Good morning sisters and brothers,
Yesterday
we read about the priest Zechariah and how an angel appeared to him
while he was serving in the temple. The angel told Zechariah that even
though he and his wife were older and hadn't been able to have kids,
they would have a son. Not just any son either; their son John would be a
prophet announcing God's salvation for Israel. In today's reading
Zechariah responds with some practical questions. For those of us who
have questions about our faith, the angel's response seems unfair. At
the same time, Zechariah keeps the promise and his months of silence
must give him a new perspective on listening to God.
Blessings on your day,
Sam
Luke 1: 18-25
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19The
angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I
have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20But
now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in
their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these
things occur.”
21Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22When
he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he
had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and
remained unable to speak. 23When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25“This
is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and
took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”
Showing posts with label God's promise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's promise. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
God's promise to David
Good morning brothers and sisters,
We read this passage on Sunday. Once David had become firmly established as King of Israel, God promises to continue his dynasty through many generations. David responds with humility and praise. He realizes in this moment that God is giving him a gift; he didn't earn this power. As we know, the future for David will include temptation, and sometimes he will be corrupted by his power. David is far from perfect, but he strives to follow God. When he messes up, he repents and seeks God again with prayer.
God uses all of us for ministry in the world. We are not kings or queens, but we all have power we can use for good or for evil. We all face temptation and choices, so let's follow David's example of seeking the way forward with prayer.
God bless,
Sam
We read this passage on Sunday. Once David had become firmly established as King of Israel, God promises to continue his dynasty through many generations. David responds with humility and praise. He realizes in this moment that God is giving him a gift; he didn't earn this power. As we know, the future for David will include temptation, and sometimes he will be corrupted by his power. David is far from perfect, but he strives to follow God. When he messes up, he repents and seeks God again with prayer.
God uses all of us for ministry in the world. We are not kings or queens, but we all have power we can use for good or for evil. We all face temptation and choices, so let's follow David's example of seeking the way forward with prayer.
God bless,
Sam
2 Samuel 7:1-20
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” 3Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”
4But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” 8Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies.
Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. 15But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. 17In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
18Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God! 20And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Hagar and Ishmael
Good evening or morning brothers and sisters,
Today we continue our theme of mothers and children looking at the trouble story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. Both before and after God called Abraham and Sarah to leave their home for the promised land, Sarah was unable to have children. That was a problem not only because wanting to have children and being unable to is heart-breaking, but especially because God had promised to make Abraham's descendants into a great nation. That promised felt like a dead end without any kids. At one point Sarah proposed the idea of having Abraham sleep with Sarah's slave Hagar so they could have children that way. The trouble was when Hagar did conceive she and Sarah stopped getting along. When God's promise of a son through Sarah finally came true, Sarah wanted to make sure her son wouldn't have a rival for his inheritance. That's where our story takes off. God's love works even when our injustice seems worst.
God bless,
Sam
Today we continue our theme of mothers and children looking at the trouble story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. Both before and after God called Abraham and Sarah to leave their home for the promised land, Sarah was unable to have children. That was a problem not only because wanting to have children and being unable to is heart-breaking, but especially because God had promised to make Abraham's descendants into a great nation. That promised felt like a dead end without any kids. At one point Sarah proposed the idea of having Abraham sleep with Sarah's slave Hagar so they could have children that way. The trouble was when Hagar did conceive she and Sarah stopped getting along. When God's promise of a son through Sarah finally came true, Sarah wanted to make sure her son wouldn't have a rival for his inheritance. That's where our story takes off. God's love works even when our injustice seems worst.
God bless,
Sam
Genesis 21:9-21
9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. 10So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” 11The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. 12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. 13As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.”
14So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
17And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” 19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. 20God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. 21He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Friday, August 13, 2010
wandering after a promise
Good morning sisters and brothers,
This 11th chapter of Hebrews is a remembrance of some of the heroes of the faith. The author uses them as examples of faith to encourage the congregation to which he/she is writing. The paragraph before this recalls Abel, Enoch and Noah and their faith in God. Today the author moves on to Abraham, who gets more attention, both in scripture and in this narrative. The idea is that faith allows us to trust God's promises and to live by hope, looking forward to God's future even when our situation is hard. Abraham is a great example because he left everything he knew behind when God called him and set off into the unknown with just God's promise to follow.
