verseoftheday

Luke 1:5, 8-9, 11-12 CEB [5] During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah... ... [8] One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense. ... [11] An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. [12] When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear. Luke 1:5, 8-9, 11-12 CEB Zechariah was from in intergenerational line of priests. Being a priest is a vocation he was born into. This day it was his team's turn to serve in the temple and burn the incense, and from his team, on this day, he was chosen by chance to do something he may have done hundreds of times. But this day something unusual happened, something unexpected, unpredictable, supernatural, and frightening. Zechariah was just ...

Mark 6:30-32 CEB The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.  Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, "Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while." They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place.   Mark 6:30-32 CEB Where had the team been? Off in pairs without any money or food or anything, out for some time talking to people about change. I wonder how long they were away for? Days? Weeks? What did Jesus do while they were somewhere else? How come they all came back at the same time? Anyhow...they're back and they have stories to tell, and Jesus could see what they needed; 1. Time away from the crowds. 2. Some kai. There would be disappointed people as a result. There's days when it would be great to have Jesus here taking us away from "the crowd", the noise, the pressing problems, and feed us. He knew what the Apostles needed. His Spirit dwells...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:1-2, 9-11 CEB [1] My son, if you guarantee a loan for your neighbor or shake hands in agreement with a stranger,  [2] you will be trapped by your words; you will be caught by your words. ...  [9] How long, lazy person, will you lie down?  When will you rise from your sleep?   [10] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to lie down -  [11] and poverty will come on you like a prowler, destitution like a warrior.   Proverbs 6:1-2, 9-11 CEB As a parent it's tempting to use v9-11 as a weapon to get a child to get up, get moving. However these Proverbs weren't written to children, and this interesting piece about a little folding of the arms leads to poverty stands in direct contrast to God's invitation into rest, to sabbath. It seems that these v9-11 are connected to the opening premise of this chapter, where the person has made a mistake, an overcommittment, and needs a nudge to front up and sort it...

Beloved... 1 John 4:1 NASB2020 John chooses to start this next part of his letter with "agapétos", "Beloved". He's writing to people he cares about, but being Beloved, their Belovedness is about a Bigger Love than John can offer. We are Beloved because our God loves us. God's Love is Enough. More than enough to hold us, to hold all our fears, all our hurts, all our tears, all our hopes, all our dreams. John addresses his readers as Beloved, and the invitation is to hear that as a word from God's heart to yours today. You are Beloved. #truthtorestin #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light  #weareBeloved 

1 John 3:23-24 NLT [23] And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. [24] Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. 1 John 3:23-24 NLT Believe in Jesus  Love One Another. Do that and John assures us of fellowship, belonging, abiding, being with Him. And the Spirit lives in us. This can seem quite the mystery. There's no long list on must do, to do, rules, requirements, just believe in Jesus & love One Another. Jesus said the law and the prophets were summed up in 2 things, love God, Love others as yourself, ie love one another. In all the craziness and pressure and must do things and expectations of others and our world, let the simplicity of John's invitation be our guide today... Believe in Jesus Love One Another Rest in the Spirit who dwells within... #lettersfromJohn #testi...

[6] Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Psalms 150:6 BSB The last word from the Psalms...after 150 songs and stories the Psalms ends with this: "Let" An invitation. "Everything that has breath" An inclusive invitation that welcomes us all in. "Breath" This idea of Life, the Spirit, essence. "Praise the Lord" See our God, glimpse Him, and praise, see Him a little clearer, make Him a little clearer to others, boast about Him. Hallelujah. #psalms #psalms150 #lastwords #itsaheartthing  #weareBeloved

Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn;  praise him with the lyre and harp! Psalms 150:3 NLT I was listening to a podcast recently by Matt Brown who was raised in a home awash with family violence and harm. He became a Barber, cutting men's hair, listening to their stories, and sharing hope. He described his Barber's Chair as his "cathedral". Making a noise, praising our God can look different for all of us.  Your "cathedral", your ram's horn, lyre and harp could be your workplace, vocation, art... You may praise by caring for those others miss, for refusing to refuse the refused, by standing against injustice, by sitting with someone who no one else will, by smiling, thanking, blessing, encouraging in the small and every day... Your praise might look like self-care today. Anything we do which points to our God, puts Him nearer the centre... The "noise" we make isn't the important part, it's a heart thing. So praise Him today, in...

Sunday Psalms; Praise the Lord!  Praise God in his sanctuary;  praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works;  praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn;  praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;  praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals;  praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!  Praise the Lord! Psalms 150 NLT This final song we're invited to join in is noisy! It's loud, expressive! There's praise to God where He is, for what He has done, and who He is. And then it's how. All noise! This word "praise" is a verb, an action, "halal" in Hebrew, and carries a range of meanings; - to be clear  - to shine - to boast of - to make a fool of yourself about - to rave - to celebrate  There's a freedom here to praise, to celebrate our God in ways others might see as foolish, outside ...

1 John 3:23 NLT [23] And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23 NLT Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. That's it.  Yes there is complexity in the Bible, in trying to understand God, get a handle on theology, want to know if I'm in God's will, good enough, done enough, am enough for Him...and then John gives us this simple equation on the other side of that complexity; Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Just do that in the next minute, the next hour, today. See where Believe in Jesus and Love One Another takes you. This is the Plan. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. What does this open up for you? Free you to do?  To become? Free to step towards? Believe in Jesus. Love one another. #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #OneAnothers #believ...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:6-8 NET Go to the ant, you sluggard;  observe its ways and be wise! It has no commander, overseer, or ruler, yet it prepares its food in the summer;  it gathers at the harvest what it will eat. Proverbs 6:6-8 NET There's a couple of passages directed at the "sluggard". I've chosen a version that uses this word because it slows us down from using these passages as  weapons towards others.  This Proverbs invites us to look at, to observe, part of God's creation and see what we notice.  There's been plenty of times in my life when I have been lazy, a sluggard, there's been times when rest has been what I've needed most, injuries, sickness, sadness. Yet on the outside, you may not see any difference. One thing I notice when looking at ants is that there is a lot of following going on. One ant finds a crumb on my desk and then a trail of them appear following the same path.  Lots of following. Some people don't have good rol...

