Those Who Dream... Prepare the Way

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from Psalm 85:

I will listen to what you have to say, YHWH—

a voice that speaks of peace, peace

for your people and your friends

so long as they don’t return to their folly.
9 Your salvation is near for those who revere you

and your glory will dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness have met;

justice and peace have embraced.
11 Fidelity will sprout from the earth

and justice will lean down from heaven.
12 YHWH will give us what is good,

and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Justice will march before you, YHWH,

and peace will prepare the way for your steps.

And from the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 verses 1-8: 

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

    who will prepare your way;

the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

    make his paths straight,’”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God 

Blessed are the Persecuted

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Matthew: 

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (New Revised Standard Version)

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. (The Message) 

Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children! (Good News Translation)

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God 

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Matthew: 

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
(NRSV)

Happy are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!
(J. B. Phillips)

You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
(The Message) 

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God 

Blessed are the Merciful

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Matthew: 

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. (New Revised Standard Version) 

Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy. (Common English Bible) 

Happy are the merciful, for they will have mercy shown to them! (J. B. Phillips) 

Wonderful news for the merciful! You’ll receive mercy yourselves. (New Testament for Everyone) 

You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being “care-full,” you find yourselves cared for. (The Message) 

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God

Blessed are the Meek

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Matthew: 

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
(King James Version)

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
(Message)

How blessed are those who are humble, because it is they who will inherit the earth!
(International Standard Version)

What blessing comes to you when gentleness lives in you! For you will inherit the earth.
(The Passion)

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Mourning

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Matthew: 
Matthew 5:4

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
(King James Version) 

You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
(The Message)

Those who mourn are fortunate! for they shall be comforted.
(Living Bible)

How happy are those who know what sorrow means for they will be given courage and comfort!
(Phillips)

Those who have sorrow are happy, because they will be comforted.
(NLV)

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God 

Trees

Genesis 2:15-17,Genesis 3:1-7

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the Book of Genesis: 

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Individual and Community

Epiphany

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Romans:

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Beloved Community: For Others

Isaiah 58:6-12 

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Isaiah:

Is not this the fast that I choose:

    to loose the bonds of injustice,

    to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

    and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

    and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,

    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

    you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

    and your gloom be like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,

    and satisfy your needs in parched places,

    and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

    like a spring of water,

    whose waters never fail.

Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

    the restorer of streets to live in.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Beloved Community: Dignity

Colossians 3:9-11 Galatians 3:26-27

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the letters to the people in Colossae:

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

And from the letter to the Galatians:

26 In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Epiphany: Baptism

Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13-17

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Isaiah:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

    he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry or lift up his voice,

    or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break,

    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

    he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not grow faint or be crushed

    until he has established justice in the earth;

    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

5 Thus says God, the Lord,

    who created the heavens and stretched them out,

    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

    and spirit to those who walk in it:

6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

    a light to the nations,

7  to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

    from the prison those who sit in darkness.

8 I am the Lord, that is my name;

    my glory I give to no other,

    nor my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have come to pass,

    and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

    I tell you of them.

And from the book of Matthew: 

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Epiphany

Matthew 2:1-12

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Matthew:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Tov

Genesis 1:11-12, Exodus 2:1-4

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the books of Genesis and Exodus :

Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good.

Exodus 2:1-4 

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Wisdom In The Dark

Matthew 1:18-24a

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the gospel of Matthew:

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

In The Beginning There Was Darkness

Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1-2

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Genesis:

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And from the Gospel of John:

In the beginning

there was the Word;

the Word was in God’s presence,

and the Word was God. 2 The Word was present to God

from the beginning. 3 Through the Word

all things came into being,

and apart from the Word

nothing came into being

that has come into being. 4 In the Word was life,

and that life was humanity’s light— 5 a light that shines in the darkness,

a light that the darkness has never overtaken.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Reign of Christ

Luke 23:33-43

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the Gospel of Luke:

