Shows
Daily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 11: Psalm 103, Hosea 9, and John 11:45-57 (final episode)It's funny that Jesus was prophesied about by those who meant to oppose him. Anyone who thinks that God needs our assistance to accomplish his ultimate purposes can take a note from this. While we join God in that work, it is very much God bringing it about. We are included in that work which is ongoing.
(Also, if you wish to continue this reading plan, here's the rest of the year.)
2024-08-1107 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 10: Psalms 99, 100, and 101; Hosea 8; John 11:1-44Jesus enters a hostile territory to save a friend. This is a pretty good story in itself, but the saving is a resurrection, with a boost in the faith of his friends to boot. Since the Jewish leaders who questioned him were following, perhaps a few of them received a boost in their own faith as well.
2024-08-1009 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 9: Psalm 95 and 96, Hosea 7, and John 10:22-42To not recognize Jesus means you are not his follower. What he said to the contentious Jewish leaders remains true today. There are false versions of Jesus's message that lead to places that may seem good, but they certainly don't lead to Jesus.
2024-08-0907 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAug. 8: Psalm 92 and 93, Hosea 6, and John 10:1-21The new way of approaching God is to approach Jesus. To walk in step with Jesus is to walk with God, and in God's direction. The illustration of the sheep pen with the robber and the workers illustrates this, and steps on a few toes along the way.
2024-08-0806 min2024-08-0801 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 7: Psalm 90, Hosea 5, and John 9All of the miracles Jesus performed on Sabbaths were healing miracles, making someone whole. And of course, doing so got him in trouble. If the Kingdom is subversive, then it is in this way: the thing which before could only point to our faults (the Law) has now been replaced with the way of Jesus, and that way does indeed bring wholness.
2024-08-0708 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 6: Psalm 89:1-18, Hosea 4, and John 8:31-59The language of family was familiar to the Jews, especially with the common bond of Abraham as their father. But Jesus was coming to establish a new Kingdom, a new kind of family. In this family, what came before Abraham was the common bond, and that was God.
2024-08-0608 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 5: Psalms 86 and 87, Hosea 3, and John 7:53-8:30To claim that God the Father speaks directly in your defense would have been pretty radical. It certainly would have stoked the ire of the religious leaders. Yet what Jesus spoke was confirmed by the church in the centuries that would follow: to see Jesus was to see God.
2024-08-0507 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 4: Psalm 84, Hosea 2, and John 7:25-52It seems that the familiarity that caused Jesus's family to doubt his divinity extended to his community. Everyone thought they knew who he was, because they had seen him grow up. But the eyewitnesses to his miracles had a different opinion, and that was the one that would grow the Kingdom of Jesus.
2024-08-0408 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 3: Psalm 81, Hosea 1, and John 7:1-24Sometimes those with whom we are most familiar have a hard time growing in our eyes. We know them so well, we can't easily see them as being different from the person we have always known. Such was the case with Jesus's family, who had a difficult time believing he was anything except their brother.
2024-08-0306 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 2: Psalm 78:41-72, Nehemiah 13:1-22 and 30-31, John 4:41-71What would you do with the knowledge that your closest friends didn't really believe in you? Jesus had that knowledge, and his response was to continue challenging those who did believe. While that's not a great strategy if you're putting together a party, it's a pretty good one if you're building the Church.
2024-08-0210 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureAugust 1: Psalm 78:1-18, Nehemiah 12:27-47, and John 6:22-40Jesus feeding the people through a miracle and the manna that fed God's people in their flight from Egypt seem like a pretty obvious connection: in both cases, the people get their bellies full. But in Jesus's reckoning, the same negative outcome also happened: instead of worship and awe for the provider, the people only wanted more and more to fill their own bellies.
2024-08-0108 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 31: Psalms 75 and 76, Nehemiah 10:28-39, and John 6:1-21Do you get the sense that this whole passage is Jesus teaching his disciples? First by sitting, then by testing them with the loaves and fish, then by walking on the water? The ministry of Jesus lasted only about three years, and this may have been the pivotal point where they really started to understand who he was and what the Kingdom made by him looked like.