1 John 3:21-22 CEB [21] Dear friends, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have confidence in relationship to God. [22] We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.  1 John 3:21-22 CEB Grace over guilt. Grace > guilt It's me, my heart that so often does the condemning, not God's. John is inviting us again and again to find rest and peace in relationship with God that is Grace filled.  Put down the inner critic. Grace over guilt. And as we follow The Way, live out this way of love more and more, we will be able to receive what our God offers... Shalom. Peace. Hope. Freedom. Light. Love. May today His Grace overcome, overwhelm all that needs quieting in us. #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light  #graceoverguilt #livingoutLove #weareBeloved 

Dear children,  let's not merely say that we love each other;  let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:18-20 NLT I think John knows what it's like to have an "inner critic", that voice in our head that accuses us, tells us we're not good enough, not enough, don't belong, aren't accepted. He's just given one example of love-in-action, and here reminds us that when it comes to Love, compared to God, we're children, learning on the job, following His example. John encourages us to put Love into action, and as we do, know that it is Love that reflects our God's heart, and that's enough. We're like children, trying things, not always getting it right, learning, & growing in living out Love. And that's enough. ##lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light ...

1 John 3:16-17 NLT We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion - how can God's love be in that person? 1 John 3:16-17 NLT There are some days when finding compassion is really hard.  It's buried down there somewhere. Buried beneath layers of justification about others choices and all kinds of things. But John is not trying to beat us up here, but to invite us in. Invite us in to seeing again, afresh, anew, how Jesus loves us.  And as we sit in the love we have received, we're invited to see people. In that seeing we get a glimpse of Jesus seeing us: more than a collection of choices, more than a collection of memories, but as a person, worthy of love and connection. What is John's letter inviting you into today? To see someone differently? At work? Where you live? It starts with kno...

Psalms 149:6-9 NLT [6] Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands - [7] to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, [8] to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, [9] to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.  Praise the Lord! Psalms 149:6-9 NLT Wow! There is some wild imagery here in this song! How does praise for God go hand-in-hand with all this? I don't think this is some prescription for military action or violent overthrow of anyone, but a reflection of God's heart for justice, making things right. We have the advantage of reading this after Jesus life and we get to see the things Jesus was here to overthrow; Death. Injustice. Self-salvation projects. So as I sit with this language of overthrow, I'm wondering what in me needs to be put in chains? What thoughts, attitudes, actions are so far from the God we are called to praise tha...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 149:1, 3-4 NLT Praise the Lord!  Sing to the Lord a new song.  Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. ... Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in his people;  he crowns the humble with victory. Psalms 149:1, 3-4 NLT Do you feel the freedom in this song? Sing a new song. Sing out loud. Sing with your voice and instruments and your body, a whole person response. There's freedom because Our God delights in you. Delights! And whether we get to experience "victory" in this life, there is a hint here that humility is going to bring something good.  What was Jesus victory over? Death.  It wasn't over someone else, but over death, so that we can have Life. Life is the reward.  I wonder what that can look like today? In all that we might be trying to hold, to keep in balance, the struggle, weight, where is Life found? Where can Life break in? #Sunday #psalms  #psalm149 #praise #...

Mark 6:18-20 NLT John had been telling Herod,  "It is against God's law for you to marry your brother's wife." So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod's approval she was powerless, for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. Mark 6:18-20 NLT John's life was all about pointing to Jesus. Here at the end of his life, the Empire has him killed.  For telling the truth. Herod appreciated John, just as Pilate appreciated Jesus.  Yet neither Herod or Pilate was prepared to give up anything to save people they saw as good. John points us to Jesus, who gave up everything to save.  To save us.  People who reject him, forget him, lose sight of him, drift away, wander back, seek restoration, question, challenge, get angry at, wonder about, give up on, and yet Jesus loves us.  He Is Love. L...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:1-5 NLT [1] My child, if you have put up security for a friend's debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger - if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said - follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend's mercy.  Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don't put it off;  do it now!  Don't rest until you do. Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. Proverbs 6:1-5 NLT If only Herod had been able to follow the advice of this Proverb! We've got it wrong, made a mistake, don't put it off...don't let pride get in the way...step towards the problem and own it. I wonder how many times in my life things would have been so much better if I had followed this Proverb...my pride, my fear of looking like I've made a mistake, got it wrong, what others will think of me, embarrassment...it's so easy ...

Herod's daughter Herodias came in and danced, thrilling Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the young woman,  "Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." Then he swore to her, "Whatever you ask I will give to you, even as much as half of my kingdom." .... [26] Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests, he didn't want to refuse her.  So he ordered a guard to bring John's head... Mark 6:22-23, 26-27 CEB This is the part of the story where Herod makes an offer to his daughter who he probably expected to ask for a new horse or a holiday in Rome, but took the opportunity to work with her Mum to get something Mum wanted.  Herod, who had the power over life and death of others, could not seem to be able to overcome 2 things: His rash promise. And his potential embarrassment in front of his guests.  There's been times when I've done the same thing (on a different scale with different consequences), said...

Mark 6:14, 16 CEB Herod the king heard about these things, because the name of Jesus had become well-known.  Some were saying,  "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why miraculous powers are at work through him." Others were saying... ... [16] But when Herod heard these rumors, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised to life." Mark 6:14, 16 CEB This is a sad and tragic story of power and manipulation and the inability of Herod to be able to say "I made a mistake, shouldn't have been so rash". He couldn't or wouldn't see a way to change his promise to give someone whatever they asked for.  To have all the power in the world, and yet no power to change your mind! Herod liked John the Baptist- & now Herod is full of fear- that what he allowed to happen was literally coming back to haunt him! Herod believed Jesus was John resurrected from the dead. Interesting that resurrection was even a thought but here it is,...

