Dearest e-votees-
May we be blessed as we continue to prepare and wait for our liturgical celebration of Jesus coming in the manger—Christmas.
May we be blessed as we continue to prepare and wait for our Lord to come that one last time to bring the end to the age.
For this week we will hone in on part of the appointed second reading for Sunday which reminds us of the hope we have in Christ.
Peace,
Karl
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For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May we be blessed as we continue to prepare and wait for our liturgical celebration of Jesus coming in the manger—Christmas.
May we be blessed as we continue to prepare and wait for our Lord to come that one last time to bring the end to the age.
For this week we will hone in on part of the appointed second reading for Sunday which reminds us of the hope we have in Christ.
Peace,
Karl
--------------
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:4-6, NRSV
These few verses communicate powerfully about hope.
We abide in the scriptures that we might be encouraged and find hope.
Paul writes about his hope for harmonious community.
Paul writes about hope for a unified voice offering glory to God.
This hope we have in Christ is subject to attack by forces interested in other outcomes.
If scripture is a place for encouragement and hope then perhaps there is one who would rather we not read it. Our time is so tightly scheduled that it is hard to find time for disciplined study of scripture. Our worlds are so noisy that is hard to find a quiet place to study scripture. Our world is so self-sufficient and post-modern that it is hard to find an open mind and an open heart to study scripture. But God’s word will not be contained by our distractions. God’s word does not return void but accomplishes its purpose (see Isaiah 55:10-11). God’s word is living and active and still divides to bone and marrow (see Hebrews 4:12). There is one that would rather God’s word would stay in a box. But that didn’t work with the cross and the tomb and that won’t work today either.
If community is a place of encouragement and hope then perhaps there is one who would rather we not abide there. We are taught to look after our own needs to the point that we neglect others fashioned in God’s image. We work so hard to raise our voice over the din of the world that we drown out the voices of others. We try to be so self-sufficient and post-modern that we close our minds and hearts to others. But God will not let us abide that way. Jesus came to bring reconciliation to God and to others. If we get too close to scripture it will beckon us close to others as well. There is one that would prefer to divide and conquer us but that one has been defeated through the work of the cross.
If gathering together in worship is a place of encouragement and hope then perhaps there is one who would rather distract our worship. We are taught to seek having our own needs met in worship to the point that the worship of others might well be diminished. We work so hard to hear worship in the forms of words and music that appeal to us that we can mute the worship others need to hear. We try to be so self-sufficient and post-modern in our worship that we lose sight of the one we worship. Jesus came to bring life through his death. God in the flesh came to save us. All of us are called to worship this one. In that worship is found encouragement and hope. In that worship the work of the distracting one is undone.
God, shape us into people who hope in you. Bless our time in your word. Bless our ways of making community. Bless our worship. Help us to reject the one who would run interference of the holy and hopeful work of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
We abide in the scriptures that we might be encouraged and find hope.
Paul writes about his hope for harmonious community.
Paul writes about hope for a unified voice offering glory to God.
This hope we have in Christ is subject to attack by forces interested in other outcomes.
If scripture is a place for encouragement and hope then perhaps there is one who would rather we not read it. Our time is so tightly scheduled that it is hard to find time for disciplined study of scripture. Our worlds are so noisy that is hard to find a quiet place to study scripture. Our world is so self-sufficient and post-modern that it is hard to find an open mind and an open heart to study scripture. But God’s word will not be contained by our distractions. God’s word does not return void but accomplishes its purpose (see Isaiah 55:10-11). God’s word is living and active and still divides to bone and marrow (see Hebrews 4:12). There is one that would rather God’s word would stay in a box. But that didn’t work with the cross and the tomb and that won’t work today either.
If community is a place of encouragement and hope then perhaps there is one who would rather we not abide there. We are taught to look after our own needs to the point that we neglect others fashioned in God’s image. We work so hard to raise our voice over the din of the world that we drown out the voices of others. We try to be so self-sufficient and post-modern that we close our minds and hearts to others. But God will not let us abide that way. Jesus came to bring reconciliation to God and to others. If we get too close to scripture it will beckon us close to others as well. There is one that would prefer to divide and conquer us but that one has been defeated through the work of the cross.
If gathering together in worship is a place of encouragement and hope then perhaps there is one who would rather distract our worship. We are taught to seek having our own needs met in worship to the point that the worship of others might well be diminished. We work so hard to hear worship in the forms of words and music that appeal to us that we can mute the worship others need to hear. We try to be so self-sufficient and post-modern in our worship that we lose sight of the one we worship. Jesus came to bring life through his death. God in the flesh came to save us. All of us are called to worship this one. In that worship is found encouragement and hope. In that worship the work of the distracting one is undone.
God, shape us into people who hope in you. Bless our time in your word. Bless our ways of making community. Bless our worship. Help us to reject the one who would run interference of the holy and hopeful work of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
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