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The Curiosities of Christmas
“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Read More
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Whitney R. Simpson | Read Psalm 29:1-11
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Sign Up TodayGod longs to offer us peace, but we must listen. Pause for a
moment and listen. What do you hear? If scripture included
sound effects, the voice of the Lord in this passage might sound
like a raging thunderstorm. Think of a time when you physically
found yourself amid a...
Lord, may I praise you with my whole being. In both quiet and stormy times, may I receive your sacred gifts of strength and peace. Amen.
Many will read the Isaiah text and identify the servant with Jesus, the one God enables to do the work of justice and transformation. The psalm announces the glory of God, a king powerful over the turbulence of nature and whose voice is a transcendent revelation. Matthew’s story of Jesus’ baptism joins the themes of servant and king. The baptism inaugurates Jesus’ ministry in which he proclaims God’s righteousness. Peter’s speech in Acts reminds us that Jesus’ baptism carries with it the promise of baptism in the Spirit.
• Read Isaiah 42:1-9. In this new year, what promises of God do you want to breathe in?
• Read Psalm 29. When the storms of life rage, how do you listen for God’s promptings?
• Read Acts 10:34-43. To whom do you need to proclaim the promises of Jesus Christ?
• Read Matthew 3:13-17. How does your understanding of your own baptism encourage you to live as an obedient child of God?
Respond by posting a prayer.
I join many of those who will pray for you as you seek to discern what you are called to be at this moment. May God grant you the courage to fulfill that calling. May we all open our eyes and see the misery, open our ears and hear the cries of God’s people, and, like God through the Lord Jesus Christ, be incarnate amongst them.”
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