Tag: discipleship
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all the feelings
I don’t know where you stand politically, but I know for myself there are a whole mixture of emotions today. Anxiety, frustration, maybe a little foreboding. Having relatives and friends in the U.S., it’s hard to watch what is going on there and not be concerned. And what happens in the U.S. often has effects…
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sidelining sabbath?
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. On the first day, light, and on the second day the sky and the sea. On the third day came the earth and plants, and on the fourth day the sun, the moon, and the stars. On the fifth day fish in the sea and…
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a foundational prayer
Biblical Texts: Psalm 117, Luke 11v1-4 Today’s passage in Luke is so familiar it can easily go by unnoticed. For those of us in church regularly, we say this prayer so often it can become automatic. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s good to know things by heart, but sometimes it pays to slow…
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a harvest offering
Biblical Texts: 1 Timothy 6v6-10, Matthew 6v25-34 YouTube Link Our verses this morning might seem odd choices for a Harvest festival. First, there’s nothing from the Old Testament, where we can find plenty about harvest in general and food in particular. Second, there’s a lot about money. That’s not traditionally been a fun subject to…
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solitude for service
Reading: Luke 4v38-44 As with most readings in the churches lectionary, our gospel reading today is not meant to be read simply as one brief story. It’s from Luke’s gospel, and where Luke places it is important. It needs to be read in context. Chapter 4 of Luke begins with Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness,…
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impulsive discipline
Biblical Texts: Matthew 13:44-46, 2 Timothy 1:6. The church today (July 31, 2024) commemorates the life of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order. Ignatius was born to a wealthy family, and was grievously injured while fighting a war. During his time of recovery, he asked for a book to read. The only book available…