deliverance and rest
lection reflection for 2 Dec 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Today's readings (Gen 3.1-24 and Mt 11.25-30) expand on the petitions of this week's collect, in which we pray rescue from our sins and God's mighty deliverance. They flesh out these requests by teaching us and reminding us of our need for redemption (from Genesis) and the benefits of God's salvation in Christ (from . . .
Posted in: adventreflections
finding God where he promises to be found
lection reflection for 23 Sept 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Today's Old Testament reading (2 Kings 5.1-19) is one of my absolute favorite accounts in the Old Testament. In it we are reminded of several essential truths that tend to run counter to our own thinking about how God should behave and work. For this reason...
First, we learn that we may find God precisely where he promises . . .
Posted in: reflectionssacraments
craving Christ in a junk food loving world
lection reflection for 18 Sept 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Following the two-year daily lectionary, this week we started reading through 1 Corinthians. Today, as we read most of the second chapter, we read these words from St. Paul:
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. I decided to know . . .
Posted in: reflections
Solomon: encouragement to a fellow sinner
lection reflection for 28 Aug 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
In today's Old Testament reading (1 Kings 3.1-15), do we get mixed messages about King Solomon? On one hand, we see acts that were clearly prohibited for Israel's kings. On the other hand, we see Solomon's clear devotion to God and selflessness. Solomon is a mixed bag, not without may flaws, faults, and sin, but also blessed . . .
Posted in: reflections
unanswered prayer: wisdom from C.S. Lewis
lection reflection for 19 August 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
In today's Gospel reading (Mark 11.12-26), Jesus teaches us to pray with a believing heart:
Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell . . .
Posted in: reflections
true greatness: following Jesus, not bestsellers
lection reflection for 15 August 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Every month, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) publishes their bestselling book list. Every month, even when the titles change or shift their order, the never-ending parade of bestselling Christian books touts the same message:
God loves you and wants you to succeed, so try harder, find your purpose, . . .
Posted in: reflections
our struggle between riches and the Kingdom
lection reflection for 14 August 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Today's gospel reading is the very familiar dialogue between Jesus and the rich young ruler (Mark 10.17-31). Jesus transitions between this interaction with the young man and his follow-on discussion with the disciples with this very hard-hitting statement:
How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom . . .
Posted in: reflections
