:9b-10 And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man sprang up and began to walk.
Genesis 49:22-24
Joseph is a wild donkey,
a wild donkey by a spring,
spirited donkeys on a hill.
The archers with malice attacked,
shooting their hate-tipped arrows;
But he held steady under fire,
his bow firm, his arms limber,
With the backing of the Champion of Jacob,
the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
Reflect:
Faith is the key in these two healing stories. Faith was not the power that healed them, but faith was the catalyst, the necessary ingredient for the healing to take place. I wonder what part faith plays in the miracles of our lives?

Genesis 49:22-24 is a great summary of Jospeh's life. The bow held firm, held taut with a limber arm.
Respond:
God, give me faith. I am ready to see miracles happen in this world.

Reading: Luke 1:1-25, Ephesians 1:1-14, Psalm 119:1-8, 1 Kings 1

Recall:
Psalm 119:1-2
You’re blessed when you stay on course,
walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
doing your best to find him.

Reflect:
Something interesting that I noticed in Luke--When God speaks to Zechariah describing who John will be/become, he doesn't mention that John is coming to prepare a way for Jesus. He is just to be the one who "He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God." Interesting.

I love Psalm 119. I am blessed when I am doing my best to find God!

Respond:
God, I am doing my best to find you!

Reading: Matthew 9:14-26, Acts 13:26-52, Psalm 22:1-11, Genesis 48

Recall:
Matthew 9:24-25 he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up."

Psalm 22:11 "Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help."

Reflect:
If I had been Jesus I would have snapped my fingers and healed the girl just to see the faces of the laughers. How cool he must have been--he had the crowd removed and he healed the girl. It wasn't about the crowd; it wasn't about him; it was about healing the girl. It is so easy to get distracted by what is going on around, to react instead of "proact."

What an important prayer in Psalm 22- "do not be far from me." The walk can get so lonely. Many times there are people around to help. But on those occasions when we find ourselves alone on the road, it is so important that God is near.

Respond:
God, do not be far from me. Keep my heart. Keep me focused. The healing is what matters.

Reading: Matthew 9:1-13, Acts 13:1-25, Psalm 21, Genesis 46-47

Recall:
The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way. Matthew 9:8 (The Message)

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?”
Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.” Matthew 9:10-13 (The Message)

Reflect:
When God moves, people still respond. We bitch and moan that people are not responding to what we are doing. I think often the problem is that God is not moving in our efforts, that God is not authorizing our work.

10-13 is such a powerful passage. "'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders not coddle insiders." That's the work of God. Jesus was here for the outsiders. So we are here for the outsiders. The outsiders aren't like us. the outsiders aren't "spiritual" the way I think of spiritual. But spiritual people don't need to hear the good news. The healthy don't need a doctor. The insiders don't need to be coddled.

Respond:
This will take me a while to work through I think. I dream of a Utopia of spiritual people worshipping and working together. But am I just hoping for a group of insiders engaged in mutual coddling? What am I doing to engage the outsiders. What would my ministry look like, what would our church's ministry look like if we were intentionally directed toward outsiders?

Reading: Matthew 8:23-34, Acts 12, Psalm 20, Genesis 44-45

Recall:
Now I know that the LORD will help his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God.
They will collapse and fall,
but we shall rise and stand upright.

Reflect:
Obviously written during a good point in the Psalmist's life, but still, I believe, it is true. God is the ultimate source, ultimate resource. It's so hard, for me anyway, to simply trust. Joseph trusted--thirteen years in jail and he still trusted. I'm sure he was busy...doing...something during those years. Ultimately he came out on top, way on top. I would say, of course, that I don't have 13 years, but I do. The things that I worry about--the survival of the church, my earthly ministry here and now--those aren't, ultimately the important things, despite what my ego clamors for. What matters is my relationship to God and how I serve the world in response to that relationship.

Respond:
I will keep moving closer to God and I will keep moving out into my world.

