Tag: ask
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And Now We Worship
Psalm 142; Amos 9:11–15; Luke 7:31–35 As mentioned previously, Amos’ prophetic mission was to the Israelites, the nation of the 10 tribes that separated from Judah and Benjamin. As part of the “rebellion” the leader of the Israelites, Jeroboam, made 2 golden calves for local worship to protect his “kingship” from reverting to Judah and…
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Fairly Cruci-Formed
Psalm 30; Lamentations 3:22–33; Mark 5:21–43; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15 Grace. Unmerited favor. Overwhelming love. Not words that would usually be associated with Lamentations. With the content of Lamentations being a result of the fall of Israel (and in particular, Jerusalem), it is peculiar to think of grace. Lamentations is poetry, lament, and theology all wrapped…
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So Say The Skies
Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32; Job 37:1–13; Luke 21:25–28 One of the most useful tools invented, and also one of the most irritating is the clock. Humanity has long felt the need to measure time. Multiple cultures used some iteration of a sundial to divide the day. The Egyptians invented a “clock” that used water drops to…
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The Fruit We Yield
Psalm 52; Jeremiah 22:1–9; Luke 6:43–45 Have you ever been somewhere with a beautiful bowl filled with fruit, then picked up a piece of fruit, and realized that it was fake? It looks pretty and improves the ambiance, but beyond that, it is useless for living. Christians have a discrepancy (okay, we have many). We…
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Natural Freedom
Psalm 29; Isaiah 1:1–4, 16–20; Romans 8:1–8 Psalm 29, without question, is a praise of God. It observes God’s power, strength, and presence. Almost the entire Psalm is about who God is. The last verse, though, is different. It is more of a plea to God about the people of Israel. A cynical person could…
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Little Pieces Together
Psalm 104:24–35; Joel 2:18–29; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11 Before churches had stained glass, there were two ways the church would decorate and—more importantly—tell the stories of the Bible (and the church) in pictures. The first was primarily on the wall and ceilings, and that was paintings. The second was primarily on the floor, but also sometimes…
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Sackcloth and Ashes
Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5–15; John 16:16–24 Collective guilt has been on the top of many lists in the last year. Regardless of your political, philosophical, or religious perspective of the collective guilt issues, it does allow us to better understand the pressure that Ezra felt…somewhat. Ezra was trying to make up for generations of sin…
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How We Wait
The stage is being set. The Disciples are getting ready. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem. They didn’t wait in a state of inaction. They readied what they believed was right and in such a way that they could respond. Then they waited for the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made.