2024-07-3107 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 30: Psalm 74, Nehemiah 9:1-15 and 26-38, John 5:25-47"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." Keeping in mind that Jesus was arriving on the scene at a time when the Law was the absolute, it was something to say, "that points to me, here I am." Our task is the same: Jesus is the way, Scripture is an arrow pointing to him.
2024-07-3010 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 29: Psalm 71, Nehemiah 8, and John 5:1-24It's interesting that the very accusation made by the religious leaders about work on the Sabbath is turned on its head by Jesus. The work he has come to do is the work of wholeness, and this is what he gives the man by the pool. Where the Law gave restrictions to keep people from sinning, Jesus gives fullness of life.
2024-07-2909 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 28: Psalm 66, Nehemiah 6, and John 4:27-54Jesus seems... maybe a little irritated?... that people need a sign in order to believe. He later comng mends Peter for not seeing but still believing. Nonetheless, he performs the wonders they ask for. Perhaps because their need for wholeness was part of their belief.
2024-07-2808 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 27: Psalm 69:1-18, Nehemiah 5, and John 4:1-26The new Kingdom, being laid out by its king, for the first time. This is what is happening in the conversation with Jesus and the woman at Jacob's well. It seems almost playful, and that's a notable change from the heavy weight of the Law.
2024-07-2708 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 26: Psalm 68:1-18, Nehemiah 4, and John 3:22-36John is yielding his ministry to Jesus, as he has always understood he will do. This is a part of the model of the new Kingdom, for though ministry may be given to some, all still point to the work of the Messiah.
2024-07-2607 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 25: Psalms 61 and 62, Nehemiah 3:1-15, and John 3:1-21Nehemiah's choice to come see Jesus at night might look sneaky, but it was a mark of respect. Open debate was common among Jewish teachers, but he seemed to want to figure out what Jesus was all about. Jesus gave him what he was looking for: a glimpse into how God was fulfilling the promise to the Jews and expanding the Kingdom.
2024-07-2608 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 24: Psalms 113 and 138, Nehemiah 2, and John 2Flipping over tables wasn't a choice Jesus made again, but this time it was for good reason. The holiness of God was being treated with little regard, and so he created a disturbance. In a whirl of feathers and fur, he cleared out the place where Gentiles were permitted to be in the temple structure, perhaps showing a future where Gentiles could truly be close to God.
2024-07-2408 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 23: Psalm 59, Nehemiah 1, and John 1:29-51John's handoff of ministry to Jesus is a prelude to the way of Jesus. In this way of thinking, you do not hoard for yourself. You make the way to Jesus, and he is the one who leads.
2024-07-2307 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 22: Psalms 56 and 57, Ezra 10:1-17, and John 1:1-28Only God knows fully the reason that John was so closely tied to the work of Jesus, but the work he did as an itinerant preacher gives us a pretty good idea: the Law was passing away as the main method God used to form his people, and John was the first messenger of the new way. He had his own set of disciples, but the ultimate goal was still Jesus. (Even John's disciples were recorded as being baptized again into the Spirit after Pentecost.)
2024-07-2208 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 21: Psalms 52, 53, and 54; Ezra 9; 2 Timothy 4The team you have around you is important in accomplishing your mission, and the church is no exception. Paul is in a struggle, and he needs to know who he can depend on, and who has abandoned his work.
2024-07-2208 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 20: Psalm 50, Ezra 8:21-36, and 2 Timothy 3The hard work over retraining to become followers of Jesus instead of followers of our own instincts is called discipleship. Paul outlines some pretty clear differences between those two paths, and also shows that he has been teaching by living it himself. For a young pastor like Timothy, this would be critical.
2024-07-2007 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 19: Psalms 47 and 48, Ezra 7, and 2 Timothy 2Working with people can be one of the most challenging jobs of a young church, especially for a young pastor like Timothy. To this challenge, Paul offers guidance. The church is still God's, the people are God's, and God is doing the work. The pastor stands with his people before God to lead in discipleship.