This is the message you have heard from the beginning:  We should love one another.  1 John 3:11 NLT John has been unpacking the Father's love for us, about being children of God, about living in the Light, the fellowship we have with Jesus, wrapped up in the message we have heard from the beginning: Love one another. Love one another. This is an outward oriented love that stands on the foundation of: - the Father's love for us - being a child of God - choosing to live in the Light -  being in fellowship with Jesus This is where the strength and courage and heart to love others is founded. Because we are already Beloved. We already belong. We're already accepted. And we're free, free to love one another.  #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light  #weareBeloved  #freetoloveoneanother

Praise God,  all of you who are his messengers!  Praise God, all of you who comprise his heavenly forces! ... Praise the LORD from the earth,  you sea monsters... Do the same, fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind... Do the same,  you mountains...fruit trees, and every single cedar! Do the same,  you animals - wild or tame... Do the same, you kings of the earth... Do the same,  you young men - young women too! - you who are old together with you who are young!   Psalms 148:2, 7-12 CEB Do the same. This song calls all in heaven to praise God. This song calls all of creation to praise God. This song calls us to do the same. Do the same. Heaven is going to be an interesting place because my guess is that in some way we will not only experience and join in the praise of whoever it is that makes up the "messengers" and "Heavenly forces", but all parts of creation too. The rocks will cry out in some way. Maybe we will be able to experience the love...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 148 Praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD from heaven!  Praise God on the heights! Praise God, all of you who are his messengers!  Praise God, all of you who comprise his heavenly forces! Sun and moon, praise God!  All of you bright stars, praise God! You highest heaven, praise God!  Do the same, you waters that are above the sky!  Let all of these praise the LORD's name because God gave the command and they were created! God set them in place always and forever. God made a law that will not be broken. Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all you ocean depths! Do the same,  fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind that does what God says! Do the same,  you mountains, every single hill, fruit trees, and every single cedar! Do the same, you animals - wild or tame - you creatures that creep along and you birds that fly! Do the same,  you kings of the earth and every single person, you princes and every single ...

1 John 3:7 CEB Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous.  1 John 3:7 CEB John gives us a warning and an encouragement or direction at the same time.  The warning is that we are easily deceived, and we need to be aware, awake, on our game, that there are those who will attempt to deceive.  And then the direction or encouragement to look towards those who practice righteousness like Jesus. Those who are living like Jesus.  Yes our world and context is not the same, but in it, in our time and culture, as followers of Jesus, called to live like Him, do what he did. Look to those who live like Jesus, practice His way.  We can really only do that through relationship. Seeing someone's practices can't really be found on Instagram or YouTube- glimpses maybe, but remember how John warns us about how prone we are to being deceived. John's letter is about Light and Love. And...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 5:7-14 CEB Now sons, listen to me, and don't deviate from the words of my mouth. Stay on a path that is far from her;  don't approach the entrance to her house. Otherwise,  you will give your strength to others, your years to a cruel person. Otherwise,  strangers will sap your strength, and your hard work will end up in a foreigner's house. You will groan at the end when your body and flesh are exhausted, and you say,  "How I hated instruction! How my heart despised correction! I didn't listen to the voice of my instructor.  I didn't obey my teacher. I'm on the brink of utter ruin in the assembled community." Proverbs 5:7-14 CEB This part of Ch5 continues on with this idea of "her" being something that is against what God would have for us, and uses this metaphor of a person, a person who pulls us away from the place of thriving and flourishing that our God would have for us. There is a warning here about the person...

Philippians 4:6-7 CEB [6] Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. [7] Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7 CEB (We revisit this verse - the first one shared - at this time of year & remind you that if you want to unsubscribe that's OK - & to feel free to pass verseoftheday on to others) What hits with these verses today is the idea that embedded in Paul's invitation here is a place of safety. It's OK, safe, to bring what's on our hearts, what's in our minds, to God. He has not and will not reject us. In a world that is full of comparing, of performance, of judging worth and value, the invitation here is just to come as we are, bring all our stuff to God, and not only will you not be rejected, but we might find a little more peace, peace that is from a way bigger source ...

He called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick - no bread, no bags, and no money in their belts. He told them to wear sandals but not to put on two shirts. He said, "Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.  If a place doesn't welcome you or listen to you, as you leave, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them." So they went out and proclaimed that people should change their hearts and lives.  Mark 6:7-12 CEB Does this story strike you as a bit strange? The very specific instructions to Jesus team, what to do if they and/or their message is rejected. It's almost like Jesus wanted his closest disciples to know a bit about what it was like to be him. To have the power to not just change someone's life today, but their eternal story too, and to be rejected for it. To be reliant on others to at the very le...

God doesn't prize the strength of a horse;  God doesn't treasure the legs of a runner. No.  The LORD treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love. Psalms 147:10-11 CEB Interesting what the psalmist plucks from his culture about is valued - both of these things are about moving, moving people, moving things, pace, strength. And the constrast with waiting. With honouring someone else.  Waiting. I wonder what the writer of this song would make of our world, the things that we prize? As we step into today, may we choose to honour our God in all that is in front of us. And. Wait. Wait for his faithful love. #psalms #psalm147 #whatGodtreasures #weareBeloved 

[3] God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.  [4] God counts the stars by number, giving each one a name. Psalms 147:3-4 CEB Same God. The same God who names the stars, can count the uncountable, sees the unseeable in the universe he created, stoops down, becomes small and gentle enough, to bind up our wounds. Jesus tells a story of a person beaten and left for dead on the roadside, and he is seen, his wounds tended, and he is put on a pathway to healing. Same God. Same Love. #psalms #psalm147 #reasonstopraise  #weareBeloved 

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 147:1-7 CEB Praise the LORD! Because it is good to sing praise to our God! Because it is a pleasure to make beautiful praise!  The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,  gathering up Israel's exiles. God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. God counts the stars by number, giving each one a name. Our Lord is great and so strong!  Gods knowledge can't be grasped! The LORD helps the poor,  but throws the wicked down on the dirt! Sing to the LORD with thanks;  sing praises to our God with a lyre!   Psalms 147:1-7 CEB The first part of this song is a skim the highlights of why David has reason to praise God: It's a good thing for him, lifts his spirit, improves his well-being. He sees God gathering in the lost, and the intimate closeness of healing the broken hearted, of bandaging up the wounds of those who have been harmed.  Then he jumps to how big and different God is to him, and then back to God's character, His heart for the...

