blessing (45)

Ian

Lost in Memory

Genesis 39:21–41:36, Psalm 9:1-16 Old age, being “blonde”, being scatterbrained, being AD(H)D, having a bad time with names are all often used to excuse memory issues. While there are definitely cases of that being true, another cause of memory issues is being overly mentally occupied…

Continue reading...
Ian

Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 9:1–9:7, Psalm 36, Romans 5:20–6:11 You have been trouble from the beginning of this! Moses’ long good-bye speech (all of Deuteronomy) is a summary of God, God’s message, God’s calling, and Israel’s past, current, and future response. It’s not pretty. We can often look…

Continue reading...
Ian

Transitioning

Psalm 29; Isaiah 43:1–13; Matthew 3:13–17 Many people claim to have heard from God. Often in church culture, we hear about Elijah and the "still, small, voice of God" (1 Kings 19). In Psalm 29, however, the voice of the Lord is anything but quiet.

Continue reading...
Ian

Knowing Whose

2 Chronicles 6:32–42; Jeremiah 31:7–14 Solomon was ceremoniously blessing the newly constructed Temple. There is a lot of political pomp and circumstance that is part of the ceremony. It would have been expected, and much of the political speech dressed up in religious language had…

Continue reading...
Ian

Thursday before the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Genesis 25:25-34, Exodus 15:12-18, Psalm 23 The family life of Isaac and Jacob—the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel—is not ideal. Favoritism of love is shown. Despising of family and property is displayed through hunger. This is not a family form to follow. God’s Word…

Continue reading...