January 3, 2013 SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:1-8 OBSERVATIONS The Jewish Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament) is filled with religious symbols and rituals, and several of them are mentioned here: the Sabbath Day, the Law of Moses, the house of God/temple, the consecrated bread, and the priests. In addition David, the prototype of the coming Messiah…
Author: Norm
what is ordinary spirituality?
Some people think that spirituality is a dimension of life outside of ordinary reality. We interrupt our normal activities to do something spiritual: pray, reads the bible, go to church, be still. But this is not true, not real; every part of life has a spiritual dimension. Walking, breathing, creating, imagining, copulating, parenting, conversing, eating,…
“this year with Jesus!”
January 2, 2013 SCRIPTURE: Matthew 11:25-30 OBSERVATIONS God seems to prefer the weak over the strong. He chooses to reveal Himself to little children (not the wise). He chooses to reveal Himself through a nobody from Nazareth, a weak leader that is eventually crucified. He chooses to help people who admit that they are weary and…
how will this year be different?
Do you make new year’s resolutions? If not, why not? Is it because you are honest enough to admit that you will not see it through? Or is it because you are content with how you are, you don’t need to make any changes? Is it because you are already working hard at self-improvement, and…
judgment year
January 1, 2013 SCRIPTURE: Matthew 11:20-24 OBSERVATIONS I’m not sure about you, but I was not hoping to spend the first day of 2013 thinking about Judgment Day. Jesus seems to be working with the idea that the kinds of miracles that He is performing ought to result in deep, life-altering repentance, and He is surprised…
heeding, not hiding from the truth
December 31, 2012 SCRIPTURE: Matthew 11:7-19 OBSERVATIONS Has anyone ever tried to challenge you on something? How did you react? I know for me, my gut level reaction is, who do you think you are, how dare you accuse me. We find reasons to dismiss, deny our ignore what they say. This is what people did…
surprise, there is a God!
December 30, 2012 SCRIPTURE: Psalm 14 OBSERVATIONS Imagine if you could do whatever you wanted, without fear of consequences or punishment. You could take what you wanted, do what you pleased, without retribution? Imagine being in a position of power without accountability. Throughout history people have had this power, and have abused it, and abused people….
Exodus 25-31
December 28-29, 2012 SCRIPTURE: Exodus 25-31 OBSERVATIONS What do you notice in this passage? APPLICATION What do you sense the Lord saying to you? PRAYER
MLK on non-violent resistance
In his book Stride Toward Freedom, Martin Luther King writes about non-violence: First, it must be emphasized that nonviolent resistance is not a method for cowards; it does resist. If one uses this method because he is afraid or merely because he lacks the instruments of violence, he is not truly nonviolent. This is why…
the kingdom has come, and is coming!
December 27, 2012 SCRIPTURE: Matthew 11:1-6 OBSERVATIONS The Jews lived with a fervent hope that one day their messiah would come to liberate them from their oppressors and re-establish David’s kingdom, or the kingdom of God. That time would be a time of miracles and blessings, when the blind would receive sight, the lame walk, those…