1 John 3:5 CEB You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him.  1 John 3:5 CEB This word "sin" is "harmatia", a missing of the mark, an offence, an offence against God.  This seems to be turned into a weapon to beat people up with, yet this is couched within Love, and our place as Children of God: 1 John 3:1-2 CEB See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God's children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn't recognize him, it doesn't recognize us. Dear friends, now we are God's children... Jesus came to deal with our missing the mark, our rebellion, and there is none of that in Him. We are Beloved.  Children of God. Children who's Heavenly Father made a way, because He Loves Us. And in Being Loved is identity, belonging, acceptance, safety, worth, value.  We are valued and valuable. Accepted and acceptable. Because the One who never missed the mark, came for us. One day we wi...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 5:3-6 CEB The lips of a mysterious woman drip honey,  and her tongue is smoother than oil,  but in the end she is bitter as gall,  sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death;  her steps lead to the grave. She doesn't stay on the way of life.  Her paths wander, but she doesn't know it. Proverbs 5:3-6 CEB Yikes!  This sounds like someone to steer clear of...but I wonder if this Proverb is really referring to a person? The word here "mysterious woman" is "zuwr" (pronounced zoor) and it's primary meaning seems to be someone (or something) from outside of the Life that God had planned for his people. So maybe it's not a person we're to avoid as much as it is ideas, activities, desires (& people) that want to draw us away from the Life God has for us. This Proverb gives a picture of something interesting, enticing, that draws us in, but in the end doesn't lead to Life at all. What are those things in you...

Mark 6:7 CEB He called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. Mark 6:7 CEB I wonder why Jesus chose to send them out in pairs? Not on their own, not in groups of 3 or 4 or ? What are we to make of this in our lives? Perhaps when Jesus calls us to some task, some work, some mission, we shouldn't step into it alone. Perhaps we're made for community and connection and are better together. We don't know how the disciples got paired up, but my first instinct would be to go with someone I liked, got on with, would be able to smash the mission out. But what would Jesus want me to learn if I was paired with someone who was slower, who I had to wait for, adjust to? What if I am that person? The one others have to slow down for, wait to catch up? While Jesus was sending his team "out there" on a mission, what if the real Kingdom work was being done "in" them? And therefore, in us? What is this picture of Jesus and his 12 team members going off in pairs invite ...

Mark 6:4-6 CEB Jesus said to them, "Prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometowns, among their relatives, and in their own households." He was unable to do any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He was appalled by their disbelief.  Then Jesus traveled through the surrounding villages teaching.   Mark 6:4-6 CEB Even though he was impacted by the rejection of his family and community, even though astounded/appalled at their unbelief, he kept moving. Moved on. Kept walking to the next place that would accept him. Perhaps there's something here for us, there's times when we need to just accept other people's views and attitudes towards us, towards what is important to us and in us, are not going to shift or change, and we need to move. Move on. Keep walking.  Jesus didn't wait around forever for his family and community to shift, to see him.  He moved. Kept walking. Their rejection impacted him dee...

Mark 6:4-6 CSB Jesus said to them,  "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown,  among his relatives,  and in his household." He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief... Mark 6:4-6 CSB Jesus went back home, to his people, family, relatives, the community he grew up in, and he wasn't believed. And it impacted him. Deeply. If Jesus equilibrium is upset because he was not accepted for who he was by the people who he grew up with, if being rejected impacted his ability to do what he came to do, then just maybe, when we're not accepted, experience rejection, are misunderstood, not seen or heard by people who were once on our team, raised us, were part of our life, that might just impact us too. Jesus felt it, it's OK for us to feel it too.  Validation, love, acceptance. To be seen for who we are (not just for who we once were) is important.  It matt...

Psalms 146:6-9 CEB God:  the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,  God:  who is faithful forever, who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving!  The LORD:  who frees prisoners.  The LORD:  who makes the blind see.  The LORD:  who straightens up those who are bent low. The LORD:  who loves the righteous. The LORD:  who protects immigrants, who helps orphans and widows, but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!   Psalms 146:6-9 CEB At the heart of this song David reveals the heart of God that has been downloaded to him, the heart of God for justice, freedom, sight, resources, for restoration, for safety. In a world that often seems full of the opposite to these things, they are there, glimpses, and they are the things that Jesus came to bring in a new way, and asks us to join him in being part of: Justice  Freedom  Sight Resources  ...

Sunday Psalms; Praise the LORD!  Let my whole being praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with all my life;  I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. Dont trust leaders;  dont trust any human beings - theres no saving help with them! Their breath leaves them, then they go back to the ground. On that very same day, their plans die too. The person whose help is the God of Jacob - the person whose hope rests on the LORD their God - is truly happy! God: the maker of heaven and earth,  the sea, and all that is in them,  God: who is faithful forever... Psalms 146:1-6 CEB A big song of praise! A song that invites us to praise with our life. A song that carries a warning about getting distracted by following a person and not our God.  Another person, no matter how clever, articulate, passionate, charismatic, can save. David brings us back to the Eternal, the Creator, the One who holds the Big Story, who when we look at the vastness of things like the sea,...

My son,  pay attention to my wisdom;  listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you've learned. Proverbs 5:1-2 NLT When we look for Jesus in this Proverb, can you hear him speaking these words? My child, pay attention, listen well. What is Jesus inviting us to pay attention to today? What is he inviting us to listen well to? To let in to our heart? Is it the words of hope? Take courage for I have overcome the world (John 16:33) Or perhaps it's Jesus words of purpose and connection; I have come that you might Life (John 10:10) Perhaps it's Jesus words of direction:  Come, follow me (Matt 4:19). Or maybe it's Jesus 3 part invitation to love; Matthew 22:37-40 Love God with all of you. And just as important to Love your neighbour, & to Love yourself. Jesus had a lot to say to us, to invite us into, what is he calling you towards today? What is Jesus asking you to pay attention to today? #proverbs #wisdom #someth...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 5:1-2 NLT My son,  pay attention to my wisdom;  listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you've learned. Proverbs 5:1-2 NLT The "Pay attention" and repeated "Listen carefully" are the first things that hit here - the kind of wisdom the writer wants to pass on takes careful consideration, it requires our attention, study, reflection, learning. It's let this sink in, apply it, realise that something might need to shift, to change as a result... And the collection of wisdom will change how we speak in 2 ways; What we do say. And what we don't say. Our words come from the heart, and wisdom shapes and changes us, our core, our mind, our will, our heart.  Yes wisdom is shared in Proverbs, in the rest of Scripture, and, in the person of Jesus. Let Him shape our hearts, minds, will, who we are and who we're becoming. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #ta...

