February 2, 2010

Texts:
Isaiah 3-5
Mark 9

February 1, 2010

Texts:
Isaiah 1 and 2
Mark 8

January 31, 2010

Texts:
Song of Solomon 7 and 8
Mark 7

January 30, 2010

Texts:
Song of Solomon 5 and 6
Psalms 99, 100, 101

January 29, 2010

Texts:
Song of Solomon 3 and 4
Mark 6

January 28, 2010

Texts:
Song of Solomon 1 and 2
Mark 5

January 27, 2010

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 12
Psalms 97 and 98

January 26, 2010

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 10 and 11
Mark 4

January 25, 2010

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 8 and 9
Mark 3

January 24, 2010

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 6-7
Mark 2

January 23, 2010

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 4 and 5
Psalm 95 and 96

January 22, 2010

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 1 to 3
Mark 1

January 21, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 31
Philemon

Proverbs:
This is my favorite chapter of Proverbs.
And if you decide that you have loved reading through Proverbs, some people have used the book as a daily devotional--on the 2nd day of each month, you would read the 2nd chapter. etc, etc.

Philemon:
There. You just read an entire book of the bible in one quick minute. This letter of Paul deals with the relationship between the slave Onesimus and his owner, Philemon. Some bibles will translate the word as "servant", but in this case, he was certainly the property of Philemon.

January 20, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 29 and 30
Psalm 94

January 19, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 27 and 28
Titus 3

January 18, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 25 and 26
Titus 2

January 17, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 23 and 24
Titus 1

January 16, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 21-22
Psalms 92 and 93

January 15, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 19 and 20
2 Timothy 4

January 14, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 17 and 18
2 Timothy 3

January 8, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 5 and 6
1 Timothy 5

Timothy--this guy really bugs me. He says you shouldn't accept hearsay as evidence against an Elder, but then he calls all young widows busy bodies. Really? Argh.
I think it is fair to note that what he's saying about widows is in some ways a first century health care plan--who is going to pay for the widows? Whose health insurance plan are they on? Is the church supposed to care for them? Their families?

January 7, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 3 and 4
1 Timothy 4

Timothy
This passage was interesting to me when considering the issue of gay marriage. What do you think?
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer. If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales."

January 6, 2010

Texts:
Proverbs 1 and 2
Psalm 89

January 5, 2010

Texts:
Job 41 and 42
1 Timothy 3

Timothy--
This chapter is evidence of a later writing for this letter. When Paul was writing his letters, the story of Christianity was still new--people were meeting in homes. But this chapter about bishops and deacons shows that the church has now become an institution--whether or not they have a sanctuary and a fellowship hall, they have officers of the church.

January 4, 2010

Texts:
Job 39 and 40
1 Timothy 2

Timothy
Is this my least favorite chapter in scripture? Possibly. But thankfully, for me, I can read this chapter from the pulpit, unlike the generations of women before me who were blocked from the pulpit because of these verses. Regardless of what I think of the chapter, however, it is still God's word to me, somehow. And through this voice telling women to be quiet and to stop braiding their hair, I catch a glimpse of the women from that community of faith long ago who must have been proclaiming the gospel with braided hair and expensive clothes. Why else would the author tell women to be silent? So maybe that is God's word to me here. Women have been responding to the Good News from the beginning. I'm just one of many in a long line.

January 3, 2010

Texts:
Job 37 and 38
1 Timothy 1

January 2, 2010

Texts:
Job 35-36
Psalm 88