The second paragraph moves from remembering Abraham to looking at the big picture. The big picture seems to be that people of faith make their home with God and make that relationship their priority. That means there's a sense in which we are all wanderers here on earth. We are home, but still looking for our true homeland, which is with God. This line of thinking makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Many of us have seen faith used to point people to heaven in a way that encourages them to ignore the reality of the present. That's the kind of faith Marx calls an opiate, and not without justification. We know from Jesus and the prophets that our faith calls us to be engaged and active here and now to make the world a better, more just place and to serve our neighbors. At the same time, Hebrews is right to remind us that this present life and home is not all there is. Our ultimate allegiance is to God, so we shouldn't be too comfortable here. Our goal is engagement without loosing sight of the fact that none of the things around us last forever. God is faithful and in the end our home is with him.
God bless,
Sam
Hebrews 11:8-16
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
13All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
This 11th chapter of Hebrews is a remembrance of some of the heroes of the faith. The author uses them as examples of faith to encourage the congregation to which he/she is writing. The paragraph before this recalls Abel, Enoch and Noah and their faith in God. Today the author moves on to Abraham, who gets more attention, both in scripture and in this narrative. The idea is that faith allows us to trust God's promises and to live by hope, looking forward to God's future even when our situation is hard. Abraham is a great example because he left everything he knew behind when God called him and set off into the unknown with just God's promise to follow.
The second paragraph moves from remembering Abraham to looking at the big picture. The big picture seems to be that people of faith make their home with God and make that relationship their priority. That means there's a sense in which we are all wanderers here on earth. We are home, but still looking for our true homeland, which is with God. This line of thinking makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Many of us have seen faith used to point people to heaven in a way that encourages them to ignore the reality of the present. That's the kind of faith Marx calls an opiate, and not without justification. We know from Jesus and the prophets that our faith calls us to be engaged and active here and now to make the world a better, more just place and to serve our neighbors. At the same time, Hebrews is right to remind us that this present life and home is not all there is. Our ultimate allegiance is to God, so we shouldn't be too comfortable here. Our goal is engagement without loosing sight of the fact that none of the things around us last forever. God is faithful and in the end our home is with him.
God bless,
Sam
Hebrews 11:8-16
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
13All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
hope and editing
Good morning friends,
Our reading today draws the Book of Amos to a close. You'll notice an abrupt change of tone in this reading, though there were hints of the same hopefulness yesterday. Most scholars believe that these passages of renewal were added to Amos later rather than being part of the original book. This is for a few reasons, most of all because the style is so out of synch with the rest of the book, but also because today's words make much more sense written in exile rather than during Amos's prosperous era.
Sometimes it's challenging to face the seams and inconsistencies in the biblical text. At the same time we believe that God speaks through the Bible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was active in inspiring the original writers of the text, imperfect and diverse as they were, and the Spirit is active in our hearts as we read today. Scripture is no less sacred because it is complicated, and God is not finished speaking to us through the Bible today. These words of hope probably didn't come from Amos's pen, but they are still God's word for us today.
God bless,
Sam
Amos 9:11-15
11On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; 12in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name, says the Lord who does this.
13The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them, says the Lord your God.
Our reading today draws the Book of Amos to a close. You'll notice an abrupt change of tone in this reading, though there were hints of the same hopefulness yesterday. Most scholars believe that these passages of renewal were added to Amos later rather than being part of the original book. This is for a few reasons, most of all because the style is so out of synch with the rest of the book, but also because today's words make much more sense written in exile rather than during Amos's prosperous era.
Sometimes it's challenging to face the seams and inconsistencies in the biblical text. At the same time we believe that God speaks through the Bible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was active in inspiring the original writers of the text, imperfect and diverse as they were, and the Spirit is active in our hearts as we read today. Scripture is no less sacred because it is complicated, and God is not finished speaking to us through the Bible today. These words of hope probably didn't come from Amos's pen, but they are still God's word for us today.
God bless,
Sam
Amos 9:11-15
11On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; 12in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name, says the Lord who does this.
13The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them, says the Lord your God.
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