Luke 1:5-20 5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and … Continue reading Bible Leads: Luke 1:5-20: Zechariah
TEXT Luke 1:39-55 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the … Continue reading Bible Leads: Luke 1:39-55
TEXT Luke 1:8-20 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of … Continue reading Bible Leads: Luke 1:8-20
TEXT Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was … Continue reading Bible Leads: Luke 2:1-20
Christmas is like chaff. There is this great life-giving gem that is the birth of a Savior, who will save all of Creation. We’ve taken this gem and wrapped it in good-intentioned but meaningless stuff. While I love a good present, I am more-and-more bothered by the lack of serenity in the world. What a sublimely magnificent place (follow NASA on Twitter to see). What … Continue reading Matthew 3: The Threshing Floor of Advent
How can I love my enemy, as Jesus commands? A lot of human division is a matter of focusing on that which divides us. No matter how great or small the matter that keeps us from loving one another may be, one fact (Truth) that remains is that my enemy is human just like me. Jesus refocuses our attention, for by entering human flesh, he … Continue reading On the 11th Day of Christmas
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I … Continue reading On the 10th Day of Christmas
For a take on the counter-cultural aspect of Christmas, please see this article by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Continue reading On the 9th Day of Christmas
Apparently, there are eight blessings in the Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are the meek, Blessed are those that mourn, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the pure in heart, Blessed are the peacemakers, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake Found this at The Voice. Continue reading On the 8th Day of Christmas
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for inhim all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he … Continue reading On the 7th Day of Christmas
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