Isaiah 12:2-6 • Proclaim God’s deeds to the nations. Philippians 4:4-7 • Rejoice in the Lord always. Luke 3:3-6 • A voice calling in the desert. Paul writes to the Philippians imploring them to rejoice in the Lord always! Sometimes we equate happiness with joy, but joy is different. Joy
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Malachi 3:1-4 • A refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap. Luke 3:7-18 • John warns the crowds, “You brood of vipers!” Christmas messages of consumerism abound, all saying one thing – you do not have enough. But Jesus shows that abundance is not measured by how much one has, and
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Jeremiah 33:14-16 • A righteous branch from David’s line. Luke 21:25-36 • Signs in the heavens and on earth. As we begin Advent we come seeking hope. Hope for ourselves, hope for others, and most importantly hope for the world! Advent is a time of active waiting, and preparation for
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2 Samuel 23:1-7 • David’s last words glorify God. John 18: 33-37 • Jesus before Pilate On the last Sunday of the liturgical year the passages explore the nature of God’s power, and invites readers to reflect on the nature of power and of powerlessness. How do leaders use power?
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1 Samuel 1:4-20 • Samuel is born to Hannah Mark 13:1-8 • Not one stone of the temple will be left standing The prayers of Hannah express sincere anguish and despair. In her prayers she seeks safety, comfort, hope and salvation. Salvation is not an event, but rather a process
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Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 • Ruth marries Boaz. Mark 12:38-44 • The widow offers two coins On this day of Remembrance, we are reminded of the need for a sense of safety and security in life. It is also a day when we seek peace and justice for all people in
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Ruth 1:1-18 • Wherever you will go I will follow. Mark 12:28-34 • You shall love your Lord with all your heart. How did you come to learn how to love yourself, and others? The love that Ruth shows to Naomi is an example of her steadfast love of another,
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Psalm 34:1-8, 19-22 • Taste and See that God is good. Mark 10:46-52 • The healing of Bartimaeus. We all long to be whole and to have our lives come into balance. Faithful followers find peace and healing when they are moved by the Spirit to see the world through
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Job 38:1-7, 34-41 – God’s rebuttal to Job’s complaint Mark 10:35-45 – A request from James and John what would you do if God suddenly answered you directly or suddenly appeared to you? Job’s appeal to God, and his questions about why this is happening to him, are no different
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Job 23:1-9, 16-17 • Job’s reply. Matthew 6:25-33 • Do not worry about what you will eat or drink. On this day of Thanksgiving, we hear the struggle and suffering of Job, seeking to find God so that he can pled his case. Job’s biggest challenge is that he can’t
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