Reading: Matthew 8:14-22, Acts 11:19-30, Psalm 19, Genesis 42-43

Recall:
Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, “Serve the meal.” Exodus 14:29-31

Reflect:
Out of all the reading, this is the image that stuck out to me. Joseph having to leave the room to cry. It's comforting. Even Joseph, easily one of the coolest Hebrew Scripture characters, had to break down and cry. And it's also interesting and, possibly, instructive. He left the room to cry. Did he do it to keep up the charade? Did he to do it so that he could maintain his solid-faced aura of leadership in front of the brothers and his own people?

When leading, I imagine there are times to show emotion, admit questions and uncertainty. That is the example of scripture and that has been the experience of leaders throughout history.

Respond:
I feel that what my situation requires at this point is the strong, positive, unwavering, dry-eyed, leader. My tears, my questioning, my uncertainties--and they come often need to be in private or with a close circle.

Reading: Matthew 8:1-13, Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 18:25-50

Recall:
Matthew 8:10 "When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, 'Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such fait.'"

Acts 11:7-18 Peter tells his story of the blanket from heaven in response to the complaints that he was eating with Gentiles

Psalm 18:28 "It is you who light my lamp;
The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness."

Genesis 41:38-41
"Pharoah said to his servants, 'Can we find anyone else like this -- one in whom is the Spirit of God?' So Pharoah said to Joseph, 'Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throine will I be greater than you."

Reflect:
Power, favor from God, wisdom, discernment, understanding, authority, and on and on--comes from God. We get it--to put it crassly and frankly--by faith, by relationship to God.

Respond:
I want a relationship, a strong relationship, with God. The main reason that I want that is I want the above results of such a relationship. Now, I'm sure that is my ego desiring those things. Maybe as I draw closer to God, God will change my attitudes and desires.

Reading: Matthew 7:15-29, Acts 10:24-48, Psalm 18:1-24, Genesis 39-40

Recall:
In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:17-20

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Acts 10:34-35

Reflect:
Scripture is extremely interested in action. I still believe that "salvation" is a free gift of grace. However, there is no salvation without the evidence of right action--that is all there is to it. The Joseph story is an excellent example. We know Joseph has some type of connection with God because of his ability to interpret dreams. But there is no recorded interaction between Joseph and God, there is no description of the exact nature of Joseph's beliefs about God. All we have is a record of Joseph's actions, what he did. And he did well and he did good. He operated with integrity (with the possible exception of that weird cup-hiding incident). And he succeeded!

The words of Jesus are crystal clear--you will be known by what you produce.

The words of Peter--whoever fears God and does what is right and acceptable to him!

Respond:
I was getting ready to pontificate on what "we" need to do, but it's not about that, is it? More than what I write, more than what I say, God is interested in what I do.
The pattern for my life must be going to Jesus, learning from him, absorbing from him, and then acting, letting my actions pour out of that relationship, that connection.

Reading: Matthew 7:1-14, Acts 10:1-23, Psalm 17, Genesis 37-38

Recall:
Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged."
Acts 10:15 "What God has made clean, you must not call profane."
Reflect:
The Genesis reading started the Joseph story. That life, more than any other in the Bible outside of Jesus, impresses and inspires me. Joseph just did it. He followed through with what was before him. He exemplified the concept of "not judging." He was shafted by his brothers, by Potiphar's wife, by the cupbearer who forgot him, and he didn't judge, didn't complain. He just kept going.

The commandment to "judge not," is, once again, not for the person being judged. It's not another rule. It's a key to success and effectiveness. Judging messes up the judger. Joseph didn't judge. He just kept on.

Respond:
I need to follow Joseph's example. Keep the goal in front of me. Don't spend an ounce of energy judging others.

Reading: Matthew 6:25-34, Acts 9:20-43, Psalm 16, Genesis 36

Recall:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body what you will wear...But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. " Matthew 6:25,33

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 16:1-2

Reflect:
Wonderful counsel. I'm reading a book now, The Disappearance of the Universe, on the recommendation of a friend. It is based on the principles in A Course in Miracles. It's basic thesis is this: God is all that is real; everything else is illusion. Honestly, I'm not sure I am ready to make that leap yet. But I sure am ready to say that, at least, God is more real than everything else. That is the opposite of the way I oftentimes live. For me, quite often, God is good and God is cool, but when crisis come, or even a little bump, my attention is drawn to what I call the real world.

