For today, a prayer:
O Holy One,
O King of all kings,
and Lord of all lords,
We come before you now
your people, a burdened people.
We come with burdens that belong to us,
and burdens that belong to others.
We come with burdens given to us,
and burdens we have placed on our own shoulders.
O Mighty One, we bring these burdens to you.
Some burdens we ask you to take from us,
so we might lift less weary hands to praise you.
Some burdens we ask you to heal,
so we might stand together unimpeded
in your presence.
Some burdens we ask you to change
from burden into blessing,
if only in that we see the gifts
you give us aright.
Some burdens we ask you to teach us to carry,
so we might suffer alongside you
as you work to bring healing
and wholeness to your world, even now,
as a foretaste of tomorrow and forever.
So now, O Mighty One, we ask you to lift us up,
burdens and all.
Even now, lift us up so that we might see and praise
you as you will only be fully revealed
in the end of all time:
clearly King, indisputably Lord,
incontestably One God, Only God,
infinitely removed from all impostors.
Even as we see the work of your hand,
we do not understand.
Even when we see you face to face,
you will remain beyond our comprehension.
Yet because of your steadfast love we know you,
love you, trust you, hope in you –
Today and tomorrow and until Jesus comes.
Until then we pray through him and for him
to come again.
Amen.
In all things praise God,
Ron
Showing posts with label blessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessing. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Unlimited resources ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
1 Kings 17:8-16
Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you."
So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth."
She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days.
The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:8-16
Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you."
So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth."
She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days.
The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The daughters of Job ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Then Job answered the LORD: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.
The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations.
And Job died, old and full of days.
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Then Job answered the LORD: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.
The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations.
And Job died, old and full of days.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Opening the doors of heaven ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Yet he commanded the skies above,
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained down on them manna to eat,
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Mortals ate of the bread of angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained flesh upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall within their camp,
all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
Psalm 78:23-29
This is beautiful Hebrew poetry,
parallel line answering and expanding its partner.
“Raining down on them manna” and
“Gave them the grain of heaven.”
This language is both powerful and beautiful,
while emphasizing the power and beauty of God.
Yet this psalm is more than beautiful language about God;
it is a description of God’s power for God’s people.
It is not just that God meets his people’s needs,
nor that he fills them, even with the bread of heaven.
It is that God delivers these blessings to our doorstep,
close enough to nearly make us stumble over them.
Not just in mere adequacy does he provide,
but his blessings are like “the sand of the seas.”
Surely a God like this deserves this beautiful psalm;
certainly our God is worthy of our most powerful praise.
May we see his blessings for us,
and not have to stumble over them.
May we praise him for those blessings today,
and not make him wait for our thankfulness.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Yet he commanded the skies above,
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained down on them manna to eat,
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Mortals ate of the bread of angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained flesh upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall within their camp,
all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
Psalm 78:23-29
This is beautiful Hebrew poetry,
parallel line answering and expanding its partner.
“Raining down on them manna” and
“Gave them the grain of heaven.”
This language is both powerful and beautiful,
while emphasizing the power and beauty of God.
Yet this psalm is more than beautiful language about God;
it is a description of God’s power for God’s people.
It is not just that God meets his people’s needs,
nor that he fills them, even with the bread of heaven.
It is that God delivers these blessings to our doorstep,
close enough to nearly make us stumble over them.
Not just in mere adequacy does he provide,
but his blessings are like “the sand of the seas.”
Surely a God like this deserves this beautiful psalm;
certainly our God is worthy of our most powerful praise.
May we see his blessings for us,
and not have to stumble over them.
May we praise him for those blessings today,
and not make him wait for our thankfulness.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Monday, May 11, 2009
Magnified forever ...
David gets a new “house” of cedar; David (through Nathan) offers to build God a “house”; God declines a “house” and instead (through Nathan) offers David a “house” that isn’t cedar. Now it’s David’s turn.
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God!
Did you catch that? David is done with intermediaries. He “went in and sat before the Lord.” There are times when God’s goodness is so good that just need to sit down and talk for a while. Yet this is no casual conversation; hear the awe and humility in David’s words: “Who am I …” and “What is my house …?” David well knows that God’s promises are from the goodness of God’s heart and not merited favor. Yet as world-changing as God’s promises turn out to be, they do not require a large expenditure of God’s power. Through what “small thing in the eyes of the Lord God” has God wrought such a huge blessing in your life?