Mark 6:1-3 NLT Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.  The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?" Then they scoffed,  "He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Mark 6:1-3 NLT If you've ever been rejected by the people who are supposed to care for you, you're in good company.  If you're not seen, judged, looked down on, then your story is also Jesus story.  Seems like there's a cultural expectation here too - if Jesus is such an important Rabbi why are his sisters still living here?  (I wonder about the times I haven't been able to see past my expectations or cultural norms and missed the person...). Even thou...

Psalms 145:21 CEB My mouth will proclaim the LORD's praise,  and every living thing will bless God's holy name  forever and always. Psalms 145:21 CEB OK so this is a song, but I wonder how often I proclaim the Lord's praise unless I'm singing in church? Are there other places? What about other ways? Can I proclaim the goodness of God by the way I work, how I meet people, how I respond to things? Can I proclaim praise of the Eternal, of Yahweh by how I treat the planet, how I use the resources I've been blessed with? Words, actions, thoughts, body, mind, spirit... And what is. This picture David has of every living thing praising our God? People, animals, birds, fish, bugs...every living thing? Heaven is gonna be a whole new level - I think that may be what David is looking forward to, something bigger and more than we can see right now, because our God is Someone Bigger... #psalms #songs #psalm145 #invitation  #invitationintoaBiggerStory #praise

The LORD supports all who fall down, straightens up all who are bent low.   Psalms 145:14 CEB Sometimes in a song there's a line or a phrase that jumps out at you, a line that carries something special  The Lord - Yahweh - the self-existant, the Eternal, notices those who fall down, sees those who are bent low, burdened, weighed down, pushed down, held down, and pulls them up, straightens, strengthens, restores.  This is the hope that we hold, that our God sees us in our struggle and suffering, and bends down. Our place in history is different to David's and we see Jesus as a massive part of our God's bending down. The Eternal became human, less than, small, and entered into the story. And it's Jesus who fell down, who was bent low, for us.  And he was restored, renewed, and that is our hope, our story too. The Eternal is for us.  We are Beloved. We are seen. We are known. And one day, all will be made new, every tear acknowledged and held, and we will know...

Psalms 145:4-9 CEB A psalm of praise. Of David. One generation will praise your works to the next one,  proclaiming your mighty acts.  They will talk all about the glorious splendor of your majesty;  I will contemplate your wondrous works. They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds;  I will declare your great accomplishments. They will rave in celebration of your abundant goodness; they will shout joyfully about your righteousness:  "The LORD is merciful and compassionate, very patient,  and full of faithful love.  The LORD is good to everyone and everything;  Gods compassion extends to all his handiwork!" Psalms 145:4-9 CEB This part of David's song has this beautiful intergenerational listening, speaking, declaring, sharing in, the goodness of God. It's loud. And it includes people, creation, everything that God has made, and finishes with the declaration of the attributes of God. Merciful. Compassionate. Patient. Faithful Love. His hear...

Sunday Psalms; A psalm of praise. Of David. I will lift you up high,  my God,  the true king.  I will bless your name forever and always. I will bless you every day.  I will praise your name forever and always. The LORD is great and so worthy of praise! God's greatness can't be grasped.   Psalms 145:1-3 CEB This psalm, this song seems like a big shift from the last 5, where there have been repeated calls to be heard by God. While David might be a king, who gets praise and honour, he places God as The King, worthy of praise and honour. Human greatness can be grasped and measured, but there's a Bigger Story here that David finds himself part of.  And David's response is to praise His Name every day. To not lose sight of Who God Is in his day-to-day. Perhaps that's the invitation for us too. The last few psalms have been about when things are not going well, and this one seems different. When we have success, when things are going Ok, going well, where th...

Mark 5:42-43 CEB [42] Suddenly the young woman got up and began to walk around. She was 12 years old. They were shocked! [43] He gave them strict orders that no one should know what had happened. Then he told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:42-43 CEB Jesus seemed to be wanting to damp down the crowds, quite the opposite of our modern culture where the number of views/likes/followers is our measure of success. Don't tell anyone.  You've seen the power of resurrection, of death being defeated, and that's enough. For now anyway. What Jesus was interested in is what the person in the middle of the story needed...food. Get this girl some kai, she's 12yrs old, has been unwell for some time, and has now had this amazing experience, she might need something to eat! Jesus had just pulled her back from death & could've supernaturally provided her with all the nutrition that she needed, but he didn't. He invited those who were there to participate with him in...

Friday! Proverbs! [23] More than anything you guard,  protect your mind,  for life flows from it. ... [27] Don't deviate a bit to the right or the left; turn your feet away from evil. Proverbs 4:23, 27 CEB This is the 4th instruction on guarding and protecting our "leb", our mind, our will, our heart, the core of who we are. v24 is about our choice of words v25 is about what we look at, what we let in through our eyes v26 is about the places we choose to go And now v27 is about choice, and about direction. We get to choose.  Yes there's times when we may have been powerless, but you do have power to choose. Those first steps in an unhealthy direction may seem small, harmless, it's where my friends are, my people, it feels good, attractive, easy... Jesus said something about the narrow road being the one that leads to Life. The road that may seem more difficult where we have to watch our step. The road where we might have to work a bit harder to find our people, an...

...and he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her,  "Talitha koum," which means  "Little girl, get up!" And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.  Mark 5:40-42 NLT This resurrection is a taster of the resurrection  to come.  Why of all the people who had died in the region where Jesus could've walked to that day, he went to this girl's house and returned her from death? In this chapter Mark has documented Jesus authority over the spirit that had taken control of one person, healed the chronic physical ailment of another, and here, held this girl's hand and brought her back into life.  Jesus wanted his team, especially those 3, Peter, James & John, to learn more about who Jesus is. Jesus was a Rabbi, and more. Jesus was a teacher, and more. Jesus was human just like them, and mor...