33 When they had reached the place called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there—together with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Abba forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” Then they divided his garments, rolling dice for them. 35 The people stood there watching. The rulers, however, jeered him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself—if he really is the Messiah of God, the Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him. They served Jesus sour wine 37 and said, “If you are really the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was an inscription above Jesus that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who hung there beside him insulted Jesus, too, saying, “Are you really the Messiah? Then save yourself—and us!” 40 But the other answered the first with a rebuke: “Don’t you even fear God? 41 We are only paying the price for what we have done, but this one has done nothing wrong!” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your glory.” 43 Jesus replied, “The truth is, today you’ll be with me in paradise!” 44 It was about noon, and darkness fell on the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two, 46 and Jesus uttered a loud cry and said, “Abba, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Prayer as Attention

Matthew 6:25-34

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the Gospel of Matthew:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your God in heaven feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will God not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 Those without faith are always running after these things. God knows everything you need. 33 Seek first God’s reign, and God’s justice, and all these things will be given to you besides. 34 Enough of worrying about tomorrow! Let tomorrow take care of itself. Today has troubles enough of its own.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

All Souls Feast Day

Romans 8:14-19, 34-35, 37-39

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Romans:

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with God so that we may also be glorified with God. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Wrestling As Prayer

Genesis 32, Luke 18:1-8

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Genesis and the Gospel of Luke :

Genesis 32:22-31

22 In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took the entire caravan, and crossed the ford of the Yabbok River. 23 After Jacob had crossed with all his possessions, he returned to the camp, 24 and he was completely alone. And there, someone† wrestled with Jacob until the first light of dawn. 25 Seeing that Jacob could not be overpowered, the other struck Jacob at the socket of the hip‡, and the hip was dislocated as they wrestled. 26 Then Jacob’s contender said, “Let me go, for day is breaking.” Jacob answered, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” 27 “What is your name?” the other asked. “Jacob,” he answered. 28 The other said, “Your name will no longer be called ‘Jacob,’ or ‘Heel-Grabber,’ but ‘Israel’—’God Wrestler"—because you have wrestled with both God and mortals, and you have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked “Now tell me your name, I beg you.” The other said, “Why do you ask me my name?”—and blessed Jacob there. 30 Jacob named the place Peniel—“Face of God”—“because I have seen God face to face, yet my life was spared.” 31 At sunrise, Jacob left Peniel, limping along from the injured hip. 32 That is why, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the sciatic muscle that is on an animal’s hip socket, because Jacob’s hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.

Luke 18:1-8

1 Jesus told the disciples a parable on the necessity of praying always and not losing heart: 2 “Once there was a judge in a certain city who feared no one—not even God. 3 A woman in that city who had been widowed kept coming to the judge and saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 For a time the judge refused, but finally the judge thought, ‘I care little for God or people, 5 but this woman won’t leave me alone. I’d better give her the protection she seeks, or she’ll keep coming and wear me out!’” 6 Jesus said, “Listen to what this corrupt judge is saying. 7 Won’t God then do justice to the chosen who call out day and night? Will God delay long over them? 8 I tell you, God will give them swift justice. “But when the Promised One comes, will faith be found anywhere on earth?”

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Praying With Doubt

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church from the book of Habakkuk:

THE ORACLE THAT HABAKKUK THE PROPHET

received in a vision. 2 “How long, Yhwh, am I to cry for help

while you do not listen?

How long will I cry ‘Oppression!’ in your ear

and you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look upon injustice?

Why do you countenance tyranny?

Outrage and violence—this is all I see!

All is contention, and discord flourishes. 4 The law loses its hold,

and justice never shows itself. The corrupt triumph over those who are righteous,

and justice is perverted once again.”

“I will stand on my watchtower,

and take up my post on my battlements,

watching to see what God will say to me,

what answers God will make to my complaints.” 2 Then YHWH replied, “Write down this vision,

inscribe it legibly on tablets

so that a herald can easily read it, 3 since this vision will stand as a witness

to the appointed time of judgment;

it gives faithful testimony

about a time that will come. If it is slow in coming, wait for it—

for come it will, without fail: 4 “Look—those whose hearts are corrupt

will faint with exhaustion,

while those who steadfastly uphold justice

will live.”

This is the word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God