Author: fmpastor

Read Mark 13:1-8.

We are reading this passage in today’s world, where we are living through a pandemic, partisan politics that have infected almost every facet of our lives, dire predictions related to climate change, and warring factions across the globe. It is easy to feel the panic rise as we read Jesus’ words. But notice the last sentence of the passage: “This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

Could it be that everything we are suffering through today is leading to something new that God is birthing? Could it be leading to a healthier, more peaceful and equitable world? What would it look like if we lived as if that world was already here, already happening? In what ways could you partner with God in birthing something new in your own relationships, in your community, and in the broader world?

Today, offer a prayer of confession for the ways you contribute to the chaos of today’s world, find assurance in God’s promise of forgiveness, and commit yourself to working with intentionality towards healing and restoration.

Read Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25.

In verses 24-25 we read, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”

These verses remind us of the importance of gathering together with our siblings in Christ. If we practice our faith in isolation, there is no one to call attention to our growth, to encourage us in our discipleship, or to challenge us to be more loving and kind. Without community, there is no accountability and it is easy to turn inwardly rather than outwardly or upwardly.

How important do you think meeting together is in a person’s practice of faith? To what degree does participating in worship, in a small group, or a service organization provoke you to “love and good deeds”? Have there been times when you have felt disconnected from the body of Christ? What did you notice about your spirit of faith in those times?

Today, make it a point to notice and affirm at least one person’s loving act or good deed.

Read Psalm 113.

This psalm is a call to praise. It is a call to praise the name of the Lord from sunrise to sunset, from this moment into eternity. It is a call to praise the One who is big enough to see the whole universe all at one time, yet small enough to notice the needs of the poor. It is a call to praise for the One who turns the seemingly impossible into a reality.

Have you ever felt like something you needed was too small or insignificant to bring before God? Has anything seemed so impossible that it seemed pointless to ask for God’s help? In what way might laying everything before God – even things that may seem insignificant in comparison to the needs of others or even things that seem too far gone to redeem – be an act of praise?

Today, try to offer a word of praise at the top of each hour from sunrise to sunset.

Read 1 Samuel 1:4-20.

Hannah’s inability to conceive posed more than one problem. We get the sense that much of her desperation involves longing for a child to love and to nurture. Added to that, men were allowed to divorce women for failing to bear a child, leaving them without the security of a husband, with very few options for providing for themselves, and without any chance for remarrying. Even though we’re told her husband loved her, that must have still been in the back of her mind. And then there is her husband’s other wife who is mercilessly cruel.

To Hannah, her only hope for a better future was to have a male child, male being the only gender eligible for an inheritance. In fact, she is so desperate, she tries to bargain, promising that if she is given a child, she will offer him back to the service of God. Imagine wanting something so badly, you’re willing to give it back if only you can have it for a moment.

Think of at least one of the gifts God has given you. How might you offer that gift back to God? In what ways can you use your talent or gifts imaginatively, expressively, or creatively? Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those prayers that God has answered.

Read Mark 12:38-44.

This reading has Jesus comparing two types of people. Jesus first points to the scribes, who are esteemed in their communities and in the synagogues, who make a good show of their faith while at the same time, making money off the backs of the poor. In contrast, he notices the widow who, out of her meager resources, quietly and unobtrusively gives what she can.

Think about the people in your life who have made time for you even when they were very busy or been generous when they didn’t have much money for themselves. Has there been someone who took time to show care or concern for you even though they were dealing with their own set of problems? These are examples of people giving out of their poverty just like the widow who Jesus uses as the example of faithfulness.

Today, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those people who have been generous with their time, money, and attention, even when they had little to give.

Read Hebrews 9:24-28.

If you feel like this reading is very similar to the Hebrews reading from last week, you’re right. The author of Hebrews seems bent on saying the same thing a hundred different ways. Jesus, in offering himself as the perfect sacrifice for all of humankind, freed us from the power of sin and freed us for living more fully into our identity as children of God.

He made a way for reconciliation between us and God in a way that no earthly priest could do. Even when we find ourselves repeating the same sin over and over, we can turn back to God with full confidence that we’ll be given another chance to try again. But it’s only in repenting, in turning back to God and God’s ways, in committing ourselves to breaking the cycle of sin, that we can fully recognize and receive the mercy that is being offered.

Today, spend some time reflecting on sin in your life. Is there one that you seem to repeat over and over? How has repentance factored into your ability to break the cycle of that sin? What effect might confessing this sin to God and opening yourself to the cleansing mercy of Christ have on your ability to stop? Offer a prayer of confession and find assurance in the promise of forgiveness.

Read Psalm 127.

This is a celebration of family as it should be. It reminds me of the hymn, “Happy the Home When God is There.” Today, reflect on these lyrics, giving thanks for the times of peace and joy you have experienced with your family.

Happy the home when God is there, and love fills every breast;

When one their wish, and one their prayer, and one their heav’nly rest.

Happy the home where Jesus’ name is sweet to every ear;

Where children early speak his fame, and parents hold him dear.

Happy the home where prayer is heard, and praise is wont to rise;

Where parents love the sacred word and all its wisdom prize.

Lord, let us in our homes agree this blessed peace to gain;

Unite our hearts in love to Thee, and love to all will reign.

Read Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17.

The first part of this reading seems a little scandalous. It almost seems like Naomi and Ruth are conspiring to trap Boaz into a marriage with Ruth. Maybe these women thought it was more like a nudge towards a mutually beneficial relationship that was already blossoming. Either way, the child of Ruth and Boaz was welcomed by Naomi as her own flesh-and-blood grandson.

After suffering the loss of her husband and sons, after enduring the journey home and the struggle of securing basic sustenance, Naomi holds her consolation – her redemption – her reason for hope – against her breast. Obed would prove to be an important link in the family line of David, leading to Jesus, the consolation of the world.

Think of the struggles your ancestors went through to secure the life you now enjoy. What do you learn from their example and their experience? What type of legacy are you hoping to leave for the generations that follow you? Offer a prayer of thanks for those saints and sinners who have been a part of your family’s story and, for better or worse, have helped to shape your identity as it is today.

Read Mark 12:28-34.

Throughout Mark, the scribes are constantly scrutinizing, and then criticizing, Jesus’ action and words. Here, though, we have a scribe engaging Jesus in civil discourse. In our current cultural climate, civil discourse might well be found on the endangered species list.

How does this conversation itself embody Jesus’ commandment? What might we learn from this conversation about how to interact with someone we view as “other”? In prayer, consider how you might more lovingly engage with someone with whom you disagree.