In the time of the early church, anyone who confessed Jesus as Lord was expelled from the Temple and the local synagogues. Those beloved walls would no longer embrace the ones who had embraced Jesus. There would be no more pilgrimages to Jerusalem for them!

Herein lies the significance of the account of “The Man Born Blind.” Here too is that irony that threads its way through John’s Gospel. The miracle of being able to see for the first time since birth contrasts with the blindness of those who arrogantly claim to see, but who are in fact, blind.

May you be enriched by the confession of the blind man given the gift of sight by faith. No longer are the Pharisees there, “expelled” from Jesus’ presence by their disbelief. Remain with the blind man and Jesus. What is happening to you as you share this silent, loving space together?

John 9:1–41

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Jesus the light of the world. v. 5

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.

Picture the prison walls where Paul writes this letter. Go there. Enter the heart of this great apostle. The personal joy he shares overflows beyond the walls of his cell. Nothing on an external level can take away this joy.

Let it be the same for you. Whatever may be pressing about you, holding you hostage, inner freedom is being offered you at this very moment. To experience this, take each phrase of glory in this chapter and let it turn your “prison cell” into a prayer cell—a space of energy that launches you into total freedom, beyond all that would hold you captive.

Nothing needs change in your circumstances. Only your heart needs to be open to free, transforming grace.

Ephesians 3

Find out all about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: Rooted and grounded in love v. 17

Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
In the season of Lent this year we read Ephesians and 1 Corinthians 11-12.

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 122.

Excitement irrupts from the back seat of the car: Are we there yet? The child simply cannot wait any longer to arrive at the longed-for destination. Asimilar holy anxiety fills the mass of marchers on their way to Jerusalem. They see the beloved city part of the crowd is already there.

A focus on Jerusalem—this is what sustains the joy of the pilgrim. While we are moving toward Jerusalem and Holy Week, the spiritual realities celebrated there are already present within you and within the church, the New Jerusalem. The One that you are seeking as the goal in your life is already walking with you on your journey. Recall the chorus of the 1913 hymn by C. Austin Miles, “In the Garden.” “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.”

Psalm 122

What are Bible Breaths? Learn More
Example: Going inward to Your house v. 1

During Lent this year we read Psalms 120-124.

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