2024-07-1910 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 18: Psalm 45, Ezra 6, and 2 Tim. 1"Join me in suffering" isn't exactly the best marketing slogan. Can you imagine any church putting that on their sign? Yet that was the thing with which Paul was familiar because of his contention with the powers, and it would remain part of the picture as the young church grew.
2024-07-1808 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 17: Psalms 42 and 43, Ezra 5, and Titus 3"Devote yourselves to do good." That instruction is important enough to be repeated twice in this short passage. For Cretans, who have been more self-absorbed, this may have been a tough discipline. In the Kingdom of Jesus, we follow Jesus and care for each other.
2024-07-1708 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 16: Psalm 40, Ezra 4, and Titus 2Undermining the Cretan culture and trying to help Titus learn to bring order, Paul turns to the family and interpersonal structures. There's not a lot of deep theology here, but it's immensely practical: to grow a community of Christ, you need a basic agreement to act like a Jesus follower, and this was a foreign concept to the Cretans.
2024-07-1608 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 15: Psalm 37:1-18, Ezra 3, and Titus 1Working in Crete must have been a real challenge. To have the reputation of being liars, brutes, and gluttons works against the ways of Christ, even the ways of the Jewish Law. Paul recommends strong measures, and hopefully Titus is up to the task.
2024-07-1507 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 14: Psalms 32 and 36, Ezra 1, and 1 Timothy 6This closing passage of the book gives an idea of the kind of issues the early church might have faced, and how a pastor would have addressed them. Slaves and masters, rich and poor, false teachers and Christ followers. This is the landscape that Timothy was working in, and it was his charge as a young pastor to bring order to the chaos.
2024-07-1408 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 13: Psalm 34, Esther 9-10, and 1 Timothy 5Paul outlines to Timothy how those who put their hope in God receive help from the body of Christ, the Church. Not only direct work such as work with widows, but also a voice. In a time of emperors and kings, the Church was establishing a place where rich and poor alike could have power, possible through the shared power of the Spirit.
2024-07-1310 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 12: Psalms 29 and 30, Esther 8, and 1 Timothy 4This chapter gives an insight into the give and take in leadership of the early church. They didn't lord leadership over one another, but they sought to follow Jesus and teach others to do so. The previous chapter about deacons and overseers now leads into this one, where we see a pastor being ordained by the church elders.
2024-07-1207 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 11: Psalms 26 and 28, Esther 7, and 1 Timothy 3Paul needs to do more than cheer Timothy on, he needs to give him good tools with which to build a strong church. Two of those things are help and right belief, and he gives a little guidance for each here. Deacons, overseers, and pastors remain part of the church today.
2024-07-1106 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 10: Psalm 25, Esther 6, and 1 Timothy 1:18-2:15Paul seems to have a low view of women in this passage, but this letter to Timothy should not be seen as the universal rule. It was certainly specific to Timothy's experience, and elsewhere Paul highly praises women who lead in the church, particularly Phoebe, Tryphena, and Tryphosa in the book of Romans, which was written to a large audience.
2024-07-1006 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 9: Psalm 22, Esther 5, and 1 Tim. 1:1-17Like Philemon, 1 Timothy is a look at the dynamic between two followers of Christ. In Timothy's case, though, Paul is raising him up as a pastor. This means that in addition to the practical side of Christian living that Paul had with Philemon, he is teaching Timothy how to both know sound doctrine and live in such a way that he would be able to see it play out in life.
2024-07-0908 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 8: Psalm 19, Esther 4, and PhilemonReading Philemon is eavesdropping on a conversation between two people who are committed to following Christ and letting that guidance be their true motivation. Paul isn't coercive, he doesn't need to be. It is a conversation of certainly, not in the foundation of their own friendship, but in the shared priorities of the Kingdom of Jesus.
2024-07-0807 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 7: Psalm 18:1-20, Esther 3, and Acts 28:16-31Once again, Paul's incarceration is the method of working God's will: he is allowed to address the Jewish leaders, and this amounts to a few converts. Perhaps Paul was actually relieved to have been in the company of the Romans, since the Jewish leaders tended to respond to him with violence.