He didn't allow anyone to follow him except Peter, James, and John, James' brother. Mark 5:37 CEB Jesus has been followed by crowds all day. He even got in a boat and crossed the lake and crowds followed him, pressing in. And now Jesus says "no". He's going to Jarius's house, where the report is that his daughter has died. Maybe the crowd knows that or not, but Jesus imposes a boundary here.  Peter, James & John only. The writer of this gospel, Mark, along with the other disciples, is excluded.  Boundaries. Jesus would gap it off into the wilderness to pray. Boundaries. The rich young ruler walked away from Jesus unhappy - Jesus didn't chase him down trying to make him happy. No people pleasing here.  Boundaries. In this case Jesus boundary may have been for Jarius and his family, for Jesus, or for the 3 of his team, for the little girl in the heart of this story, or for all of them in some way. Boundaries are OK, necessary, and just as Jesus put them ...

Psalms 144:11-15 CEB Rescue me and deliver me from the power of strangers, whose mouths speak lies, and whose strong hand is a strong hand of deception,  so that our sons can grow up fully, in their youth, like plants;  so that our daughters can be like pillars carved to decorate a palace;  so that our barns can be full, providing all kinds of food;  so that our flocks can be in the thousands - even tens of thousands - in our fields; so that our cattle can be loaded with calves;  so that there won't be any breach in the walls, no exile,  no outcries in our streets!  The people who have it like this are truly happy! The people whose God is the LORD are truly happy! Psalms 144:11-15 CEB This is David's picture of flourishing, of Life in abundance...where people can thrive, where creation can thrive, where there is justice and safety. Where God is close. Perhaps if we're struggling to write our own song, using David's template here might help: What we wan...

Psalms 144:9-10 CEB [9] I will sing a new song to you, God.  I will sing praises to you on a ten-stringed harp,  [10] to you - the one who gives saving help to rulers, and who rescues his servant David from the evil sword. Psalms 144:9-10 CEB In the middle of David's psalm, sandwiched between his expression of his problems and his hope for the future is "I will sing a new song to You, God". Not many of us can write songs, but all of us can express to God our hopes, our fears, our loves, our losses, and our faith in Him. Sandwiched between our problems of today and our hopes for the future is our here-and-now, a today to be lived.  In today, what is the song you want to write to our God? What is going on in you that you want to tell Him, share with Him? David's psalm is an invitation to write our song, our psalm, our few perhaps faltering words, perhaps just one word or two today... Perhaps in the writing, the humming, the singing, a new song will emerge, a glimpse of ...

Sunday Psalms; Of David. Psalms 144:3-8 CEB What are human beings, LORD,  that you know them at all?  What are human beings that you even consider them? Humans are like a puff of air; their days go by like a shadow. LORD,  part your skies and come down!  Touch the mountains so they smoke! Flash lightning and scatter the enemy! Shoot your arrows and defeat them! Stretch out your hand from above! Rescue me and deliver me from deep water, from the power of strangers,  whose mouths speak lies,  and whose strong hand is a strong hand of deception! Psalms 144:3-8 CEB David opens his psalm grateful that God has given him the ability to fight, yet ends this part of the psalm overwhelmed by those who are against him, at the end of his ability to deal with those coming against him. For all our abilities and strengths, there can be times when we might feel the same way, that the world, those with power, those who make decisions that impact us, we are powerless. David ...

Mark 5:35-36 CEB [35] While Jesus was still speaking with her, messengers came from the synagogue leaders' house, saying to Jairus, "Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?" [36] But Jesus overheard their report and said to the synagogue leader,  "Don't be afraid;  just keep trusting." Mark 5:35-36 CEB Jarius is right there when the woman who had been suffering for 12 years was healed, so close that when the messengers came Jesus caught enough of their conversation.  For Jesus death was not the barrier it seems for us, it was not a permanent state.  It's so difficult not to see it that way - in Jarius' mind he was never going to see his daughter again...she was lost to death. But Jesus says: "Don't be afraid. Just keep trusting." Jesus says "Just keep trusting me." When we face death, when someone we love and care for is lost to death, one of the most difficult things can be continuing to trust Jesus.  When ...

Mark 5:29, 33-34 CEB Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed. ... [33] The woman, full of fear and trembling, came forward. Knowing what had happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth.  He responded, "Daughter, your faith has healed you;  go in peace, healed from your disease." Mark 5:29, 33-34 CEB Jesus took the time to listen to her story.  Her story that included 12yrs of suffering, expending all her resources, her story of limitation, her story of faith, and finally, healing and freedom. A taste of what is to come, a taste of what she will have experienced a second time when she met Jesus again, and a taste of what we will fully realise when we meet Jesus; Freedom  Healing Fully Alive #gospelofMark #invitation  #thebestisyettocome #onedayallwillbemadenew 

Mark 5:28-32 CEB She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I'll be healed. Her bleeding stopped immediately,  and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed. At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him.  He turned around in the crowd and said,  "Who touched my clothes?" His disciples said to him, "Don't you see the crowd pressing against you? Yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'" But Jesus looked around carefully to see who had done it. Mark 5:28-32 CEB Our tired, broke, almost defeated person here took a step of faith, somehow prompted in a supernatural way to touch Jesus clothes. At a supernatural level Jesus knew something had shifted, yet at a human level, he genuinely didn't seem to know who was part of that shift.  And he wanted to know.  He was interested. Interested in the person who had impacted his spirit. And he looked around carefully for her.  This is Jesus, God and human, carefully looking ...

Psalms 143:7-8 CEB Answer me, LORD - and quickly!  My breath is fading. Don't hide your face from me or I'll be like those going down to the pit! Tell me all about your faithful love come morning time,  because I trust you.  Show me the way I should go,  because I offer my life up to you.   Psalms 143:7-8 CEB Panic, anxiety, worry...you can feel it in David's song... And then he kind of flicks a switch (not that David would know what that means!), and asks God to remind him of something, and reminds himself of things he holds as true: Tell me about your faithful love. Remind me that I am beloved, that I do matter, that You see the worth in me. I trust You. Give me some direction, the next step, help me take a step, because I have already committed my life to You. When we feel panicked, anxious, overwhelmed, just like David was, we may find that following his steps will help us too; Remind ourselves that we are Beloved. Remind ourselves of what is True. Take...