Respond:
Eyes on God, all the time--when it's easy and when it's hard.

Reading: Genesis 34-35, Psalm 15, Matthew 6:16-24, Acts 9:1-14

Recall:
Matthew 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"
Reflect:
This passage from Matthew is powerful. If this Christianity thing is real, if it work, then at some point one must engage it. Of course, one...heck, I...will never find out if it really works until I engage it.

The reason for my ramblings I guess is this--these words of Jesus are calling me to Christianity 201. When do I stop letting the garbage in? When do I stop making excuses, shore up my spiritual life and get serious about it?

I can tell myself that it is OK to watch a little TV. I need to relax don't I? And c'mon--I can't really help it if I happen to glance (stare?) at the young woman's rear end as she passes by me in Starbucks, can I?

It's not always a matter of right and wrong and good and bad. What is it allowing into my life? How is it affecting my spiritual journey? It certainly isn't producing light!

Respond:
One specific response for now--no more TV--I'll sit with Emerson and watch a show or movie, but for me, no more television.

Reading: Matthew 6:1-15, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 14, Genesis 32-33

Recall:
Matthew 5:14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Acts 8:35
Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.

Acts 8:39-40
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus...

Genesis 32:24
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

Reflect:
I guess I have never thought about the end of Acts 40. It seems that Philip was "transported" away from the scene there and to another area. Weird stuff.

The passage from Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount is powerful and sobering. I think its something that we all innately know at some level, but
it's hard to see in print, especially from the mouth of Jesus. And it's harder yet to accept. We have to let go. It leads to freedom.

Proclaiming the good news. I talk about it a lot, but do I do it?! Not often enough. I can only proclaim, anyone can only proclaim, what I know, what I have. The example of Jacob is to wrestle with God. The example of Philip is to look for the opportunities.

Respond:
Wrestle with God. Watch for opportunities. I will focus on these two actions for the rest of the week and see what happens!

Reading: Matthew 5:33-48, Acts 8:1-25, Psalm 13, Genesis 31

Recall:
Genesis 31 is a bizarre story.
MAtthew 5:42 "Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you."
Matthew 5:48 "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Acts 8:8 "So there was great joy in that city."

Reflect:
Genesis 31 is the story of Jacob leaving the house of Laban. Jacob and Laban's relationship had always been both strained and strange, two wheeler-dealers confronting one another. In the end Jacob took his wives and children and livestock, which Laban contended were all his. And Rachel took his household gods. The story is a good reminder how convoluted relationships can become if we don't deal with one another with honesty and integrity.

I'm not sure about Matthew 5:42. How in the world do we give to everyone who begs from us? Is that possible?
Matthew 5:48 is the standard Jesus left us with, be perfect as God is perfect.

And in Acts, before the nonsense with Simon Magus starts (and the nonsense always always seems to start--just from one or two), Samaria's response to Philip's teaching was enthusiastic.

Respond:
The challenges for me in this passage: I will strive for perfection in my life and in my relationship's. It's difficult, but the dividends are incredible. As I operate this way, as the church operates this way, the response will be joyful.

Reading: Matthew 5:21, Acts 7:39-60, Psalm 12, Genesis 29-30

Recall:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell." Matthew 5:27-30

Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord do not hold this sin against them." Acts 7:60

He set the rods that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, the flocks bred in front of the rods, and so the flocks produced young that were striped, speckled, and spotted. Genesis 30:38-39

Reflect:
I've noticed that everything that jumps out at me in my scripture reading lately is put through the filter of my life situation right now.

I am in no fear of of going to hell, but Jesus' words in Matthew still are powerful. Whatever is keeping me from being the disciple of Jesus that I need to be needs to be removed. Whatever is keeping me from fulfilling my mission needs to be removed.