2024-07-0708 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 6: Psalms 12, 13, and 14; Esther 2; Acts 28:1-15A voyage that started as a prison transport has now become an opportunity for Paul to visit growing churches. It's kind of fascinating to watch how this unfolds, since the purpose of jailing Paul was to keep him from doing his work, and now that very establishment is what grows it.
2024-07-0609 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 5: Psalms 8 and 11, Esther 1, and Acts 27The purpose of Paul's preservation extends to those around him. It is not recorded why Paul needed to get to his final destination, but Church tradition records that this trip did end with Paul's death following his trial. Whatever God was doing, the protection of the Creator of the Universe was ample to preserve all those aboard as Paul guided them along the way God intended, whether they were believers or not.
2024-07-0511 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 4: Psalm 9, Susanna, and Acts 26"He could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." Paul seems to be the architect of his own doom? Perhaps it is also that Paul's purpose in front of this high court is to win converts to Jesus even at that level, and this certainly did begin to happen.
2024-07-0413 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 3: Psalms 5 and 6, Daniel 12, and Acts 25:13-27A lot of maneuvering is happening with Paul the prisoner, efforts he has made on his own behalf to prolong his life. It says something for the followers of the Law, calling for the head of a man with whom they have disagreement: it is certainly not the way of Jesus.
2024-07-0307 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 2: Psalm 1 and 2, Daniel 11:1-19, and Acts 24:24-25:12Think you've seen persecution? Try Paul's brand on for size: held in prison despite valid charges, the victim of powerful political figures who want to flatter one another at his expense, kept from visiting the churches that he loves. And of course, people wanted to murder him. Seems like it would have been easy to turn away from this difficult life and go back to being a Pharisee, but Paul held firmly to the faith he had in Jesus.
2024-07-0208 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJuly 1: Psalm 149 and 150, Daniel 10, and Acts 24:1-23Paul swings the momentum of the trial away from the contrived charges that are being brought against him and declares the situation to be what it is: a battle of theologies. Not only is that the truth of the matter, is also makes it uncomfortable for a government official to intervene in the dispute.
2024-07-0107 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 30: Psalm 147, Daniel 9, and Acts 23:12-35Paul seems to be skirting disaster at every turn, and only God knows the reason why his life is being preserved so. Perhaps God is still working in this situation, bringing about things that only God knows. Whatever the case, Paul is finding refuge among the very government that crucified Jesus.
2024-06-3010 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 29: Psalm 145, Daniel 8, and Acts 22:23-23:11Anyone who thinks Christians should never stir things up might take a moment with this passage where Paul purposely causes an argument between the Pharisees and Sadducees. Of course, living in harmony with others is what we should pursue, but there are also times when the Spirit moves in us like fire, and challenging the powers is no small feat.
2024-06-2909 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 28: Psalm 143, Daniel 7, and Acts 21:37-22:21Paul appears before a maddening crowd and talks about his own maddening past, persecuting the Church he now serves. He is in Jerusalem, which was once the seat of his fervent belief in the Law, and. now he professes the same passion for Jesus. What a swirl of memories and emotions he must have felt as he stood there talking.
2024-06-2809 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 27: Psalms 141 and 142, Daniel 6, and Acts 21:17-36It's interesting that Paul, who was once a strict adherent to the Law, now returns to the ways of the Law in order to answer those who continue to be as he once was. While the Lordship of Christ is absolute, the way we practice should be a matter of consideration. Elsewhere, Paul talks about being all things to all people and this is the exercise of that statement.
2024-06-2709 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 26: Psalms 137 and 138, Daniel 5, and Acts 21:1-16Paul seems to have an urgency in his actions now, perhaps driven by the foreboding news from Jerusalem. It's interesting how things like that can propel us forward, giving us a sense of purpose and a deeper passion for our call.
2024-06-2609 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 25: Psalms 134 and 135, Daniel 4, and Acts 20:17-38We are accountable to one another in this Kingdom of Jesus. Paul was accountable to bring the Word to his churches, but he was not the center of worship. The influence of the Holy Spirit and the commitment to one another are the things which sustains us, and listening to both the Spirit and one another remain important as we work together.
