[From the original version]

Do you know any mothers who died at childbirth? There is an extraordinary sadness when this occurs. Our reading begins with the death of Rachel when Benjamin was born. There is a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem that prides itself as being the place where Rachel is buried. As quietly as Isaac breathes his last, so are the final verses in the Bible that recount his death.

Chapter 36 gives the history of Esau and his people—only a list of names as though printed in black and white. Colors are kept for the stories of Jacob and his descendants, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, prototype of the Twelve Apostles and the New Israel, the Church. Esau’s disobedience wrenches

Genesis 35:16—36:43

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The Saturday passages follow the reading list that Jewish people use in their synagogue worship
throughout the world. They are taken from
“The Torah,” the first five books of the Bible from Genesis to Deuteronomy
that are read each year beginning with autumn.

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 families with children]

When I was seventeen years old and had just graduated from High School, I entered a Catholic community—a religious order—called the Jesuits. If you ever go up along the Hudson river just past the city of Poughkeepsie on Route 9, you’ll see “The Culinary Institute of America.” That is where I lived for four years when it was a seminary. The large, red brick building faces the river, high above what we call palisades.

On the path to the river, there used to be a large crucifix: that’s a cross with a carving of the body of Jesus on it. We used to stop for a moment to pray at that spot. The cross had a little roof over it to protect it from the weather. Just beneath that roof there was this saying: “From the arms of the Crucified, the breath of peace moves slowly across the world.”

As you read the story of Jesus’ death on the cross, may you feel that silent breath of the dying Jesus, amid all the shouting and commotion that must have been going on around him. There’s that idea of silence again…When there’s lots of noise about you that threatens to take away your peace—maybe the noise of other people talking selfishly—may you feel that silence of Jesus inside you, becoming aware of your own breathing that is joined to the Spirit of Jesus.

Mark 15:21–47

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Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels. This year, we generally read
from the Gospel of Mark, this season, chapters 10 to 16.

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 families with children]

I wonder if a movie could be made of all the awesome scenes that are described in these two chapters. They are very amazing and even scary. Yet take a look at the first verse of chapter 8 about that half hour of silence. Imagine going to the movies…Instead of the Previews of Coming Attraction, the movie folks were to lead us in a half hour of silence so that the special movie we were about to see would be all the more impressive. Interesting, no?!

Well, that’s what God suggests when we face something that might be scary in our lives. The silence is meant to increase our awareness of the presence of God who is always with us and who protects us against all harm. Maybe a half-hour of pure quiet might seem too much for you, but how about five minutes? The silence is the setting in which God can show us His presence and love. If you’ve got a watch with a timer, set it for five minutes and just be quiet, believing that God is looking at you and loving you.

Revelation 8—9

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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 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.