And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness, so that your servant may know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God; for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
David has heard about a lot of gods, but he has heard of no God like Yahweh God. Humans seek to manipulate and provoke their gods with a little “g”, but they waste such efforts on Yahweh, a God who will, on his own, seek the highest good for his people. He often shapes these good things in forms that his people could not even begin to imagine. How has God seemingly passed over your prayers in order to give you something better than that for which you hoped?
Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people, and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out before his people nations and their gods? And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, O Lord, became their God.
Just he sent Israel, so God sends out the church to share his redemption, to sing his praise, to press the cause of his kingdom, and to replace worldly idols in the hands of others for his real and powerful presence. How is God acting through us, as his people today, to accomplish these very things?
And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, 'The Lord of hosts is God over Israel'; and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house'; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever."
While David’s posterity was faithful, his house reigned over Israel. Sadly that faithfulness found a bitter ending. Yet even past the promise as David understood it, God maintained his promise by continuing David’s house. What David could not have fully understood was that God would take David’s acts of faithfulness and use them as a pathway to enter into the world as Jesus, God Incarnate. In the hands of an eternal king, the throne of David has become truly eternal. In the hands of the eternal king, Jesus, God has fulfilled his promise to David in a way that immeasurably dwarfed David’s understanding.
So, the question comes to us: “How will God use our faithfulness to advance his kingdom into the eternal through the seemingly insignificant things that we say or do?” Not only do I believe that God will do this, but that he has already begun to do so. We don’t have to foresee all of the possibilities for God to make use of the work of our hands. Yet I think that we will find great encouragement in this imagining if we will allow ourselves to see the possibilities of our diligent ministry. We will also find innumerable reasons to praise God for his work in our world in our lives.
“Thus your name will be magnified forever!”
Blessings,
Ron
2 Samuel 7:18-29 – NRSV
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God!
Did you catch that? David is done with intermediaries. He “went in and sat before the Lord.” There are times when God’s goodness is so good that just need to sit down and talk for a while. Yet this is no casual conversation; hear the awe and humility in David’s words: “Who am I …” and “What is my house …?” David well knows that God’s promises are from the goodness of God’s heart and not merited favor. Yet as world-changing as God’s promises turn out to be, they do not require a large expenditure of God’s power. Through what “small thing in the eyes of the Lord God” has God wrought such a huge blessing in your life?
And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness, so that your servant may know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God; for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
David has heard about a lot of gods, but he has heard of no God like Yahweh God. Humans seek to manipulate and provoke their gods with a little “g”, but they waste such efforts on Yahweh, a God who will, on his own, seek the highest good for his people. He often shapes these good things in forms that his people could not even begin to imagine. How has God seemingly passed over your prayers in order to give you something better than that for which you hoped?
Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people, and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out before his people nations and their gods? And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, O Lord, became their God.
Just he sent Israel, so God sends out the church to share his redemption, to sing his praise, to press the cause of his kingdom, and to replace worldly idols in the hands of others for his real and powerful presence. How is God acting through us, as his people today, to accomplish these very things?
And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, 'The Lord of hosts is God over Israel'; and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house'; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever."
While David’s posterity was faithful, his house reigned over Israel. Sadly that faithfulness found a bitter ending. Yet even past the promise as David understood it, God maintained his promise by continuing David’s house. What David could not have fully understood was that God would take David’s acts of faithfulness and use them as a pathway to enter into the world as Jesus, God Incarnate. In the hands of an eternal king, the throne of David has become truly eternal. In the hands of the eternal king, Jesus, God has fulfilled his promise to David in a way that immeasurably dwarfed David’s understanding.
So, the question comes to us: “How will God use our faithfulness to advance his kingdom into the eternal through the seemingly insignificant things that we say or do?” Not only do I believe that God will do this, but that he has already begun to do so. We don’t have to foresee all of the possibilities for God to make use of the work of our hands. Yet I think that we will find great encouragement in this imagining if we will allow ourselves to see the possibilities of our diligent ministry. We will also find innumerable reasons to praise God for his work in our world in our lives.
“Thus your name will be magnified forever!”
Blessings,
Ron
2 Samuel 7:18-29 – NRSV
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Too mad to see straight ...
The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
It was told King David, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.
