Southminster's Year of the Bible

February 2, 2010

2010-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Isaiah 3-5
Mark 9

February 1, 2010

2010-02-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Isaiah 1 and 2
Mark 8

January 31, 2010

2010-02-15T19:22:00.001-08:00

Texts:
Song of Solomon 7 and 8
Mark 7

January 30, 2010

2010-02-15T19:18:00.001-08:00

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

January 29, 2010

2010-02-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Song of Solomon 3 and 4
Mark 6

January 28, 2010

2010-02-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Song of Solomon 1 and 2
Mark 5

January 27, 2010

2010-02-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 12
Psalms 97 and 98

January 26, 2010

2010-02-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 10 and 11
Mark 4

January 25, 2010

2010-02-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 8 and 9
Mark 3

January 24, 2010

2010-02-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 6-7
Mark 2

January 23, 2010

2010-01-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 4 and 5
Psalm 95 and 96

January 22, 2010

2010-01-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ecclesiastes 1 to 3
Mark 1

January 21, 2010

2010-01-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-22T12:02:00.001-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 29 and 30
Psalm 94

January 19, 2010

2010-01-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 27 and 28
Titus 3

January 18, 2010

2010-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 25 and 26
Titus 2

January 17, 2010

2010-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 23 and 24
Titus 1

January 16, 2010

2010-01-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 21-22
Psalms 92 and 93

January 15, 2010

2010-01-22T11:36:00.001-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 19 and 20
2 Timothy 4

January 14, 2010

2010-01-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 17 and 18
2 Timothy 3

January 13, 2010

2010-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 15 and 16
Psalm 91

January 12, 2010

2010-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 13 and 14
2 Timothy 2

January 11, 2010

2010-01-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 11 and 12
2 Timothy 1

January 10, 2010

2010-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 9 and 10
1 Timothy 6

January 9, 2010

2010-01-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 7 and 8
Psalm 90

January 8, 2010

2010-01-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Proverbs 1 and 2
Psalm 89

January 5, 2010

2010-01-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 37 and 38
1 Timothy 1

January 2, 2010

2010-01-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 35-36
Psalm 88

January 1, 2010

2010-01-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
Texts:
Job 33-34
2 Thessalonians 3

December 31, 2009

2009-12-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 31 and 32
2 Thessalonians 2

December 30, 2009

2009-12-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 29-30
Psalm 86 and 87

December 29, 2009

2009-12-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 27-28
2 Thessalonians 1

December 28, 2009

2009-12-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 24-26
1 Thessalonians 5

December 27, 2009

2009-12-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 22 and 23
1 Thessalonians 4

December 26, 2009

2009-12-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 20 and 21
Psalm 85

December 25, 2009

2009-12-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 18 and 19
1 Thessalonians 3

December 24, 2009

2009-12-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 15-17
1 Thessalonians 2

December 23, 2009

2009-12-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 13 and 14
Psalm 83 and 84

December 22, 2009

2009-12-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 11 and 12
1 Thessalonians 1

December 21, 2009

2009-12-19T19:12:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Colossians 4
Job 9 and 10

December 20, 2009

2009-12-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 7 and 8
Colossians 3

December 19, 2009

2009-12-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 5 and 6
Psalm 81 and 82

December 18, 2009

2009-12-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 3 and 4
Colossians 2

December 17, 2009

2009-12-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Job 1 and 2
Colossians 1

December 16, 2009

2009-12-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Esther 8-10
Psalm 80

December 15, 2009

2009-12-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Esther 6 and 7
Philippians 4

December 14, 2009

2009-12-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Esther 4 and 5
Philippians 3

December 13, 2009

2009-12-19T18:21:00.001-08:00

Texts:
Esther 1-3
Philippians 2

December 12, 2009

2009-12-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Nehemiah 13
Psalm 79

December 11, 2009

2009-12-19T17:52:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Nehemiah 11 and 12
Philippians 1