From Genesis, I see the opposite side of the coin. Whatever I need to do to accomplish the mission God has given me, I need to do. It would appear that Jacob fooled around with magic to get the goats he needed. And from the results, it would appear that God was OK with that.

And in everything, I gotta love. As Stephen was being pummeled with stones, he cried out to God to not hold it against them. What love!

Respond:
Mighty, gracious, loving God, I am ready. Whatever I have to do, however I have to do it, whatever I have to relinquish in order to do it, I will do it.

Reading: Matthew 5:13-20, Acts 7:1-38, Psalm 11, Genesis 27-28

Recall:
Matthew 5:15 "No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house."

Genesis 27:36 Esau said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright; and look, now he has taken away my blessing."

Reflect:
Jacob was a schemer, a conniver, and a patriarch. He saw what he wanted and took it. Or I guess his mother saw what she wanted for him and she encouraged him to take it. Still used by God though--in spite of or because of his actions?

As we put our lamp on the lightstand, we might be accused of grasping, but the risk must be taken. We can't spend our lives under the bushel basket afraid we will be perceived as going too far.

Respond:
Wow, I guess that reflection was very personal. I need to be on the lampstand. I need to be taking advantage of every opportunity. If I am crossing the line, I have no doubt I will receive that feedback!

Reading: Matthew 5:1-12, Acts 6, Psalms 10, Genesis 25-26

Recall:
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8

And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.”
Acts 6:2-4

When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “My wife,” thinking, “or else the men of the place might kill me for the sake of Rebekah, because she is attractive in appearance.” Genesis 26:7

Reflect:
I wonder what the significance of the lie about wives is in Genesis. Abraham did it twice and Isaac once. It must have meant something to the original readers.

"The pure in heart" the single-minded. That is what I am striving for. My heart seems rarely pure. It's always pulled this way and that. As a result, I often don't make it to the finish line.

It's funny I should come across this passage from Acts today since I was just talking about the role of deacons with them yesterday.

Respond:
God, I want to see you. I want to experience as much of you as is possible on this side of eternity. I will put the practices into my life that will facilitate the purity of my heart.

Reading: Matthew 4:18-25, Acts 5:17-42, Psalm 9, Genesis 24

Recall:
Matthew 4:22 "Immediately they left their nets and followed him."
Matthew 4:23 "Jesus went through Galilee, teaching...proclaiming...and curing every disease."
Acts 5:38b-39a: "...if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them..."
Genesis 24:12: "And he said, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham."
Reflect:
Good stuff in these passages. In Matthew it is important to note that the disciples immediately left their nets to follow. They just went.

Jesus not only preached and taught, he healed. He wasn't all talk about the Kingdom of God. By his actions he showed that the Kingdom of God was at hand.

I love the words of Gamaliel. Let's watch. Let's see what happens with these folks and this movement. If it's the real deal, it will succeed no matter what. If not, then we don't have to worry about it.

And the servants prayer in Genesis struck me. "Please grant me success." How often do I begin my endeavors with that prayer?

Respond:
Action, action, action. I will follow he examples of these apostles. I will follow. I will let my actions speak for me. The proof will be in the results. And I will bathe everything in prayer, asking for, and expecting success, just like Abraham's servant!

Reading: Matthew 4:12-17, Acts 5:1-16, Psalm 8, Genesis 21-23

Recall:
Psalm 8:3-5
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
  Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.

Genesis 22:1-2
After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

Acts 5:5
Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it.


Reflect:
So, we're created a little less than the angels and crowned with glory and honor. BUT, you better not screw up or you'll drop dead. OR, God might want to test you and ask you if you're willing to sacrifice your son.

Tough words, challenging words. Why are they here? Both of these passages have always baffled me. That can be good if I take the opportunity to ponder them. I'll have to live with these for a bit today, see what bubbles up.

