Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14 When times are good, there’s no need for change. (Who times are good for is another conversation.) However, when times aren’t so good, we often long for change. Often, things going terribly wrong are the only reason that we are willing to change. Exile is one of those big changes. Pandemic is one of those big changes.…
Isaiah 9:1-7 (8:17-22) People who walked in darkness have seen a great light. This is the Advent passage. This is the passage in song, in memory, that echoes in our ears and hearts and minds. We tell this story with joy, with less than hope and more like celebration, expectation of story that we already…
Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24 Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. It gets easy to talk in platitudes about what God says to us, about what words God uses with us. I’m pretty sure that none of us would have Amos 5:21-24 hanging in the entryway of our homes, as a sign to welcome visitors. We…
1 Kings 19:1-18 Elijah at Horeb; The prophet in despair, God speaks in the silence. Elijah is responding to Ahab and Jezebel’s words in this passage. He responds with fear, by running away. While he’s running, he rests, and an angel of the Lord plants him firmly in the middle of a Snickers commercial. After eating, Elijah has the strength for…
1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-13 Solomon’s temple – a place of sacrifice and divine presence. David says his plan out loud, and Nathan agrees. The God speaks, and David’s plans are undone. David will not get to build God’s house. Solomon will build God’s temple. And that is where we pick up the story. Hiram of Tyre hears the news of Solomon’s…
Isaiah 58:3-10, 2 Timothy 2:23-25a, 1 John 3:16-18, 23, 2 John 1:5-6 This week we hear from Isaiah, Timothy, and 1 and 2 John on The Best Defense Against War and Terror Come and hear how one of the most well known prophets interacts with three of the shortest books in the Bible. Tom will…
Exodus 16:1-18 People complain, God provides manna.Manna requires faith in what God gives. This passage starts with words from us, from the people of God, in the middle of being delivered from slavery and death, in the wilderness, on their way to land of promise. Their words are not words of praise or worship or thanksgiving. They aren’t even words of…
Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-15; 4:10-17 God’s name is revealed: “I Am.” Moses is a reluctant messenger, but God uses him to deliver Israel. Moses, like Jacob, sees something that he doesn’t see all the time. Moses is awake, while Jacob is asleep, and so Moses walks over to the burning bush, and responds to the voice that speaks from the bush. God reveals…
Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17 Jacob gets a blessing by trickery, flees,dreams of a ladder with angels ascending and descending. Receives God’s promise. It would be tough (impossible?) to tell then entire Jacob story in one Sunday, yet that’s almost what we’re going to do today. Hold on, here we go! The passages start with Isaac at the end of his life,…
Genesis 21:1-3; 22:1-14 God gives Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. Abraham is told to sacrifice his son, but God provides the ram. I don’t think this is anyone’s favorite passage. It brings up far more questions than answers, and the ‘happy’ ending probably showed up on the 3500BC Jerry Springer show. Abraham and Sarah have received a blessing,…