December 10, 2009

2009-12-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Nehemiah 9 and 10
Acts 28

December 9, 2009

2009-12-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Nehemiah 7 and 8
Psalm 78:38-72

December 8, 2009

2009-12-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Nehemiah 5 and 6
Acts 27

December 7, 2009

2009-12-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Nehemiah 3 and 4
Acts 26

December 6, 2009

2009-12-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Acts 25
Nehemiah 1 and 2

December 5, 2009

2009-12-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ezra 9 and 10
Psalm 78:1-37

December 4, 2009

2009-12-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ezra 7 and 8
Acts 24

December 3, 2009

2009-12-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ezra 5 and 6
Acts 23

December 2, 2009

2009-12-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ezra 3 and 4
Psalm 77

December 1, 2009

2009-12-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Ezra 1 and 2
Acts 22

Acts:
Membership has its privilege, they say. And Paul is a Roman citizen, which afforded him privileges that others did not have in Roman society.
What privileges come with membership in our church or in our community that aren't afforded to others?

Ezra:
Under the reign of Cyrus, "king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four corners of the world", peoples who had been taken into exile were allowed a measure of self determination. His philosophy of rule was that people who were allowed to go about their own lives made better subjects.
Here is a map of his empire. He lived from 600 to 530 BCE.Notice how it stretches from Western Turkey all the way to Kazakhstan and the Indus River in the East.

November 30, 2009

2009-11-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 35 and 36
Acts 21

Acts:
Notice the idea of martyrdom. Paul's people want him to stay away from Jerusalem so that he won't be killed. Paul, on the other hand, seems almost eager to die a martyr's death. There's no easy answer for me in all of this. Yes, I do hope I would be willing to die for the gospel. But I do not hope to die for the gospel. I hope to live long enough to be able to proclaim the gospel.
The gospel does take us into dangerous places. Or it should.

November 29, 2009

2009-11-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 33-34
Acts 20

November 28, 2009

2009-11-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 31-32
Psalm 75-76

November 27, 2009

2009-11-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 29-30
Acts 19

November 26, 2009

2009-11-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 26-28
Acts 18

Acts:
The narrative has been building to this--Paul leaving behind the Jewish community to head out to minister to the Gentiles.
But notice Priscilla and Aquilla at the end of this chapter. They are a married couple who follow Jesus and who help correct someone's understanding of the faith. The writer of Acts seemed to have no problem with women teaching men.

November 25, 2009

2009-11-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 24-25
Psalm 74

Psalm:
This psalm is a "maskil". The word seems to be a musical term, attributed to David. Meaning seems unclear or disputed. It might describe how the psalm is to be sung.

November 24, 2009

2009-11-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 21-23
Acts 17

Chronicles:
When the Bible talks about 'high places', it is usually a reference to a temple to an idol or false god.

Acts:
Paul is arguing with everyone here. It seems to convince some people, but most of them seem to just get angry.
St Francis said, "preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." I love that quote because it reminds me that it isn't just what I say (or argue) that will proclaim the gospel. I am of the opinion that the living of our lives says more about what we believe than just our words do. But Paul clearly approaches the gospel task differently. While his life does reflect what he believes, he's not going to sit around and wait for you to observe him. He's going to walk right into your synagogue and let you know what he thinks.
What do you think we Presbyterians can learn from Paul here?

November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 18-20
Acts 16

November 22, 2009

2009-11-23T08:14:00.001-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 16 and 17
Acts 15

November 21, 2009

2009-11-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

Texts:
Psalm 73
2 Chronicles 13-15

Psalm:
This psalm is a reminder of the problems that come with comfort. Where do you see yourself in this psalm?

Chronicles:
Hey, look! Another good king! Let's hear it for King Asa!

