1.13.22: Isaiah 42 Smoldering Wicks
Isaiah 42 Smoldering Wicks ——– Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a […]
1.12.22: 2 Corinthians 5 Ministry of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5 Ministry of Reconciliation ——– We no longer see people from a worldly point of view. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of […]
1.11.22: Psalm 92 I Saw Your Work and Shouted for Joy
Psalm 92 I Saw Your Work and Shouted for Joy ——— What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, Accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings. You made me […]
1.10.22: John 4 Over, Under, and Through
John 4 Over, Under, and Through ——– When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask […]
12.21.21: Happy Solstice, y’all!
Happy Solstice, y’all! The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it! We have no idea what day Christ was born. But people all over the world celebrate the darkest day of the year as the light begins to be reborn, one minute at a time. The photo shows light columns, […]
12.16.21: John 1:9 The True Light
John 1:9 The True Light ——– The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ————— The word “true” here means real. Genuine. Bona fide. Looking at the earth from the Space Station, it’s getting hard to find any dark spaces. The night is alight with artificial illumination. But no matter […]
12.14.21: John 1:6-7 Bearing Witness to the Light
John 1:6-7 Bearing Witness to the Light ——– There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light ——– In Jewish thought, the light was the truth. But in a court of law it took the testimony of TWO witnesses to prove that something […]
12.13.21: Isaiah 11:6 Christmas through a Child’s Eyes
Isaiah 11:6 Christmas through a Child’s Eyes ——– And a little child shall lead them. ——– It’s just not Christmas until you hear John Henry Faulk tell this story. It’s Christmas through the eyes of a child from a not-so-distant past. Just listen–and see if this tale brings back some memories and shines some light […]
12.9.21: John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness (Part 4)
John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness (Part 4) ——– The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ——– A long, long, time ago (sometime in the 20th century) I heard a story from an old pastor whose first appointment was in a small mountain town. On December 23 there was a fierce […]
12.8.21: John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness (Part 3)
John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness (Part 3) —————————— The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. —————————— There is a moment in the Christmas candlelight service where we shut off all the lights. The only illumination in the room is the Christ candle, burning on the altar. As our eyes adjust […]
12.7.21: John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness, part 2
John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness, part 2 —————————— The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. —————————— When I was a child I thought the darkness had power to create dangers in every shadow. Now I know the darkness has no power of its own. It is only the absence of […]
12.6.21: John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness
John 1:5 Overcoming Darkness ——– The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ——– The darkness cannot understand the light. It can rail against it. It can hate it. It can try to extinguish it. But it is doomed to fail, because it can never master it. When you bear […]
12.2.21: John 1:4 Let there be Light
John 1:4 Let there be Light —————— In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. —————— In the beginning the darkness covered the face of the deep. This was not the kind of darkness you get by turning off the light. It’s the darkness of despair and chaos. It’s a […]
12.1.21: John 1:3 All Things
John 1:3 All things came into being through the Word, and apart from him not one thing came into being. ——— Christ is the Word that became flesh and lived among us. That Word–the Logos–the plan of God has been Creating, Loving, and Redeeming this world from the beginning. Christ’s work did not start in […]
11.30.21: John 1 God’s Plan
John 1 God’s Plan ———– And the Word was with God, And the Word WAS God. ———– That great philosopher, Mike Tyson, once said, Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. God’s plan is not like my plan. It is still in effect. It was in effect through the chaos of […]
11.29.21: Genesis 1 In the Beginning, Chaos
Genesis 1 In the Beginning, Chaos ———————— In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. ———————– In the beginning God Created… But first there was chaos. God loves […]
11.11.21: Proverbs 3: Veterans Day, part IV
Proverbs 3: Veterans Day, part IV She is far better than silver, even better than gold. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; […]
11.10.21: Galatians 3: Veterans Week, Day 3
Galatians 3: Veterans Week, Day 3 It no longer matters whether you are Tribal Members or Wisdom Seekers (Greeks), slaves or free, male or female. For in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One you are all one people. And since you belong to the Chosen One, you are a descendant of Father of Many […]
11.9.21: Isaiah 40: Veterans Week, Day 2
Isaiah 40: Veterans Week, Day 2 A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God ——– The prophet Isaiah heard the Spirit calling God’s people home. God would make a way where there was no way. Like butterflies returning to […]
11.8.21: John 10: Veterans Week, Day 1
John 10: Veterans Week, Day 1 Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. ——– The gate is placed in the gap […]
11.5.21: Hebrews 12: Cheering You On to Victory
Hebrews 12: Cheering You On to Victory Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of […]
11.4.21: Matthew 5: How to DESTROY Your Political Enemies
Matthew 5: How to DESTROY Your Political Enemies Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You have […]
11.3.21: 1 Timothy 2: Post Election Prayers
1 Timothy 2: Post Election Prayers First of all, let petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— For rulers and all those in authority— That we may live peaceful and quiet lives In all godliness and holiness. ——– We are still blessed to live in America No matter how you voted yesterday, […]
11.2.21: Jeremiah 8: Dia de los Muertos
Jeremiah 8: Dia de los Muertos Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration ——– In Mexico, folks celebrate All Saints Day–Dia de los Muertos–by remembering their ancestors, Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. It so happens that the monarch […]