Daily Archives: December 1, 2006

I Feel Empty

01 Friday Dec 2006

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Psalm 61:1-4

1 O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings!

The psalmist expresses all the emotions in the psalms (the Hebrew songbook.) I can really identify with the emotions expressed in this song today. It’s been an interesting 48 hours.

Lord, I feel empty, fill me up with your grace and mercy overflowing so I can give grace and mercy to others. I lack wisdom today, fill me with your wisdom so I can give to others. Lord, help me have the words to say to comfort those you have called me to shepherd. Comfort us, wrap your arms around us, give us peace in the middle of the storm. Amen!

First Week of Advent

01 Friday Dec 2006

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Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36

Not only have I used these scriptures as meditating scriptures this week, but they are also the scriptures that I used in my sermon this week. Advent is a two-fold season. It is a beginning season; an expectation season, when we remember that Jesus came to earth as a baby. This is his first Advent, but it’s in this season that we also remember that Jesus Christ is returning; His second Advent. Those in Israel were waiting for a king; a political, financial, and religious king. Today, we wait for a king. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and in this we have great hope. This year I plan to focus on Advent as a season of hope, peace, love, and joy. This week I want to focus the hope of Christ’s return. That is what we will celebrate this week as we partake in communion together. We have the hope that Christ will return. It is in this hope that we must place our trust. Because we have this hope we need to live lives that are worthy of our Savior; lives that are set apart to the worship of our God. Jesus cautions us to be on the lookout; not to get involved in things that don’t matter. Do you have hope that the Jesus is returning as the King of Kings? King of Kings?

31 Days to Go

01 Friday Dec 2006

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We are in the home stretch of our Year of the Bible readings. From here on out it’s almost all books of prophecy (Daniel and on) and Revelation. It has been an interesting journey. There are sections of the Bible that I have never read before. Quite a few are in the next thirty one days. I am looking forward to finishing.

The Wesleyan Church has challenged us to read through the Bible a second time. Reading the Bible felt like a marathon. I’d like to try something different now that I’ve established a good Bible reading habit. I’m planning to do a more meditative read this year. As part of that I plan to journal my thoughts. I’m going to use the weekly readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. You can follow those thoughts at Lectionary Notepad. As part of that, we will walk through the liturgical church year, which centers on Jesus our Savior. I’m looking forward to it.

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