November 20, 2009

2009-11-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 10-12
Acts 14

Chronicles:
Moral of today's text--listen to the advice of your elders! Let's make guesses about which generation wrote this text, shall we.
And this text is also another reminder that marriage being defined as between one man and one woman is not the only biblical standard. Polygamy was practiced and supported, at least by the kings of Israel and Judah.

Acts:
Paul is stoned by his own people for his work for the gospel. Their preaching and healing leads people to call them Gods and it seems that no words from Paul will change their mind. Who do we insist to be gods, even after they remind us that they are human?

November 19, 2009

2009-11-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 8 and 9
Acts 13

Chronicles:
Solomon's wisdom and success are writ large in this text, but it is hard for me to read about his golden shields, etc, and not think, "I bet we could have made some better decisions with our money, Solomon." I recognize that I could make better decisions with my money too, but how do we discern when the gold we're spending glorifies God or when it glorifies our own egos?

Acts:
The Bar-Jesus story is a little confusing. His name means "son of Jesus". Presumably not son of our Jesus, but of some other guy named Jesus. The confusion is in saying the translation of his name is Elymas. Because it isn't. Not sure what's up with the text here.
But I digress.
What do you think of their tactics to bring joy to the Gentiles while angering the establishment? What would be a modern equivalent?

November 18, 2009

2009-11-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 6 and 7
Psalm 72

Chronicles:

It is interesting, as we prepare for Advent and the coming of Immanuel, "God with us", to read this prayer from Solomon:
‘But will God indeed reside with mortals on earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! Have regard to your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you. May your eyes be open day and night towards this house, the place where you promised to set your name, and may you heed the prayer that your servant prays towards this place. And hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray towards this place; may you hear from heaven your dwelling-place; hear and forgive.'

What does it mean for God to reside with mortals on earth?

November 17, 2009

2009-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 3-5
Acts 12

Chronicles:
There are lots of websites that will tell you exactly what the temple looked like, but the archaeological record is not as clear. They have found evidence of human activity at the site from the time, but the remains of the temple are gone.
One thing that was different in Solomon's temple than in any of the other temples of its day, is that it didn't house an idol. There wasn't a statue of God. It housed the ark, but not an image of God. It was pretty counter cultural to have a god you couldn't "see".

Acts:
While this chapter is usually known for Peter's release from prison, I noticed the death of Herod at the end. It says that the people, after he addressed them, were saying he had the voice of God and not a mortal. And since he hadn't given glory to God, he was struck down, eaten by worms, and died.
Interestingly, the contemporary (but non-Christian) historian Josephus records his death in a similar manner.
"After Passover in 44, Agrippa went to Caesarea, where he had games performed in honor of Claudius. In the midst of his elation Agrippa saw an owl perched over his head. During his imprisonment by Tiberius a similar omen had been interpreted as portending his speedy release, with the warning that should he behold the same sight again, he would die within five days. He was immediately smitten with violent pains, scolded his friends for flattering him and accepted his imminent death. He experienced heart pains and a pain in his abdomen, and died after five days." (Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae xix. 345-350 (Chapter 8 para 2))

November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Chronicles 1 and 2
Acts 11

Chronicles:
The wisdom of Solomon is told in much less detail here. Why do you think that is?

Acts:
Peter, now convinced, has to make the case to the rest of the early leaders about how people can join the covenant without being circumcised and following the law.
This chapter also makes reference to the first use of the term "Christian".
What does it mean to you to be called "Christian"?

November 15, 2009

2009-11-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 28 and 29
Psalms 70 and 71

Chronicles:
Here is more Chronicler "remembering" of history that has yet to be reported--namely that David didn't just choose Solomon to be king and set aside materials for the building of the temple, but that he also drew up the blueprints, hired all of the staff, and worked with the interior designer.
I'm not arguing it didn't happen this way, but it is certainly not the same story told in Kings. As Dire Straits once said, "if two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong."

