[From the version for families with children]

Like the stars that are scattered across the Advent night sky, so does St. Peter write to his beloved Christians who are flung across Asia Minor, the area that is now the country of Turkey.

This letter is like an Advent candle.  The candle might seem powerless to push back the darkness as some great floodlight would do. St. Peter describes the people going through very hard times: persecution, jealousies, bully-fights from those who do not know God.  St. Peter encourages them and lets them feel that though they are small against big attacks, still—like the Advent Candle—the darkness cannot any longer say that there is no light!  Not only that, but the flame that lights the candle will also be like the fire that purifies gold and makes it shine more brightly. 

So when things happen to you that frighten you or make you angry or sad, just take up this passage and pray slowly over some of the verses in the reading that will bring comfort and joy to your heart.   Comfort and joy—two gifts that Jesus wants to give you this Advent and Christmas!  

 1 Peter 1:1-12

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Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
In the seasons of Advent through Epiphany this year,
we read the letters of Peter.

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 Firestarters with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Tap Here for a video meditation on Psalm 95.

[From the version for families with children]

Can you imagine this psalm being prayed in the middle of the night for centuries—about a 2 AM?  How’s that for getting up early!  There are religious communities who live to praise God, work and pray in God’s presence all the time.  They even promise to stay in the same place all the days of their life, challenging us to be careful about all the traveling that we want to do.  Jesus never went beyond the Lands that became holy by his presence.

Pray this psalm in the spirit of those who begin their day in the middle of the night.  While everyone is sleeping the prayer is sung out for the whole earth, inviting all the peoples to return to the basics of life and praise God.

The middle of the night….quiet, peaceful—a good time for prayer…for you too, if you find yourself awake for awhile at that time.  It’s soon to be the middle of the season when nights are much longer than days—winter.   It’s in this setting that we celebrate Advent—the season to become awakened to God and God’s love in our lives.

 Psalm 95

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We follow a reading of the Psalms in numerical order.

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 original version]

What future is there for a eunuch? No progeny—only endless cycles of boring chores, as worker bees in a hive, unable to make the queen fertile. However, the miracle of children and a future will come even for them, if they keep Sabbath sacred space—wombs of time, fertilized by fidelity to God’s Word.

The first Advent candle is lit, sowing a seed of light into the dark womb of night. Place yourself before the candle at the center of those places within where there is anything like despairing darkness. Resist the smugness of those beastly types with their vain feelings of power. Each of their tomorrows will become darker and darker. Take hope. It is Advent. Jesus the light longs to make your heart fertile. Will you let him?

Isaiah 56

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
In the season of Advent this year, we continue to read Isaiahl.

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…

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.