[This Firestarter is from the original version.]

A gentile woman’s strong faith and the healing of a deaf mute are today’s examples of so many miracles. Despite the command of Jesus, the man who could now hear and talk could not be kept silent. The purpose of the silence is to downplay the “wonder-worker” name given to Jesus. People might be drawn only for the miracle and not for the relationship with the One who performed it.

Invite Jesus to come and touch your ears and your tongue. May what you hear lead you to the Word of the Lord; may what you say lead others to the same. The Letter of James, chapter 3 teaches about the wiles of the tongue. Today be aware of your tongue, and especially of the grace of God to heal it.

Mark 7:24–37

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Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year B, we read from the Gospel of Mark

For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

[From the version for children and families]

Imagine being the child that Jesus picks up for a special blessing, and then you linger along with those following Jesus, because you just love being with him.  Get up right next to Jesus as you listen to a conversation Jesus has with a rich man.  Here he comes, anxiously asking Jesus questions about salvation.  Follow the conversation slowly and see how it moves along.  The man wanted to do something really special with his life.  Hear Jesus’s wonderful suggestion to him…and how sad the man was because he clung so much to his riches that he didn’t want to let go of them to follow Jesus.
Picture this scene and get in touch with the man’s sadness as he walked away from Jesus.  What sort of feelings stir within you?  Maybe Jesus is turning to you and wondering of you’ll walk away too.  But really, there is no greater richness than having God’s love for you in Jesus…and you have it! 

 Mark 10:13-22

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Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels. This year, we generally read
from the Gospel of Mark, this season, chapters 4 to 9.

For all the Firestarters in the original version I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

[From the version for children and families]

We turn to a letter of St. Paul to a church in ancient Greece, way up in the north on the Aegean Sea.  Like Corinth, it was a busy seaport city with bustling trade going on all the time. 
As often happens in St. Paul’s letters, he begins by praising the church to which he is writing.  Think about it: once there was a community that received this letter for the first time from their dear pastor, Paul.  In place of e-mail and letters to individuals, this letter was read aloud to a community, perhaps gathering in someone’s house to worship and pray to the Lord Jesus. 
Pray about the three great spiritual gifts from God that we call the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love.  Hope is a wonderful extension of faith, being confident that something is really going to happen along the lines of what we believe in.  Love is the very essence of God that is radiating out from God through us. 
So let’s sit down with all those hearing this letter of St. Paul that will be our focus for six autumn Thursdays.

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1 Thessalonians 1

Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
In season of Kingdomtide this year,
we read 1 and 2 Thessalonians; Revelation 4—11.

For all the Firestarters in the original version, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.