Psalms:
Sometime, when reading the psalms, I wonder if the people who wrote them (the person who wrote them?) expected people to be reading them as scripture years down the road. They feel too personal, somehow. More like something you would find in someone's diary or journal. Especially when they say things like "don't let my enemies succeed." "Let my accusers be put to shame".

November 14, 2009

2009-11-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 24-27
Acts 10

Acts:
Cornelius was a "God fearer". This means he worshipped God, but had not yet converted to Judaism and been circumcised.
This passage is an important one. Don't underestimate the difficulty the early church had in figuring out how to balance the tension of obeying the laws they had received from Moses so many generations ago, and how to obey Jesus' commands to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. How were these new converts going to "fit" with the traditional Jewish followers of Jesus?

November 13, 2009

2009-11-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 22-23
Acts 9

Chronicles:
Boy, was that a different succession narrative than I remember reading earlier in Kings....
The chronicler, it seems, believed that David was such an important figure in Israel's history that his blessing on Solomon was important to highlight and his support of Solomon's building project needed to be mentioned.

Acts:
Remember, this story of Saul/Paul's conversion is not exactly as Paul tells it.

How would you feel if you had been persecuted by Saul, if you had fled your home so you would not be arrested by him, and then he shows up and starts preaching the good news of Jesus? Would you trust him? What would it take for Saul to be trusted?
The whole arc of his ministry seems to be toward building that trust so he can proclaim the gospel.

November 12, 2009

2009-11-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 19-21
Psalm 69

Psalm:
My prayer for the day from verse 6:
Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me,
O Lord God of hosts;
do not let those who seek you be dishonoured because of me,
O God of Israel.

November 11, 2009

2009-11-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 17 and 18
Acts 8

Chronicles:
The story of David is complicated, but this chapter (other than all of the military conquests) shows David at his best. Humble, thankful, and praising God. What is the story of you at your best?

Acts:
What does the story of the Ethiopian eunuch say to you about the church's call in the world?

November 10, 2009

2009-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 15 and 16
Acts 7

Chronicles:

In 16:23-27, David sings this:

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Honour and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.

What do you think this says about the job of the church?

Acts:
How do you think Stephen does summing up the tradition?

November 9, 2009

2009-11-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 11 to 14
Acts 6

Chronicles:
At the end of chapter 13 is an interesting story about the ark of the covenant. It tells us that a man named Uzzah put out his hand to stabilize the ark because the oxen had shaken it. God's anger was kindled against Uzzah for touching the ark, and he died right there. This story is also told in 2 Sam 6:6-8.
David is annoyed with God (and who wouldn't be?--the guy was trying to be helpful, right?) and names the spot PerezUzzah or "breach of Uzzah". And then David refuses to take the ark with him. If God kills Uzzah, then how much trouble is it worth to travel with it? You can see David's point. But the family who was willing to take care of the ark is blessed.

A few things occur to me about this.
1. We can't understand God.
2. Being around God is dangerous.
3. Being around God is also a source of blessing.

Acts:
The early church was messy, just like ours. That is always comforting to me, somehow. The Hebrew Christians and the Greek Christians had a tough time coming together, but they did. In a culture that tries to keep us apart, I read this passage and say a cheer.
My prayer today is that the church will truly seek to hear the complaints of the "others" (whoever they may be) and listen to the people with whom we disagree. Let's leave our stereotypes at the door and trust that in the presence of the Holy Spirit, our conversations may lead us to places we've yet to reach on our own. Amen.