2024-06-2511 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 24: Psalms 129, 130, and 131; Daniel 3; Acts 20:1-16Ever sat through a sermon so boring that you fell out the window and died? To be fair, it says Paul was talking, not preaching. Still, you have to hand it to Paul: if you kill someone with preaching, the least you can do is raise them back up!
2024-06-2409 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 23: Psalm 124, 125, and 126; Daniel 2:1-14 and 25-49; Acts 19:21-41Not worshipping other gods is a basic command for followers of the true God, but sometimes those gods do not go quietly. Not the gods themselves, of course. But the people who profit from the established powers that work against the way of Jesus are often the loudest of all, when their power is threatened.
2024-06-2311 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 22: Psalms 120 and 121, Daniel 1, and Acts 19:8-20The instance of the possessed man beating the Sons of Sceva comes across as comical, but there is a hard truth here that rests in the middle of the story: the power of the Holy Spirit is not for personal glory, but for the glory of God.
2024-06-2206 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 21: Psalm 119:153-176, Ezekiel 47, and Acts 18:24-19:7Apollos came to prominence at much the same level as Paul: he was a scholar, he had defended Jesus as Messiah publicly. This stage of the early Church was about bringing together teachers like him to get everyone on the same page, and especially to help the theologians understand the importance of the Holy Spirit.
2024-06-2108 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 20: Psalm 119:105-128, Ezekiel 43, and Acts 18:1-23Paul's decision to preach only to the Gentiles is born out of a bit of frustration, but the outcome is important. The effort to include the Gentiles in the gospel is no longer a portion of his effort, it is his focus. This would define the early Church in a new way.
2024-06-2009 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 19: Psalm 119:73-88, Ezekiel 40, and Acts 17:16-34What if Paul had turned his back on the Athenians because their view of God was so wrong? Thank God he didn't, because the gospel was shared because of Paul's work there. It didn't result in a mass revival, but it did result in work the way that God works well: by planting seeds that grow among his people.
2024-06-1909 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 18: Psalm 119:25-48, Ezekiel 37, and Acts 17:1-15You have to wonder which of Paul's qualities made him one of the primary growers of the early Church. He was highly adept at harmonizing Christianity and Judaism, he was also skilled in academic circles. But he also had enough influence with his enemies that he was described as "causing trouble all over the world," which he probably took as a compliment!
2024-06-1809 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 17: Psalm 116 and 117, Ezekiel 36:16-38, and Acts 16:6-40Where Peter walked out of prison, Paul chose to stay. The ways God uses to grow his people are not always the same, not even in the same circumstance. It's important to stay engaged in prayer and listen to the Spirit to know where that is.
2024-06-1710 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 16: Psalm 113 and 114, Ezekiel 35, and Acts 15:36-16:5It is not always perfect harmony that carries along the growth of God's Kingdom, sometimes it is a parting of ways. Paul and Barnabas has been partners, but their breakup actually grew the early Church in new areas.
2024-06-1605 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 15: Psalm 109, Ezekiel 34, and Acts 15:22-35The growing church isn't about star preachers, it's about spreading the word. The choice of Judas (not Iscariaot, Judas was a very common name) and Silas was to teach and grow the believers. Of course, Paul couldn't be the only one working in the field, but training new trainers had certainly been part of his call.
2024-06-1509 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 14: Psalm 107:23-43, Ezekiel 33, and Acts 15:1-21The Church in the first century worked hard to find unity and and identity, and this was an important moment. Known as the Council of Jerusalem, it was the first time that the Church met to establish an agreed-upon theological point, and many more were to follow.
2024-06-1410 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 13: Psalm 106:19-48, Ezekiel 18, and Acts 14:8-28Paul is unstoppable. Not only past an apparent stoning, but also propelled by the desire to share the good news. The fervor with which he was determined to persecute the church is now the fervor with which he wishes to grow the church, and only God could bring about such a change.
