The readings from The Song of Songs come in sharp contrast with Monday’s stark passages from Ezekiel. The tender, sensual love poetry of the Song is set against the violence, famine, death, and exile spoken by Ezekiel. However, God’s intense love for his people and their absence from this love still emerge in both readings as a common theme. Surely, the verse for the day was in St. John’s mind when he developed the scene of Mary Magdalene searching for Jesus in this year’s Easter Gospel.

Though faithful, yet without her proper clothing, the security guards of the city believe the Shulamite is a prostitute. Even when love is faithful, there are disconnections, misunderstandings and confusions that can have the timing of love be out of sync.

Receive the description of the Shulamite of her Beloved as expressions of the beauty of the Body of Christ.

Song of Songs 5—6

What are Bible Breaths? Learn More…
Example: I belong to You, O Lord. 6:3

Tuesdays are dedicated to the Old Testament books of history
and the Hebrew “Writings.”
In the season of Easter this year we read Proverbs 11—12 and The Song of Songs.

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 word “prophesy” literally means, “to speak on behalf” of God. However, in addition to the voice, God often speaks through symbolic gestures of the prophets such as Jeremiah commanded not to marry and Hosea ordered to marry a prostitute. These gestures express the infidelity that wounds the heart of God who loves so much. In today’s reading, Ezekiel is to gather up his belongings as though going into exile—sign of what is going to happen to God’s rebellious people.

Beyond the anger of God, read God’s hurt as that of a beloved treated with indifference and infidelity on the part of the spouse. The denial of bread, a consequence to immanent siege, is similar to the refusal of the Bread of Life in last Friday’s reading.

What symbolic gestures does God suggest to you, to express how you are relating to the Lord these days?

Ezekiel 12—14

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
In the season of Easter we read Ezekiel 1—16.

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: You taking hold of my heart 14:5

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.

On Good Friday, the veil in the Temple was torn in two; the separation between the divine and human was removed. In the final weeks of Easter, we peer into the mystery of God behind the place where the veil used to be.

The key to understanding is once again, meno, “to abide.” Repeatedly this word appears, weaving Jesus’ profound expression in this and the following chapter.

The word for the Holy Spirit that John uses is the Greek parakletos, sometimes simply transferred into English as “paraclete.” The word literally means “one who is called to be at your side” as a lawyer, advocate, counselor, “helper,” or in the King James version, “Comforter.”

Meditate upon these and other words that may be given to you, all variations of the intimate living-with that the Spirit brings.

John 14:15–21

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Spirit abiding in me v. 17

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
During Lent and Easter, we read from the Gospel of John.

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.