2 Samuel 6:11-19 – NRSV
How long does it take to get over being mad at God? I’m not sure that there is just one answer. I’ve known farmers who’ve been angry at the Creator for years because of the weather that drowned or dried up a crop. I’ve know people who’ve maintained a grudge against God for decades because of the way that God’s people acted toward them on one traumatic Sunday many, many years ago.
David gets over his temper in three months. In a lot of ways, he’s probably ahead of the learning curve for most human beings. What changes David’s mind? Apparently, it is that David sees that, for three long months, the Lord is blessing Obed-edom greatly for his hospitality to the ark. Despite the shock and horror of the tragedy with Uzzah, Obed-edom has made a place for this symbol of the presence of a very dangerous God. For this courageous display of respect, God showers blessings so large and plentiful upon Obed-edom that it comes to the attention of all of Israel.
David comes to understand that his anger with God has cut him off both from the presence of God and the blessing of God. Perhaps that is why God chooses to bless Obed-edom so richly; God wants David to see just exactly what his unquenched anger was costing him.
When David finally does open his eyes, he sees that God has continued to take care of his people. God holds the day of praise and blessing for David. When David can put away his anger and return humble, doing the right things with the right heart, then he could receive the blessing of that day. When David decides to get over his anger and rejoin the movement of God in this world, then he manages to demonstrate that God's people can't take half a dozen steps without God's blessing being present, and without the need for the praise of God's people to return as a blessing to their God.
Our anger with God hurts God; because he loves us profoundly he is capable of the most profound suffering as well. That anger, though, hurts us in more ways than we might understand. It is not just that we lose his presence and his blessing. Our anger can also deafen us from hearing what God would have us hear from his word and the world around us. It can blind us from seeing how God is moving in our lives and the world around us. If we give our anger free rein long enough, it can dull our senses so that we are no longer capable of experiencing God’s power or presence at all.
How can we recover our senses? Hear the word of the Lord:
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 34:4-8 – NRSV
May God open our eyes to help us see that the One who is with us is greater than those who are against us.
Grace and peace,
Ron
It was told King David, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.
2 Samuel 6:11-19 – NRSV
How long does it take to get over being mad at God? I’m not sure that there is just one answer. I’ve known farmers who’ve been angry at the Creator for years because of the weather that drowned or dried up a crop. I’ve know people who’ve maintained a grudge against God for decades because of the way that God’s people acted toward them on one traumatic Sunday many, many years ago.
David gets over his temper in three months. In a lot of ways, he’s probably ahead of the learning curve for most human beings. What changes David’s mind? Apparently, it is that David sees that, for three long months, the Lord is blessing Obed-edom greatly for his hospitality to the ark. Despite the shock and horror of the tragedy with Uzzah, Obed-edom has made a place for this symbol of the presence of a very dangerous God. For this courageous display of respect, God showers blessings so large and plentiful upon Obed-edom that it comes to the attention of all of Israel.
David comes to understand that his anger with God has cut him off both from the presence of God and the blessing of God. Perhaps that is why God chooses to bless Obed-edom so richly; God wants David to see just exactly what his unquenched anger was costing him.
When David finally does open his eyes, he sees that God has continued to take care of his people. God holds the day of praise and blessing for David. When David can put away his anger and return humble, doing the right things with the right heart, then he could receive the blessing of that day. When David decides to get over his anger and rejoin the movement of God in this world, then he manages to demonstrate that God's people can't take half a dozen steps without God's blessing being present, and without the need for the praise of God's people to return as a blessing to their God.
Our anger with God hurts God; because he loves us profoundly he is capable of the most profound suffering as well. That anger, though, hurts us in more ways than we might understand. It is not just that we lose his presence and his blessing. Our anger can also deafen us from hearing what God would have us hear from his word and the world around us. It can blind us from seeing how God is moving in our lives and the world around us. If we give our anger free rein long enough, it can dull our senses so that we are no longer capable of experiencing God’s power or presence at all.
How can we recover our senses? Hear the word of the Lord:
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 34:4-8 – NRSV
May God open our eyes to help us see that the One who is with us is greater than those who are against us.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Up or down, in or out ...
Today’s thoughts are from Julia:
Of the devotionals Jason led, I was most impacted by the one where we put our hands face up or face down. I had done this sort of thing before, and had forgotten how quickly the Spirit moved in me to rid me of negative emotions and thoughts and fill me with positive ones. It was good to have a kind of refresher course on one of the practices I could have been using for years, but had simply forgotten about. Since that devotional I have used that method again and it has been very good for me.