2024-06-1310 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 12: Psalm 105:23-45, Ezekiel 16:1-48 and 59-63, Acts 13:44-14:7There are some who simply aren't ready for the Gospel. Maybe they find it unbelievable, stupid, or not worth their time. Whatever the reason, our time is precious. Paul's "shaking the dust from his feet" is less a sign of defeat and more a statement of, "I have done all I can for you, and you are now on your own." This action luckily only occurs a few times in the New Testament.
2024-06-1211 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 11: Psalm 104, Ezekiel 17, and Acts 13:13-43Paul was once a devout Jew, and now he uses that experience to speak to others who are still on a similar path. Luckily, the gospel is for everyone. The way it fits into the Jewish story is all part of God's plan.
2024-06-1111 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 10: Psalm 102, Ezekiel 15, and Acts 12:25-13:12Paul encounters someone who is warping the ways of the Lord in their teaching of someone who is a true seeker, and so Paul's response is interesting: he afflicts the man with blindness, the very thing Paul himself was afflicted with at his conversion. And indeed it was a conversion for Paul. Perhaps he hoped for a similar outcome for Elymas.
2024-06-1006 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 9: Psalms 97 and 98, Ezekiel 14, and Acts 12:1-24What happens when God answers our prayers and we aren't ready? Peter's release from prison is a pretty dramatic example: the answer is in front of us, but we refuse to believe it's real.
2024-06-0909 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 8: Psalm 94, Ezekiel 13, and Acts 11:19-30The new fellowship of Jews and non-Jews wasn't automatic, some of the believers went out still working in the old, "Jews-only" way. Being patient with one another is critical, because not everyone sees things happening at the same time. Luckily, the Spirit is present in all.
2024-06-0807 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 7: Psalm 91, Ezekiel 12, and Acts 11:1-18Everything is new in this new Kingdom of Jesus. New fellowship of both Jews and Gentiles, new baptism in the Spirit, new kingship by Jesus. But God is still the God of Jews, and he has not forgotten them. The different is that the Jewish people are not the owners of the promise, Jesus fulfilled God's promise to them and brings a new one.
2024-06-0707 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 6: Psalm 89:19-52, Ezekiel 11, and Acts 10:24-48Peter and Cornelius have both met with God in prayer, and that connection is what God has used to start a new chapter in church history: baptizing non-Jews. This level of inclusion meant that while Jesus and the apostles were Jews, Christians were a new classification all their own.
2024-06-0609 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 5: Psalm 88, Ezekiel 10, and Acts 10:1-23The ways in which God chooses to reveal new things aren't always direct. Speaking to Peter in the language of eating things to reveal the expansion of God's people may seem odd, but God knows our minds.
2024-06-0507 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 4: Psalm 85, Ezekiel 9, and Acts 9:32-43Building a legacy of faith was critical in the early days of the church, which is perhaps the reason that these believers were being resurrected. Certainly, they died again, but the power of the Spirit was also showing itself as the young church formed its identity.
2024-06-0405 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 3: Psalm 83, Ezekiel 8, and Acts 9:1-31Moments where scales fall from our eyes give us an insight into things we haven't seen before. Perhaps it comes with the downfall of a favorite leader, the unraveling of a deeply held belief, or the ending of a dream. Whatever the case, letting go of what may be a lesser pursuit may be the opening to a greater one.
2024-06-0308 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 2: Psalm 80, Ezekiel 7, and Acts 8:26-40The Ethiopian eunuch had been to Jerusalem, but he may have actually been denied entrance to the temple. Deut. 23:1 forbids eunuchs from entering, and it's likely that he could have taken his trip there in vain. But he was seeking, and God will not leave those who seek him behind.
2024-06-0208 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureJune 1: Psalm 78:19-40, Ezekiel 6, and Acts 8:4-25What makes a disciple of Jesus? It is not a quality that can be purchased, as Simon discovered. He had come to follow a different path, but he did not want to do the work of transformation before he started being a miracle worker. The Apostles certainly did their time in transformation, and the struggles they had suffered made them ready for the job.
