Listen to Nick read the Firestarter and the reading.

In the trial scene of the play and movie by Richard Bolt, “Man for All Seasons,” Thomas More breaks the silence he had previously kept while striving to be both faithful to God and loyal to the King, Henry VIII of England. When he is finally convicted and sentenced to death, he declaims the evil of putting temporal before eternal law.

In a similar way, Jesus denounces the scribes and Pharisees in his last words to them. He pours out his anger upon those who had relentlessly opposed the grace of the Good News.

Be moved by the grief of Jesus as he laments over Jerusalem in the last three verses. He then departs forever from the Temple. Jesus doesn’t want to depart from your spirit, his temple. Is there anything you are doing that is driving Jesus away

Matthew 23:1–12

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Bearing each others’ burdens v. 4

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
During the Seasons of Pentecost and Kingdomtide, we read the Gospel of 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.

Listen to Nick read the Firestarter and the Gospel reading.

Jesus quotes from the first half of the Jewish Shema which pious Jews repeat twice daily (Deut. 6:4–5). After many questions on the part of the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees, Jesus now takes the offensive. He presents a dilemma, forcing his listeners to face the question of how the Messiah would come to be. They are finally rendered speechless.

Life poses many questions about how, when or even whether God is intervening or not. There needs to come a moment when questions are silenced by the very presence of the Lord, perhaps by further questions, such as those posed to Job. God’s questions reduce Job to silence. They remind him about how incapable he is to dominate questions for which the Lord alone has answers.

Ponder these words of the song of Scott Wesley Brown: “When answers aren’t enough—there is Jesus.”

Matthew 22:34–46

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…
Example: Surrendering to silence v. 46

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
During the Seasons of Pentecost and Kingdomtide, we read the Gospel of 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.

Listen to Nick read the Firestarter and Matthew 25:31-46.

This is the last chapter in Matthew’s Gospel before the Passion of Jesus. It consists of two parables and the description of the final judgment. They are as three murals that fill the wall of a great hall. Your imagination will creatively continue the stories and the images before you.

If there is one word that gives unity to the three scenes, it is responsibility. Take the word in the sense of “being responsive.” The wise virgins, the persons with five and three talents, and those at the final judgment who were compassionate to the needy—each of these were responsive to the demands and the details of the presence of Jesus as Bridegroom, Master, and Son of Man. 

Meditate on where you find yourself in each of these stories, noting the changes needed in your responsiveness—before it is too late.

Matthew 25

Create your own Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: Done for th’ least, doing for You v. 45

Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels.
In the season of Kingdomtide this year we read Matthew 19 to 28.

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.