Month: December 2025

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The Sweep of Saving Grace

Listen to Pastor Nick read the Firestarter and the Gospel.

Winter’s cold holds trees captive, wrenching away all evidence of life. Trees that once swayed with summer songs are now touched and come to a silent, stark stillness.

John the Baptist, captive in prison, is also cut off from the evidences of the life-giving presence in Jesus. John begins to doubt, longing for a release from the torturing question, which throws him this way and that: “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Does doubt dangle questions before you as well? The words that reassured John will do the same for you with the clarity of bells making these dark nights of the year echo with a summoning call to worship and to joy. Listen in the silence to the sounds of saving grace that sweep across your silent, emptied soul.

Matthew 11:2–11

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Messenger going ahead v. 10

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.

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Two Josephs – with Recording

Listen to Pastor Nick read the Firestarter and Genesis 37:15-28.

The story of the Patriarch, Joseph, draws our attention to Joseph, husband of Mary. Both were addressed by God through dreams; both went to Egypt as a result of attempts on life—the patriarch Joseph himself, and Jesus.

The chapter sets the stage for God to use a victim of fraternal strife to become the means of salvation for his brothers. Joseph anticipates Jesus. The leaders of God’s own people complete the attempt on Jesus’s life by Herod years later; the scribes and Pharisees collectively have the same power and arrogance of Herod.

The betrayal of Joseph by his brothers is not unlike that of Judas, and the denial of Peter. However, the victory will come in Joseph’s fidelity to his God and Jesus’s adherence to the Father.

How does this reading touch you and move you to trust what God is doing in your life no matter what may be coming against you?

Genesis 37

This is the first of three parts in the Torah portion for today. The remaining two parts will occur in years B and C.
The entire portion,Vayeshev (And He Settled) is as follows:
Genesis 37:1—40:23

Learn about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: Grateful to those who love me v. 21

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

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Flesh of His Flesh

Listen to Pastor Nick read the Firestarter and the Magnificat: 1:46-56.

Morning, afternoon and evening can beautifully receive these three parts of today’s Gospel—the annunciation to Mary in the morning, the afternoon visit of Mary to Elizabeth and the evening song of Mary’s praise, the Magnificat. Each of these three segments take their movement from the stirrings of the Holy Spirit within the two women.

You will come to appreciate why for centuries the Magnificat has been the church’s evening prayer in the Catholic and Anglican traditions. Your heart will be one with the heart of Mary in her explosive prayer, if the prior hours of your day are filled with the awareness of what God wants to do for you as God did for Mary. Witness God’s compassion as Mary did to Elizabeth. May Jesus grow within you as he did within Mary. For you too, Jesus will be bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh.

Luke 1:26–56

Create your own Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: The child in me leaps for joy. v. 44

Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels.
In the seasons of Advent to Epiphany this year we read Luke 1 2; Matthew 1 7.

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.