Moses said to them, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Collect as much of it as each of you can eat, one omer per person. You may collect for the number of people in your household.’”

Exodus 16:15-16

Maybe you’ve heard the expression: “Don’t just stand there, do something!” Now let’s take a look at this saying in reverse: “Don’t just do something, stand there!” Do you get what this means? When it comes to living out God’s ways, lots of activity alone is not enough. We need to stand (or sit or knell) and wait for God’s Word to become personal to us.

Jewish people keep the Sabbath as the day to stop working and simply receive all that God has done and what God is doing. Today’s episode in the desert about how the people received food and drink, reminds us how water and food come from God alone–they are not really the result of our work!

So swing back to this story over 3000 years ago and live it on this Saturday in a way that links you with our ancestors and with Jewish people today all around the globe. Remember that on Saturdays we are reading the same part of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), as are read in every synagogue on the earth! Doesn’t that give you a feeling of oneness and connection with these wonderful people?

Exodus 16:11—17:7

Here is a sample of a seven-syllable breath-prayer
from today’s reading:
Just enough bread for the day 16:18
For more information about this creative way to pray,
see Bible Breaths.

Saturdays are dedicated to the Sabbath Torah portions
read in synagogues throughout the world.
This plan follows those traditions that take a third of the portion
over a three year cycle, this year, the second part.
For more about the Torah portions and thoughtful commentaries, visit
The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Seasons of Grace – A Calendar for 2019

Solar and Sacred Seasons
Some adjustments to make the church year simpler.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand Firestarters with you on your phone or tablet.  More information…