2024-06-0107 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 31: Psalms 79 and 82, Ezekiel 5, and Acts 7:35-8:3Stephen is definitely stoking a fire. Talking about rebellion among the people, he now turns to the Jewish leaders and says, "you did this too, to Jesus." They respond with violence, the opposite of the message of Jesus. As Martin Luther King said, "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy."
2024-05-3109 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 30: Psalm 77, Ezekiel 4, and Acts 7:17-34The story of Moses and the patriarchs is prelude to the story of Jesus, which is why Stephen includes it. Not only was Moses an outcast as Jesus was, but he was also revered, and trying to separate the New and Old Testaments would have lost his Jewish audience. Indeed, the new covenant is a fulfillment of the promises being made through Jewish history.
2024-05-3007 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 29: Psalm 73, Ezekiel 3, and Acts 6:1-7:16As the gospel came into conflict with the old system of Law, Stephen becomes the person who works out the differences in public. God was doing a new thing, a continuation of the work that had been going on since creation, and Stephen opens with showing how many twists and turns had happened in that story up to now, when the twist of Jesus came into reality.
2024-05-2910 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 28: Psalms 70 and 72, Ezekiel 2, and Acts 5:12-42The measure of success in the early church was measured by Gamaliel, one of the most revered teachers of the day: "If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." A good reminder that the establishment of the church was. not only a place for people to learn behavior modification, it was also a partnership with the author of life.
2024-05-2908 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 27: Psalm 69:19-38, Ezekiel 1, and Acts 4:32-5:11Sharing of possessions was necessary in the early church for both practical and spiritual reasons. As people came into this new community of Christ, many were poor, and the gospel was one of loving others. Working that out in life, meeting needs was also living up to promise of the gospel message.
2024-05-2708 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 26: Psalm 68:19-35, Ecclesiastes 12, and Acts 4:5-31This is a pivotal moment in the history of the Church. Peter and John and standing before the very people who were instrumental in Jesus's death, and they are standing beside a man who has been given back his life. The unveiling of what God is doing could not be more perfectly illustrated than that.
2024-05-2608 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 25: Psalms 65 and 67, Ecclesiastes 11, and Acts 3:1-4:4It's a fun comparison between these Old and New Testament passages. Ecclesiastes talks about making investments, and it seems that Peter makes a New Testament-style one: investing in the lame man, giving him back a life. That investment is what Jesus also made in us, giving us the ability to be whole and at one with God.
2024-05-2507 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 24: Psalms 63 and 64, Ecclesiastes 10, and Acts 2:22-47In the second section of the sermon from Peter, it's an interesting exercise to remember that this is the same man who denied Jesus three times. When he talks about the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the need for repentance, this isn't just a story. This is what brought him to this sermon.
2024-05-2408 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 23: Psalms 58 and 60, Ecclesiastes 9, and Acts 2:1-21Pentecost Sunday is just behind us, but we find ourselves back here in the regular flow of the reading plan! Perhaps this quick reminder is a good one: the Gospel has been brought to all people, not to just a select few. God is the God of all, and the Son died for all.
2024-05-2308 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 22: Psalm 55, Ecclesiastes 8, and Acts 1:15-26Interesting that even the actions of Judas are tied to the work of God. This moment in the history of Jesus's kingdom could have been devastating, he has left the work to a group of men who almost universally deserted him. Luckily, God allows comebacks.
2024-05-2207 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 21: Psalm 51, Ecclesiastes 7, and Acts 1:1-14It's interesting that, even at Jesus's ascension, the apostles still don't understand what power really is. They are looking for a restoration of their nation, but Jesus is offering them a new Kingdom. Perhaps discipleship is a journey that never ends until we live in that newly established Kingdom.
2024-05-2108 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 20: Psalm 49, Ecclesiastes 6, and 3 JohnTheology, humility, and hospitality are all hallmarks of the body of Christ, and especially for us to show to one another. In this little pastoral letter, a selfish person who denies fellow believers, choosing instead to promote himself. This should not be our way.
