death ⁽¹⁷¹⁾

Psalm 111; Isaiah 25:6–10a; Mark 6:35–44 The veil has long existed as a physical reminder of mystery. The truly veiled bride becomes a mystery (again) as she walks down the aisle toward an anxious and waiting groom. Modern weddings have pretty much eschewed the bridal…

Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 4:6–13; Luke 1:57–80 God speaks shalom to his people [who follow him] and to his faithful [where he is the core] ones (a very loose paraphrase of Psalm 85:8) Salvation is close to those that honor God (Psalm 85:9). Then…we get Amos.

Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:14–21; John 7:1–9 Every nation has a formative episode. The episodes can be one that is event (i.e., the signing of the Declaration of Independence) or it can be natural (i.e., the New Year) or it can even be invented (there are…

Psalm 30; Lamentations 3:22–33; Mark 5:21–43; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15 Grace. Unmerited favor. Overwhelming love. Not words that would usually be associated with Lamentations. With the content of Lamentations being a result of the fall of Israel (and in particular, Jerusalem), it is peculiar to think…

Psalm 30; Lamentations 2:18–22; Luke 4:31–37 In the science fiction series, Babylon 5, we learn about the “great” war. The great war was between two sides fighting for the benefit (or the evolution) of the “lesser” species. Each side has a different method to initiate…