Scripture: 1st Chronicles 16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Thought for the Day: Often our prayers are looking for quick and dramatic results, yet if we are not paying attention, we may miss the amazing change that it is taking place within us. It was St. Augustine who said, “He who sings prays twice.” Music is one of
Scripture: Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Thought for the Day: The word saint and the word faithful go hand in hand. Wherever you find saints you will find faithfulness, and wherever you find faithfulness, you will find saints. In the shadow of All Saints’ Sunday, take the time to look
Scripture: Ephesians 4:29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. Thought for the Day: It wasn’t long ago when I heard a mother consoling a young boy by asking what she thought was a rhetorical question. “Did those words really hurt?” I understood
Scripture: Jeremiah 50:4-6 In those days and in that time, says the Lord, the people of Israel shall come, they and the people of Judah together; they shall come weeping as they seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, and they shall come and join themselves to the Lord by an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
Scripture: Luke 6:21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Thought for the Day: I don’t want to suggest that the Kingdom of God is a place where people’s hurts are ignored or minimized, but my image of God’s Gracious Reign includes a lot of laughter. Maybe it’s my desire to occasionally brush
Scripture: Proverbs 2:20 Therefore walk in the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the just. Thought for the Day: The Good News Translation of the Bible has this verse referencing those who follow the example of good people. There are some people who can survey the landscape of life, determine the pitfalls and dangerous curves, and then carefully navigate the path. …and then there
Scripture: James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Thought for the Day: Frederick Buechner is one of my favorite authors, in part, for the way he takes heady theological ideas and brings them down to my level. Some of his writings have what appear to be a pithy quality to them, yet they are neither simple nor shallow. On this All Saint’s Day,
HAPPY ALL HALLOW’S EVE or ALL SAINTS’ EVE Scripture: Matthew 17:5-7 While Peter was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up
Scripture: Acts 26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. Thought for the Day: Paul recognized his brutal treatment of the early Jesus followers. It had to have been painful for Paul to speak
Scripture: Hebrews 6:19-20 We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Thought for the Day: The author of Hebrews, prior to this interesting image of hope, strongly encourages his readers to seize the