2024-05-2006 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 19: Psalm 145, Acts 2, and Acts 10:34-48 (Pentecost Sunday)The spreading of the Gospel is the work of God, and Pentecost is one of the events that sound the great work of God. The message is God's, and we are carriers. The future we have in Jesus is indeed good news, and it was very much worth getting to everyone.
2024-05-1909 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 18: Psalm 44, Ecclesiastes 4, and 1 John 5This is a pretty important foundation, though in current times it is less disputed: Jesus is God, and our life is grounded in him. In the first century, when the reality of Jesus coming, dying, and rising from the dead was a little more debated, this would have been critical for the young church to know. It remains as important to our reality today.
2024-05-1808 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 17: Psalm 39 and 41, Ecclesiastes 3, and 1 John 4:7-21Love and fear cannot coexist. Loving others means we do not fear them, and we have no reason to. God has sealed us eternally as his own, so we are free to love as only Jesus could.
2024-05-1708 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 16: Psalm 37:19-40, Ecclesiastes 2, and 1 John 3:11-4:6The trademarks of love and of the Spirit are shared with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. This is both because we should share that love with our spiritual family, but also because that shared loves gives our family the kind of attraction that makes others want to be part of it.
2024-05-1609 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 15: Psalm 38, Ecclesiastes 1, and 1 John 3:1-10The children of God, living in the Kingdom of Jesus, look different than those around them. The undercurrent of love and the work of the Spirit holds us together, but our lives also show the important of things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The way we treat one another, and the attention we give to following Jesus ourselves, is important.
2024-05-1506 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 14: Psalm 35, Job 42, and 1 John 2:7-29Loving like Jesus is hard to do, but it is one of the most important things that sets apart followers of Jesus. We need our spiritual families to learn it better, and those families need to listen to one another, listen to the Spirit, to learn how to do it better. This is discipleship.
2024-05-1409 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 13: Psalm 33, Job 41, and 1 John 1:1-2:6What brings us together in the community of Christ is not our own perfection, but our following of Jesus. Of course, we are not Jesus, so we are not without mistakes. When we fail, it is the redemption of Jesus that also binds us together.
2024-05-1308 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 12: Psalm 31, Job 40, and JudeCondemnation is plentiful for religious leaders who use their position to exploit others. In the early church, while the full reality of Jesus was still being realized, this would have been an easy for smooth-talking charlatans capable of swaying others. Perhaps that is why mercy is emphasized for the doubters: in this landscape, it can sometimes be difficult to know who to follow.
2024-05-1209 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 11: Psalm 27, Job 39, and 2 Peter 3Wholeness is God's design; following Jesus produces this. God is planning a new Heaven and a new earth in our future, the redemption of creation is his to produce. In the meantime, we are living in a preview of that Kingdom, bringing about the rule of Jesus in our present world.
2024-05-1108 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 10: Psalms 23 andf 24, Job 38:1-33, and 2 Peter 2God has judgement for those who claim his name but use that name for their own gain. These false teachers will be subject to the same fierce judgement that was recorded in the Old Testament for those who weren't believers, because of course, this is itself unbelief.
2024-05-1008 minDaily Liturgy and ScriptureMay 9: Psalms 21 and 24, Hebrews 8, Luke 24:44-53 (Ascension Day)"He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." This is part of the Creed we recite, and today we commemorate that portion. Jesus ascended into Heaven, not to escape us, but to become our High Priest at the right hand of the Father, the position of favor. He remains our advocate and the member of the Trinity who knows our experience directly.
2024-05-0906 min
Edtech InsidersShaping Careers Through Experiences with Chris Parrish of Podium EducationSend us a textChris Parrish is Co-Founder and President of Partnerships at the leading experiential learning company, Podium Education. At Podium, Chris led the launch of The Global Tech Experience, an industry redefining digital program that enables students to build skills and experience by working on projects directly with organizations like Intel, The Grammy’s and charity:water. Podium currently partners with 55 universities across the world and will support 10,000 students in 2023. His work has been featured in Fortune Magazine, Forbes, InsideHigherEd and TechCrunch. Chris and Podium are based in Austin, TX.
2023-12-1546 min