November 8, 2009

2009-11-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 7 to 10
Psalm 68

November 7, 2009

2009-11-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 4-6
Acts 5

November 6, 2009

2009-11-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

Texts:
1 Chronicles 1 to 3
Acts 4

November 5, 2009

2009-11-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Kings 23 to 25
Psalms 66 and 67

November 4, 2009

2009-11-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Kings 21 and 22
Acts 3

November 3, 2009

2009-11-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Kings 19 and 20
Acts 2

November 2, 2009

2009-11-04T16:53:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Kings 17 and 18
Acts 1

November 1, 2009

2009-11-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Kings 15 and 16
Psalms 64 and 65

October 31, 2009

2009-11-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Texts:
2 Kings 13 and 14
Ephesians 6

October 30, 2009

2009-10-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Texts:
2 Kings 10 to 12
Ephesians 5

Kings:
Boy am I glad I'm not a son of Ahab. Jehu embarks on a serious cleansing program--killing any descendants of Ahab and murdering all of the prophets of Ba'al.

And in the other half of the country, a seven year old takes the throne. This passage would be a bad stewardship text. The priests are given money for repairs, but don't make the repairs.

Ephesians:
In this whole "wives be subject to your husbands" text, people who want to keep women "in their place" only quote the first half of the argument. The writer of Ephesians writes a very balanced argument. Yes, wives should be subject to their husbands, but husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. This was a very counter-cultural message at the time it was written.

October 29, 2009

2009-10-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

Texts:
2 Kings 8 and 9
Psalms 62 and 63

This passage from Kings might be easier to read with a map open. Remember that this book is telling the stories of the Kings of Israel (northern kingdom) and the Kings of Judah (southern kingdom). There is overlap between them at times. Aram is today in Syria. Edom is today in Jordan.
And the death of Jezebel is yet another reminder of the dangers of consorting with foreign women. I would love to hear Jezebel's story told by her own people. It is too bad we only have her story preserved by her enemies because she clearly was politically astute--she was on the scene long after Ahab is dead and gone.

October 28, 2009

2009-10-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Texts:
2 Kings 6 and 7
Ephesians 4

Kings:
In a very "Obi Wan Kenobi" moment, Elisha sends the Arameans off--"this is not the droid, I mean city, you seek". I had never noticed that before. But I love the clarity of vision Elisha seeks for his servant, allowing him to see the surrounding host of angels protecting them from the army. Have there been times when that veil has lifted and you have seen the Divine presence more clearly?

But then the story gets dark. The Arameans surround Samaria until the people run out of food and are killing children to eat. The King of Israel decides to kill Elisha (since the messenger seems to be easier to punish than God is). Deliverance comes, but not for the King. This passage seems to be about patience to me. And I'm too impatient to appreciate that.

Ephesians:
At least this text isn't about patience. But it is about being kind, and not being snarky and mean spirited. Alas. And it has gorgeous language for the life to which we are to aspire. Which verse in this chapter really speaks to you today?

October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Texts:
2 Kings 4 and 5
Ephesians 3

Kings:
Do you see similarities between the stories of Elijah and Elisha? If so, why do you think that is?

This passage also has the story of Naaman. He's a commander of Syria. He has leprosy. And he listens to a Hebrew slave girl and seeks a cure from Elisha. The question the slave girl asks Naaman, when he complains that his cure is too simple, is a question for us as well.
"Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’
What are the simple things we could be doing, but aren't?

October 26, 2009

2009-10-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Texts:
2 Kings 1 to 3
Ephesians 2

Kings:
If you needed more reminders about why not to worship false Gods, here's another one. Let this be a reminder to us as well. If the Kings of Israel couldn't keep that command straight, how arrogant are we to think we can?
The King then decides to use might and Elijah calls down consuming fire to meet all of his armies.

Elisha inherits, literally and metaphorically, the mantle of Elijah. What are the mantles you have inherited? How heavy are they on your shoulders?

And this is one of my favorite passages concerning youth ministry. Elisha is walking down the road and a bunch of teenagers start making rude comments "go away baldhead". So, when you have unruly teenagers, just quote scripture to them:
"When he turned round and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria." (2 Kings 2:24 and 25)

Ephesians:
Remember Ephesians is exalted worship language. All of this "lifted up to the high places" language is slightly different than Paul's other letters. It seems to reflect a later development of the church's understanding of worship.