Sunday Psalms; A psalm of David. Psalms 143:1-2 CEB Listen to my prayer, LORD!  Because of your faithfulness,  hear my requests for mercy!  Because of your righteousness,  answer me! Please don't bring your servant to judgment, because no living thing is righteous before you. Psalms 143:1-2 CEB David is not relying on his own goodness, his own righteousness, his own faithfulness, or even his own idea of mercy. But God's. David knows he cannot stand before God, request, let alone demand, anything from God. Yet he does.  What is it that joins these ideas together and allows David the freedom to talk to God like this? It's found in the middle of his song to God in v8 [8] Tell me all about your faithful love come morning time, because I trust you. David knows that God is Love. That he is loved. And that changes everything. When we know that we're beloved because we exist, because as Paul shares in Ephesians 1 that we were known in God's imagination from before time,...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 4:23, 25 CEB [23] More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.  ... [25] Focus your eyes straight ahead;  keep your gaze on what is in front of you.   Proverbs 4:23, 25 CEB These ideas at the end of Ch4 seem connected to guarding our mind (our "leb", heart, mind, will, the centre of who we are).  V24 is about avoiding lies and being careful with our words, and V25 is kind of the opposite to what we avoid, to focus on what is in front. I wonder what the writer of Proverbs would make of our world where there is so much clamouring for our attention, wanting to take our focus, distract us. Somedays it seems we're fighting to retain any kind of focus...and that's what this Proverb invites us to do...retain our focus. Two ways that this Proverb encourages us in...the first is about what is in front of us, not getting lost in the "if only" or the "what if", but staying in the here and now, staying whe...

Mark 5:27-29 CEB Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes.  She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I'll be healed. Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed.   Mark 5:27-29 CEB 12 years of illness. 12 years of hope, and no change. 12 years of making money somehow to give to doctors for nothing to change. 12 years of waiting. 12 years of being "unclean". 12 years of limitation.  And in a moment, she knew that her illness was healed. Everything changed in a moment. In that moment, perhaps for the first time in her adult life, she felt fully alive. Whether we experience anything like this in this life, whether our illnesses and weaknesses and limitations are miraculously healed or not, one day we will meet Jesus just as this person did, and we will experience what she did, the fully aliveness of all we were made to be. She got a taster, because while she...

Mark 5:27-28 CEB Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I'll be healed.  Mark 5:27-28 CEB We don't know this person's thought process, but likely, with the illness she had, she was "unclean", unable to go into a temple and meet a Rabbi, unable to pay for access, and ashamed of the state and place she was in. And thought "if I can just get close enough to touch his clothes that will be enough and no one will know". Where did this idea that touching Jesus clothes would be enough to heal her come from?  The thing is that she heard about Jesus, and then stepped towards him. No matter where we are, the things we are carrying, the illness, the loss, the worry, the shame, step towards Jesus. A step of hope. A step of faith. Come as you are. Step towards Jesus. We're invited to do just what this woman did 2000 years ago, and step towards Jesus...today....

Mark 5:26-27 CEB She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors, and had spent everything she had without getting any better.  In fact, she had gotten worse. Because she had heard about Jesus,  she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes.  Mark 5:26-27 CEB "Because she had heard about Jesus..." For her to hear about Jesus someone had to tell her.  I wonder who that was?  One of the doctors she tried? A family member? A friend? There's someone else behind this story who told her about Jesus. In your story, in my story there's someone who told us about Jesus.  I wonder in behind someone who I know,  when they say "because I heard about Jesus" will be my name somewhere? #gospelofMark #GoodNews  #invitation 

Psalms 142:3-4, 6-7a CEB When my spirit is weak inside me,  you still know my way. But they've hidden a trap for me in the path I'm taking. Look right beside me: See?  No one pays attention to me.  There's no escape for me.  No one cares about my life.   Pay close attention to my shouting,  because I've been brought down so low! Deliver me from my oppressors because they're stronger than me. Get me out of this prison... Psalms 142:3-4, 6-7a CEB David shares his heart with us - I doubt he would've imagined people reading his words, hearing his heart several thousand years later...but here we are - he says he is; Weak. Trapped Unheard  Sad Powerless If that has ever been, or currently is your experience, then you have an ally in David.  He knows. And he's making a ruckus about it, about injustice, about what's not right. It's easy to misinterpret the ruckus, the noise people make about injustice, when they feel weak, trapped, voiceless, sad or ...

Sunday Psalms; A maskil of David when he was in the cave. A prayer. I cry out loud for help from the LORD.  I beg out loud for mercy from the LORD. I pour out my concerns before God;  I announce my distress to him.   Psalms 142:1-2 CEB David's circumstances changed his writing. This prayer starts with David at the centre of everything - because he is living in a cave, hiding. There are times in life when our circumstances overwhelm our ability to manage them, if we could perhaps we'd be hiding out in a cave too. Ever felt like that? The invitation in this prayer of David's is to let God know what's going on.  David wrote this prayer down somewhere, so try  writing your prayers too, keep it real. In his cave, David repeats the "out loud" expression - he wants God to hear him.  This prayer is a gift, because we all want to be heard, to know that we have a voice, and that our voice matters. Even when isolated in this cave, stuck, overwhelmed, David's voic...

Mark 5:25-26 CEV In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had gone to many doctors, and they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain.  She had paid them all the money she had. But instead of getting better, she only got worse. Mark 5:25-26 CEV Broke. Unwell. 12 years. At the end of her resources. Perhaps you know what that is like.  In the crowd, in our community, in our church, there will be those who are broke, unwell, at the end of their resources, and perhaps like this woman, hiding it well. We hide behind "I'm fine", "everything happens for a reason" (see Kate Bowler who's book has this title: Everything happens for a reason, and other lies I have loved). We hide in the crowd, fit in, until we can't any more.  Jarius sounds like a caring Dad too, no doubt tried everything he knew to help his daughter.  And then both these people went to find Jesus.  With Jesus there's never "why didn't you come s...

Friday! Proverbs! Don't let your mouth speak dishonestly,  and don't let your lips talk deviously. Proverbs 4:24 CSB Just don't. If only it was that easy! We have ideas like "white lies" that don't "harm" anyone. We have things that we want, or don't want to happen that makes being deceitful so easy. And then there's shame.  And fear. And comparison. And a culture that more and more appears to be shaped by appearance, by curating what others see, by curating ourselves. If our premise is that Proverbs is not a weapon to beat ourselves or others up with, but an invitation, what is this Proverb inviting us into? Perhaps it's about what is under our words, our heart that needs the look at, the considering, the heart that sprouts the words & the thoughts. Perhaps there's an invitation to look at the influences on our hearts and minds, the people, the places we spend time and invest in, the things, the ideas that we let in. What is this...

