Tag: despair
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Just Breathe
Psalm 104:24–34; Ezekiel 37:1–14; John 20:19–23 In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, there is a simple practice performed by many, where they say, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” while breathing in and then “…have mercy on me, a sinner,” while exhaling. The Jesus Prayer (as it is called in the Orthodox tradition) is a prayer…
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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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At The Gates
Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Jeremiah 33:10–16; Mark 10:32–34, 46–52 When we read the word “barren” in Jeremiah, we often think it is talking about the land, in particular the environment. The barrenness is in regard to people, in particular, God’s people (and their herds). They will soon no longer reside in the Promised Land, praising and…
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Peace-Filled Traditions
Matthew 15:1–9; Luke 11:42–46 Yesterday (or the weeks prior to it), all Americans had the opportunity to participate in a great tradition…voting. Regardless of whether your candidates won or lost, there is something great in this tradition. People choosing their leaders is a great gift, and should not be squandered. As Halloween and All Saints’…
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Summary Path
Malachi 4:5–6; Matthew 17:10–13; John 1:19–28 Jesus said that John was Elijah. John said he wasn’t Elijah. Who was right? The question is, who is Elijah? The other question is, who’s asking? First of all, let’s talk about Malachi’s words. Malachi prophesied that Elijah would come back to Judah heralding a massive change. Malachi spoke…
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La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You
Jeremiah 26:1–15; Romans 5:1–10 (read online ⧉) The news is filled with doom. Doom, doom, doom. Many of our movies and entertainment are filled with doom. In the middle of doom, hope is a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, some times a message of doom in a time of despair isn’t doom…