Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: As I obediently work my way through the Old Testament, I’m so amazed how God speaks through our ancient ancestors. The lessons we are offered in God’s amazing Bible all point to a loving Father that looks forward to the day when we all live in complete unity. Crazy to think about. We’re nearly …
and We’re all over the charts this morning, covering several topics in these chapters. Psalm 105 does a good job of preparing us for the reading this morning: Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. …
Continue reading “Inclusivity, Wickedness, Comfort and True Fasting”
Read: Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed! Tradition that reminds us to remind ourselves of this spectacular, pivotal event in history. I was raised with such rich tradition, with Easter Egg hunts and candy treats, with early Son Rise services as we sang hymns on cool Easter Sundays. The Easter Lilies that adorned the sanctuaries bloom …
Continue reading “Easter: Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!”
Moab Defeated by Joint Armies Chapter 3 recounts a time when the kings of Israel (Joram), Judah (Jehoshaphat) and Edom (well…governor of Edom) united to confront Moab. Joram was a notch better than his ancestors, but still far from being good in God’s eyes. Still, for some reason, this union was allowed and the unified …
and The Passover took the firstborn from the Egyptians, all the Israelites were spared. Now God directs a simple gesture of gratitude: “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.” So what does it mean to consecrate? When was the last time someone asked me to consecrate something? Answer: In the Bible the word consecration means “the …
Continue reading “Consecration of the Firstborn; Crossing the Sea”
and Ironically, today’s Our Daily Bread referred to that begins, “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.” As I read Exodus 7, I have a little empathy for these leaders. God gave Moses the ability to perform signs for Pharaoh, why wouldn’t …
Call to Action Apparently, Brennan Manning was scolded harshly by some in the Christian community for this book. Perhaps he speaks as a prophet for our current Christian culture, calling out those who would reduce Christianity to a Sunday morning activity–which happens to include most of us. I suggest “us” in this sense because, like it or …
Continue reading “Ragamuffin Gospel: The Scandal of Grace: Fifteen Years Later”
Summary Many people believe Jesus was given a “divine promotion” after his crucifixion that he never claimed for himself. Contrary to that belief, the dramatic explosion of devotion to Jesus points back to his teachings as the source. The New Testament record affirms that Jesus was believed to be the Messiah and that Jesus’ followers …