The Grandeur of God

Tap here for a video meditation on Psalm 147.

Embrace this psalm as a connective to your whole week, a song of praise for God celebrated as the center of life. The psalmist is your guide on a tour of God’s universe. God has loving care for the world and for you.

The catalog of God’s grandeur moves from inner to outer manifestations. There is an air of spontaneity about the order of things, as the sacred writer simply expresses what comes to his heart in whatever order the Spirit prompts. You might write a psalm that follows a similar movement. What elements of God’s goodness does the Spirit give you to express?

The ultimate gift is the finest of wheat that becomes the sacrament Christ’s body.

Psalm 147

What are Bible Breaths? Learn More
Example: I hope in Your steadfast love. v. 11

We continue to read 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

The Ark of Saving Grace

The highest form of God’s creation, human life, becomes the lowest. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a spiritual sense of the heart of God—the profound divine sadness at human corruption.

However, Noah and his family stand above the rest in perfection. Through him, the human family and all the species of the earth will be spared extinction. The ark is built, symbol of the boundaries of saving grace that would come through the body of Jesus and living in him.

Note the time references to this ancient disaster that came upon the earth. In the midst of all the chaos of water defying the boundaries of land, there are time boundaries and the absolute certainty that from the Genesis passages here, to the Revelation chapters of these Thursdays, the Lord is in charge.

Genesis 6:9—11:32

Learn about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: The Dove of Peace has rested. 8:12

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

A Silent, Steady Stare

Pilate and Herod are as kings of “Babylon.” Hear Jesus’silence in his encounters with them. While there are a few words of Jesus to Pilate expressing who Jesus is, there is not a word in the presence of Herod. As the evil kings of his ancestors from the readings from 2 Chronicles, all the pomp and noise of Herod produces nothing but Jesus’ steady silent stare into his face.

Just before today’s account in Luke of Jesus brought before Pilate, Matthew has inserted the account of the tragic end of Judas, using verses that occur in our reading on Tuesday from Zechariah. If only he, as Peter, had found a moment to behold Jesus’ look of sadness and love upon him! Being in such a presence might have changed him. Look what it did for Pilate and Herod; they became friends! Feel the silent, steady stare of Jesus and be changed.

Luke 23:1–12

Find out all about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: Silent before the Herods. v. 9

Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
In the season of Kingdomtide this year we read 2 Timothy and Revelation 12—22.

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.