XCI Make a Joyful Noise (6/26) Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of God’s name; give God glorious praise. Come and see what God has done. (Psalm 66:1-2, 5) “Come and see what God as done,” the Psalmist intones. What God has done is the source of our joy. But we need to be attentive. How often to we walk by something beautiful, being too busy to note God’s handiwork and give thanks. In... Read more
XC My soul waits in silence. (6/25) For God alone my soul waits in silence; from God comes my salvation. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress: I shall never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2) “My soul waits in silence.” We live in a noisy world. There are days when we can barely find a moment of silence, whether in our homes and workplaces or in our own inner lives as we fret about personal and social problems.... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – July 9, 2017 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 “Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” These words from Jesus serve as God’s response to Paul’s, and our own, inner turmoil and ethical and spiritual angst. Jesus speaks out of his unique relationship with God to provide us with wisdom and guidance as we seek... Read more
LXXXVII Joy in Challenging Times: How Can I Keep from Singing (6/22) Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. (Psalm 47:1; read entire Psalm 47) You don’t need to feel guilty about joy in times of trouble. You can shout for joy, clap your hands and give thanks in difficult times. We need to honor all our feelings. Often the ability to feel joy is related to our ability to lament and protest.... Read more
LXXXVI Be Still in God’s Presence (6/21) Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) We need a still point in the turning world, as T.S. Eliot counsels. We need a center in the cyclone. Life is coming at us fast. Though many of us shelter in place, our lives are anything but peaceful. We lament the rising death tolls from the Coronavirus. We feel the pain of those who protest injustice. We struggle with our own sense... Read more
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging, spiritually, ethically, and relationally. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear. To be honest, I am unsure what to do with the passage related to Abraham and Isaac. Given the realities of trauma and... Read more
LXXXIV Celebrate Freedom (6/19) I shall walk in liberty for I have followed your precepts. (Psalm 119:45) Today is Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day and Jubilee Day. On June 19, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation – which had been issued on January 1, 1863 – was read to newly freed African Americans in Galveston, Texas by General Gordon Granger. On Juneteenth, our calling is to let freedom ring for every citizen, regardless of color. Here in the USA, we face... Read more
LXXXIII Longing for God (6/18) As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God. (Psalm 42:1-2; read Psalm 42 in its entirety.) God is passionate and wants us to be passionate in our quest for relationship with our Creator. In today’s Psalm, the author yearns for an encounter with God. He wants the refreshment of a personal relationship with his Parent and Creator. He wants God to... Read more
LXXXII Compassionate Companionship (6/17) Happy are those who consider for the poor; God delivers them on the day of trouble. (Psalm 41:1) The poor need plenty of consideration these days. The pandemic, along with the recent protests, have had an inordinate impact on those who are most economically vulnerable. Many persons on the front lines during the pandemic make barely more than minimum wage – nursing home aides, farmworkers, non-union store clerks, delivery persons. Moreover, the pandemic has led to... Read more
LXXXI. Taste and See that God is Good (6/16) O Taste and See that God is good. (Psalm 34:8; read Psalm 34:7-10) Can you imagine a tasty God? Can you imagine a beautiful God? Can you imagine a sensational God? A God filling your senses with beauty? A God whose presence inspires wonder and amazement? While God cannot be encompassed by the world or be visualized like an ordinary object, traces of divinity are found in all things. All creation... Read more
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