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Shabbat Shalom!
I have a friend who is a rabbi in the Houston area. When I used to Read More
Gordon A. R. Edwards | Read 2 Samuel 6:12-19
David retrieves the ark from Obed-edom before recommencing the celebration. Elaborate celebrations accompany the journey to Jerusalem: David dances “with all his might” and dresses the part too. He engages fully in praising God. His linen ephod signals that the ark’s procession is not only a celebration but a ritual...
Lord, teach me how to celebrate you, share your blessings with others, and carry my faith into my daily life. Amen.
Two readings this week focus on welcoming God’s presence. David does this by bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. As the ark arrives, David dances with all his might, worshiping God with reckless abandon. In Psalm 24, the author poetically calls a city to open its gates and welcome the great king. These passages invite us to consider how willingly we receive God into our lives. The reading from Ephesians speaks of God’s eternal plan. While circumstances may seem chaotic from our perspective, God holds an eternal perspective and has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Mark tells us the sad story of the execution of John the Baptist, yet another example of a righteous person experiencing persecution.
• Read 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19. How do you bless others in your daily life?
• Read Psalm 24. How do you evidence your willingness to be a steward of God’s creation?
• Read Ephesians 1:3-14. When have you experienced a “hiccup” on your journey and found God ready and willing to assist? How did that help come?
• Read Mark 6:14-29. When have you experienced a guilty conscience? What triggered it?
Respond by posting a prayer.
