Scripture: Ephesians 4:31 (the Message) Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Thought for the Day: This morning, I will be preaching on these words from Ephesians 4. Actually, this translation is from what is known as the Message, a bit more contemporary and loose translation of the original text. Unlike most translations that were done by dozens and dozens of scholars who debated and
Scripture: Psalm 37:8 Let go of anger and leave rage behind! Don’t get upset—it will only lead to evil. Thought for the Day: There is a part of me that wants to say in response to the scripture, “Well duh!” We all know that anger and rage never produce anything positive. Now I want to make a distinction that some do not make. I believe there is a
Prayer – Teach me your ways, Living and Life-giving Spirit; Guide me to the place where my spirit can drink from the well of grace and mercy; Encourage me amidst the distractions along the way; Find me when the path I have chosen is far from the path you would have chosen. O Holy One of Creation, Teach me about Jesus and his life
Scripture: Proverbs 16:32 Better to be patient than a warrior, and better to have self-control than to capture a city. Thought for the Day: The Proverb is suggesting patience and self-control are better than fame (warrior) and wealth (capturing a city). Among many in America, this would be a hard thing to sell. In fact, they would suggest that impatience and pushing the edges of what many
Scripture: Luke 11:38-40 When the Pharisee saw that Jesus didn’t ritually purify his hands by washing before the meal, he was astonished. The Lord said to him, “Now, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your insides are stuffed with greed and wickedness. Foolish people! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside?” Thought for the Day: As the children of
Scripture: Galatians 6:5 Each person will have to carry their own load. Thought for the Day: Once again, our English translation doesn’t quite cut it. I think of load, and my mind thinks of a lot of things. I think about my load of laundry that is currently running. I think of the load of rock I carried into the back yard a few weeks ago as we
In Sunday’s sermon, I started a conversation around Conflict Resolution and some simple tools for those moments of conflict. As I suggested, it is important for us to not only listen, but do so in a way that the other feels as if s/he has been heard. This can be difficult, especially when we have been confronted or accused of doing something. It doesn’t matter if it is
Scripture: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Thought for the Day: What Jesus described with the word peacemaker (eirénopoios) is someone who is the author or the cause of peace. But the word eiréné that we translate as peace is not simply the absence of violence, but the health, welfare and goodness of another. Someone who is a peacemaker is
Scripture: John 8:3-7 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have
Scripture: Luke 19:8-9 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.” Thought for the Day: On Wednesday evenings throughout the