Scripture: Mark 10:47-48 When Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Thought for the Day: You have probably seen a movie where a crowd of people in some
Scripture: Romans 12:9-11 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! Thought for the Day: The Trappist Monk and Mystic, Thomas Merton wrote: Our job is to love
Scripture: 1 John 2:9 The one who claims to be in the light while hating a brother or sister is in the darkness even now. Thought for the Day: Continuing with some other words from Elie Wiesel’s book, Night: Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:24 After giving thanks, Jesus broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this to remember me.” Thought for the Day: Just a few days ago, one of my heroes in the faith died. Many of you knew Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor who wrote the powerful book, Night. In the book he stated, “To forget the dead would
Scripture: Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are flowing honey, sweet to the taste and healing to the bones. Thought for the Day: I have referenced the writings of Richard Rohr on a number of occasions. He runs the Center for Contemplation and Action, and a number of years ago he wrote: The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better… On this day when our nation
Scripture: Galatians 6:18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. Thought for the Day: Paul closes his letter with a fairly traditional blessing. The word grace describes God’s loving kindness extended to all. This might be Paul’s last communication with the people of the Galatian churches, so despite his disagreements and frustrations, he concludes with kind and loving words.
Scripture: Galatians 6:10 So then, let’s work for the good of all whenever we have an opportunity, and especially for those in the household of faith. Thought for the Day: I won’t impose my assumptions on anyone, but I don’t think I can honestly say that I have always worked for the good of all whenever I have had the opportunity. How often have I allowed an old
Scripture: Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too. Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. Thought for the Day: You have a responsibility to the faith community. Too often the church portrays
Scripture: Galatians 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Thought for the Day: I was with some Disciples of Christ pastors yesterday for lunch. We were talking about one of our historic beliefs as a denomination in regard to polity – we are a congregationally governed church. That means, there is not a hierarchy that tells us what we can
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. Thought for the Day: I remember watching my grandparents spend hours everyday working in their large garden, yet most of the time I spent there was in the middle to late part of summer which meant we were harvesting and