Mark 5:25-26 CEV In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had gone to many doctors, and they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain.  She had paid them all the money she had. But instead of getting better, she only got worse. Mark 5:25-26 CEV Do you ever wonder how Mark (or the other Gospel writers) captured people's stories? Did they talk to them afterwards? Did Jesus tell them later? However they found out these 2 stories of Jarius, the keeper of the Temple, and this person who is only known by her limitation, are just two people in the crowd. How many others were there in that crowd with their own stories of grief, loss, disability, illness? When I meet anyone am I meeting a Jarius? Am I meeting a fellow sufferer? When I look at any group of people, at work, where we study, at church, in our sports and recreation activities, people who may have a happy shiny outside, what stories are they holding and carrying? Jarius had position, power,...

Psalms 141:5-10 CEV My prayers condemn the deeds of those who do wrong,  so don't let me be friends with any of them. Everyone will admit that I was right when their rulers are thrown down a rocky cliff, and their bones lie scattered like crushed rocks on top of a grave.  You are my Lord and God,  and I look to you for safety.  Don't let me be harmed. Protect me from the traps of those violent people, and make them fall into their own traps while you help me escape. Psalms 141:5-10 CEV Some of what David writes really makes you worry about him...this protect me from violent people by bringing violence into their lives? I've had some wild thoughts at times, and I guess this is David writing his down, showing us what it's like to be human, especially when we're under pressure, wanting things put right, wanting justice. We get the benefit of being further along in the Big Story than David, knowing what Jesus stood for, that the Kingdom is here, and it's on its way....

Psalms 141:1-5 CEV I pray to you,  Lord!  Please listen when I pray and hurry to help me. Think of my prayer as sweet-smelling incense, and think of my lifted hands as an evening sacrifice. Help me to guard my words whenever I say something. Don't let me want to do evil or waste my time doing wrong with wicked people.  Don't let me even taste the good things they offer. Let your faithful people correct and punish me. My prayers condemn the deeds of those who do wrong, so dont let me be friends with any of them. Psalms 141:1-5 CEV What is David's song about, his sweet smelling prayer to God? To guard his words. To put a guard on the things he says. And then to put a guard on his actions, and then the people he spends time with.  To put a guard on his choices. Ever prayed that prayer? "Lord guard my words, I'm not proud of the things I've said, the things I've done, the influences I've allowed in, welcomed in, change my heart, help me to change my choices...

Sunday Psalms; A psalm of David. I pray to you,  Lord!  Please listen when I pray and hurry to help me. Think of my prayer as sweet-smelling incense, and think of my lifted hands as an evening sacrifice. Psalms 141:1-2 CEV David pictures this prayer, this song, as incense rising to heaven, pictures his posture as something from the temple. How do we, how do I see my prayers? Does it help to imagine them as having an aroma, a shape, a colour, a taste? David is not in the temple, but sees himself there in his imagination, and asks God to see his hands raised as the equivalent.  When I pray, what do I want our God, to see? And then there's the urgency of his prayer, the immediacy of his request - feels bold, the prayer of someone who knows well who he is praying to. He prays to Yahweh, the Eternal, the self-existant, Always, Forever, and is cheeky enough to ask HIM to hurry, to answer, and as he does that, pictures his prayer, his song, his psalm, as sweet-smelling incense, ...

Mark 5:18-19 CEV [18] When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man begged to go with him. [19] But Jesus would not let him. Instead, he said,  "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how good he has been to you." Mark 5:18-19 CEV This man had just been healed by Jesus and wanted to go with him, but Jesus said no. At least part of the reason was that Jesus asked him to be a witness to his own people.  Perhaps there's something in this for us, how does my family, my people, those I live with, interact most with, those who know me best, how am I a witness to them of the goodness of God in my life? Jesus called his disciples who had no desire to change their life to "follow me", but this person who's life was changed, who wanted to go with Jesus he said to "stay here". Stay here and be a witness to what I've done in your life.  It may seem attractive to "follow Jesus" somewhere else, and that might be...

Ephesians 4:1-3 CEB Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord,  I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility,  gentleness,  and patience.  Accept each other with love,  and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together.  Ephesians 4:1-3 CEB The last part of this passage is about community. We are in this together.  Paul is writing to a church. We are in this together. Rich, poor, old, young, experiencing success, struggling, buoyant, joyful, weighed down, hurt, all from different places, with stories, experiences that shape us, fears, insecurities, strengths, different culture, language, expectations...we are in this together. Because that is where and how we learn to love. Love lives in all humility, gentleness & patience.  You simply cannot learn those things on your own.  I cannot learn those things on my own. We are in this toget...

Ephesians 4:1-3 CEB Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord,  I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility,  gentleness,  and patience.  Accept each other with love,  and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together.  Ephesians 4:1-3 CEB We're up to "accept each other with love"  Some versions of the English Bible use "bear with one another" or something similar. The word here is "anecho" which means  To endure, to bear with, to tolerate, to hold up. It seems to include some concious thought and action towards and for someone else who has a need, and who may, at least in this moment, may not be pleasant (sounds a bit like me someday!). If we read this together with the previous verse about being completely humble, gentle & patient, this verse is the living out of those ideas in relationship with others, in community. This is loving my ...

Psalms 140:9-13 CEB Let the heads of the people surrounding me be covered with the trouble their own lips caused! Let burning coals fall on them!  Let them fall into deep pits and never get out again! Let no slanderer be safe in the land.  Let calamity hunt down violent people - and quickly! I know that the LORD will take up the case of the poor and will do what is right for the needy. Yes,  the righteous will give thanks to your name, and those who do right will live in your presence. Psalms 140:9-13 CEB Justice. David is like us in that we want things made right, and in the last part of his poem, his song he wants things put right.  Interesting that he doesn't stop with just expressing the injustice that he is seeing or experiencing, but looks up, looks up to God's character and His heart for justice.  In a world where we get bombarded with stories of injustice, when we feel powerless at the injustice we or others face, look up, and hold to what and who David ...