Respond:
God, you are, in many respects, unknowable. What would cause someone to imagine that you required the sacrifice of his child? Or that someone could drop dead for lying about the price of a field?

I can never stop spending time with scripture, spending time with God.

Reading: Matthew 4:1-11, Acts 4:23-27, Psalm 7, Genesis 18-20

Recall:
Genesis 18:12-15
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

Genesis 18:22-23

Genesis 19:16-17 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, they said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, or else you will be consumed.”

Reflect:
You can't get a much more anthropomorphized God than appears in these stories in Genesis. Sarah laughs at God's words, God shrugs it off and fulfills his promise anyway. Then Abraham bargains with God over the destruction of Sodom. It goes on a long time. I was losing patience. But I guess God didn't. "OK, I'll spare it for 45, 40, 30, 20."

Then there is Lot and his family dawdling before the destruction of the city. God's messengers are saying "C'mon guys." They are still dragging their feet. So the messengers grab them by the hand and drag them out of the city.

Respond:
It's an interesting understanding of God. Somewhat comforting and, yet, somewhat unsettling at that same time--this God that is close enough to bargain with me, that isn't above picking me up and dragging me if he has to.

God, help me take advantage of this aspect of you. You are awesome, more than I can even begin to comprehend. Yet you make yourself close enough and simple enough for me to comprehend and touch. Thank you.

Reading: Matthew 3:13-17, Acts 4:1-22, Psalm 6, Genesis 15-17

Recall:
Matthew 3:17

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Acts 4:7-10, 13-16
When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.....Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it.

Reflect:
I always love hearing those words from God at Jesus' baptism. "This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Just because I know, that as a child of God, those are God's words to me.

Acts 4 caught me anew as I read it this morning. Peter and John were arrested for preaching to the crowd that had gathered after they healed the man that was lame. The council they appeared before was puzzled about what to do. They could not argue with the results of their work. The dud was healed--what could they say?
Respond:
Talk is cheap. Ideas and dogma can be argued against and discussed in infinitum. Action, results have to be accepted for what they are. I want my life to be marked by results. I want to be an open channel that God can actually accomplish things through. I don't want to be just a preacher. I want to be a faithful servant of the Kingdom, an effective leader of God's people.

God, continue to fine tune my life. Guide me as I continue to work on the discipline that I need to make space for what You want to do in my life.

Reading: Matthew 3:1-12, Acts 3, Psalm 5, Genesis 12-14

Recall:
Matthew 3:10
Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Acts 3:6
But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”
Reflect:
John the Baptist's words are always disturbing. And, even more disturbing, they seem to be ringing true, at least as far as the church is concerned. It is not mercenary on God's part. Churches themselves are leaping onto the fire.

"...but what I have I give you..." Great words. God does not call me to give to others what I don't have.
Respond:
I can't give what I don't have. It's a positive and a negative. I am not expected to give what I don't have. On the other hand, I need to have something to give. And that I get from my continuing relationship with the Divine.

Reading: Matthew 2:13-23, Acts 2:22-47, Psalm 4, Genesis 9-11

Recall:
Psalm 4:6-8
There are many who say, "O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!
You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.

Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Reflect:
Really, what more does one need than to have gladness in one's heart and a good night's sleep? If I have that, then everything else is both possible and inconsequential! And that is what a relationship with Jesus brings.

Acts 2:42 is a snapshot of the inner life of the first-century church. They learned, they fellowshiped, they prayed, they shared in rituals. The call for us 20 centuries later is the same.

Respond:
These two short, simple passages alone are enough to send me out to the street for the rest of my life. It is so simple. We are given explicit instructions on how to partake of the Divine, how to make life work, how to have a glad heart and a good night's sleep. It's all right here!

I have a two-fold responsibility. First I need to, as they say, put on my own oxygen mask first--seek Jesus in all that I do. I must intentionally, doggedly make room for Jesus in my life through reading the Bible, praying, and meditating.

And then, just as intentionally, just as doggedly, make the opportunity of a relationship with Jesus available to everyone else around me.