Words of Welcome

Psalm 133 The 133rd Psalm is one of my favorite passages of Scripture, because it speaks to one of my passions in life. That passion is the pursuit of Christian unity. It’s a blessing to hear the words: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” This is especially true when the course of history seems to be pulling nation and world further and further apart. The Psalmist reminds us that there is a better way, a way of unity. Perhaps this is why I was moved so powerfully the other evening, as  the Madrigal Chorale brought their concert to a close by singing Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Yes:  I see trees of green........ Red roses too   I see em bloom..... For me and for you   And I think to myself.... What a wonderful world. Yes, what a wonderful world we live in, a world of God’s creation. Our Disciple identity statement offers a vision of wholeness taking hold in a fragmented world. This is a movement that begin

Mark 4:26-34 We just finished studying the Gospel of Mark in the Wednesday afternoon Bible Study. Our group discovered that Mark is full of surprises. His gospel proclaims the “good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” ( Mk. 1:1 ), but for some reason Jesus tries to keep this news a secret.  Even though the disciples spend their days and nights with Jesus, only the demons seem to recognize him for who he is. When you read Mark, it’s difficult to set aside stories from Matthew, Luke, and John. We want to read into Mark’s story what we know from the other gospels, but if we do this, we won’t hear Mark’s version of the story. There is one word that stands out. That word is “immediately.” Mark’s story moves quickly. He rarely stops to let Jesus catch his breath. He starts with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan at the hands of John the Baptizer. Mark doesn’t have an infancy narrative. His family appears only once and they come to take home, because they thought he had los

Psalm 138 Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a brief introduction to the Book of Psalms. He titled it The Prayerbook of the Bible, because he believed that these prayers form the foundation for all our prayers, especially when we offer them in the name of Jesus. This is what he wrote:   God’s speech in Jesus Christ meets us in the Holy Scriptures. If we want to pray with assurance and joy, then the word of Holy Scripture must be the firm foundation of our prayer. Here we know that Jesus Christ, the Word of God, teaches us to pray. The words that come from God will be the steps on which we find our way to God. [ Life Together/Prayerbook of the Bible, DBW , 5:156]. We approach God with prayers and hymns drawn from Scripture, offering words of praise and thanksgiving, as well as lamentation and complaint.

Mark 2:23-3:6 The Fourth Commandment of the Law revealed to Moses declares: “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.” Are you a sabbath-keeper who keeps it holy? The Puritans were committed Sabbath-keepers. They believed that the Sabbath should be devoted to worship and living as sinless a life as possible on that day. Sabbath-keeping included refraining from profane speech or intemperate behavior. The best way to keep the Sabbath holy is to stay away from any worldly activities. In fact, you should refrain from even talking or thinking about worldly things. Instead, be sure to keep your mind on the things of God, and nothing else. So, are you a sabbath-keeper?