Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10
Old
Testament: Genesis 9:8-17
Gospel: Mark 1:9-15
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Welcome to the first week of Lent. I hope you have had time to reflect on what this season means as we draw closer to God. We went to an Ash Wednesday service at our Church, and the speaker said something that I think is important to say at the beginning of season such as Lent where we, humanity, act and strive to grow closer to God. It may seem like we are trying to earn God's love or blessing. Or maybe like we are trying to convince God to truly love and accept us. But all of this is not the case. The speaker said that it is not God who changes during Lent; it is us. God loved us the same on Tuesday as he did on Ash Wednesday as he will next Thursday. God's love never fails and never gives up, as our church sang this morning. What changes during Lent is our awareness of who God is, his great love for us, and our great need for him. As we move through Lent, we are made aware once again of our sin and desperate need for God. We intentionally arrange our lives so that God can encounter us. And as we move towards Easter, we prepare our hearts and minds again to receive God's overwhelming mercy and love given to us on the cross. We fast, we repent, we serve, and we worship, not so that God loves us, but out of our great gratitude for what God has done for us through his son Jesus. So I hope you recognize Lent as the gift it is to us from the Church so that we are fully able to celebrate Easter when it arrives.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Transfiguration Sunday
Psalm: Psalm 50:1-6
Old Testament: 2 Kings 2:1-12
Gospel: Mark 9:2-9
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Today is Transfiguration Sunday. Which is always the Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the Revised Common Lectionary. We are actually at a church retreat this weekend so I haven't had much time to think or write today. (Thus this post is being published on Monday.) Our theme today invites us to explore Jesus' transfiguration in parallel to Elijah being taken up to heaven. I'll just put a few thoughts down real quick.
Old Testament: 2 Kings 2:1-12
Gospel: Mark 9:2-9
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Today is Transfiguration Sunday. Which is always the Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the Revised Common Lectionary. We are actually at a church retreat this weekend so I haven't had much time to think or write today. (Thus this post is being published on Monday.) Our theme today invites us to explore Jesus' transfiguration in parallel to Elijah being taken up to heaven. I'll just put a few thoughts down real quick.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Epiphany Week 5
Psalm: Psalm 147:1-11
Old Testament: Isaiah 40:21-31
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
This week we continue the theme from Paul's letter to the Corinthians. He elaborates on the responsibility we have to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If you remember last week, we briefly discussed that if we do something that causes someone else to sin, then, in fact, we also are sinning in the eyes of Christ. He takes this even farther in our verses today when he writes, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more." (verse 19) Not only do we refrain from things that cause our siblings in Christ to sin, but we adapt to others so that we can lead them to Christ. This brings up a number of questions: do we adapt so far that we live a life of sin so we can "fit in?" Or do we have no center so that we are always changing like a chameleon?
Old Testament: Isaiah 40:21-31
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
This week we continue the theme from Paul's letter to the Corinthians. He elaborates on the responsibility we have to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If you remember last week, we briefly discussed that if we do something that causes someone else to sin, then, in fact, we also are sinning in the eyes of Christ. He takes this even farther in our verses today when he writes, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more." (verse 19) Not only do we refrain from things that cause our siblings in Christ to sin, but we adapt to others so that we can lead them to Christ. This brings up a number of questions: do we adapt so far that we live a life of sin so we can "fit in?" Or do we have no center so that we are always changing like a chameleon?
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Epiphany Week 4
Psalm: Psalm 111
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Today will be a relatively short post since as we all know today was Super Bowl Sunday, and thus we all probably partied most of the day.
Today, in our reading from Deuteronomy, God tells his people that due to their request at Horeb, he will no longer speak to them directly but rather through prophets. (See Ex. 20:18-19) Israel's request makes sense when we consider how things seemed to go when the presence of God showed up. Even when God spoke to only Moses on the mountain, Moses' face shown so brilliantly that he had to wear a veil over it. (Ex. 34) The presence of God often came in power and glory and people were known to not survive the encounter. So the people ask God for him not to speak to them directly. But God in his desire to reach his people provided the prophets to continue to deliver his words and call his people to faithfulness.
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Today will be a relatively short post since as we all know today was Super Bowl Sunday, and thus we all probably partied most of the day.
Today, in our reading from Deuteronomy, God tells his people that due to their request at Horeb, he will no longer speak to them directly but rather through prophets. (See Ex. 20:18-19) Israel's request makes sense when we consider how things seemed to go when the presence of God showed up. Even when God spoke to only Moses on the mountain, Moses' face shown so brilliantly that he had to wear a veil over it. (Ex. 34) The presence of God often came in power and glory and people were known to not survive the encounter. So the people ask God for him not to speak to them directly. But God in his desire to reach his people provided the prophets to continue to deliver his words and call his people to faithfulness.
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