Last week’s voice of Gabriel from the tightly bounded Holy of Holies contrasts with this week’s call from the limitless wild of the desert. The barren void of Elizabeth’s womb has received the conception of John the Baptist. Today we hear the silence of the barren wilderness broken with the voice of John completing the prophecy of Isaiah centuries before.
The beginning of newness occurs with a fresh voice of God welling up from the inner, open expanse of the soul. Be there in silence. Feel the wild emptiness of your own spirit—that place of virgin openness beneath the more constructed space contaminated by routine, boredom, low expectation of life—just plain sin. The voice from within calls you to a completely new depth in your relation with God. This begins with repentance. Fall in with the crowds about John allowing their intense desire for spiritual change to do the same for you. John’s purifying water prepares the way for the fire of the Holy Spirit of God to ignite your soul.
What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Repent: the Kingdom is near. v. 2
Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year A, we generally read from the Gospel of St. Matthew.
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.
The Bible Through the Seasons 