I was also highly impacted by the quote he put on the page about being lost in pride or emptiness, depending upon whether one spends too much time with people or alone:
“Let him who cannot be alone beware of community…. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone….Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I feel like I have experienced these two extremes and the emptiness that comes with them. It is a fine line to walk, the line of being in community in a healthy way. But it is essential to our spiritual well-being. This, too, was a good reminder. I tend towards solitude, but, in excess, it does seem to lead directly to pride (and mental illness, really). So I thank God that He used Jason to remind me of these things.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Jason
Of the devotionals Jason led, I was most impacted by the one where we put our hands face up or face down. I had done this sort of thing before, and had forgotten how quickly the Spirit moved in me to rid me of negative emotions and thoughts and fill me with positive ones. It was good to have a kind of refresher course on one of the practices I could have been using for years, but had simply forgotten about. Since that devotional I have used that method again and it has been very good for me.
I was also highly impacted by the quote he put on the page about being lost in pride or emptiness, depending upon whether one spends too much time with people or alone:
“Let him who cannot be alone beware of community…. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone….Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I feel like I have experienced these two extremes and the emptiness that comes with them. It is a fine line to walk, the line of being in community in a healthy way. But it is essential to our spiritual well-being. This, too, was a good reminder. I tend towards solitude, but, in excess, it does seem to lead directly to pride (and mental illness, really). So I thank God that He used Jason to remind me of these things.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Jason
Monday, December 1, 2008
Mighty fine wine ...
Jesus easily proves that he is the kind of guest that any hospitable host would want:
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.
When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11 – NRSV
All of us have been to a wedding where there was not enough to eat or to drink; it’s an uncomfortable moment, isn’t it? The lack of food or drink hovers over the party as an unspoken critique of the hospitality of the host. Yet the society in which Jesus lived put much more pressure on the host – the wedding meal was supposed to be a feast that indicated the unbridled joy of the groom and his new wife; there was no other meal for the guests that evening. Yet at the precise moment that the host is most likely to be embarrassed by a failure to provide properly for his guests, Jesus intervenes. He does not wave his hand over one more pint of punch. Jesus makes about 150 gallons of the very finest wine, a commodity in a quantity that could easily cost $15,000 in today’s economy. Evidently it was quite a wedding! How grand did this host and his bride appear to be!
As John tells us the story, the host remains oblivious to the blessing given by his guest. He may very well have been surrounded by the presents of so many other guests: promptly delivered in person, carefully listed by a servant, and lavishly thanked by the couple. Yet the grandest gift of them all, one of immense monetary value, one of immeasurable social value, was given with no “From: Jesus” card attached. Only the servants and the disciples of Jesus knew.
How many times is Jesus the silent guest at our table? How often does his power provide the embarrassment of riches that we serve? The blessings which prevent our embarrassment before our guests? I don’t suppose that we could count the ways that he enriches our hospitality, could we? Because in truth, all blessings come from God.
We might easily respond, “I’ve never had Jesus physically at my table.” Yet since Jesus challenged us to be hospitable to even “the least of these,” because in doing so we minister to Jesus, we ought to believe that in feeding, clothing, or sheltering an outcast soul, and thus comforting Jesus, that this outcast soul may very well be able to bless us as Jesus is able to bless us. Not as compensation or appreciation, but in some other category of blessing altogether.
Think about it. Pray about it. Try practicing it with these wonderful blessings of outcast children in our care today.
Blessings,
Ron
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.
When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11 – NRSV
All of us have been to a wedding where there was not enough to eat or to drink; it’s an uncomfortable moment, isn’t it? The lack of food or drink hovers over the party as an unspoken critique of the hospitality of the host. Yet the society in which Jesus lived put much more pressure on the host – the wedding meal was supposed to be a feast that indicated the unbridled joy of the groom and his new wife; there was no other meal for the guests that evening. Yet at the precise moment that the host is most likely to be embarrassed by a failure to provide properly for his guests, Jesus intervenes. He does not wave his hand over one more pint of punch. Jesus makes about 150 gallons of the very finest wine, a commodity in a quantity that could easily cost $15,000 in today’s economy. Evidently it was quite a wedding! How grand did this host and his bride appear to be!
As John tells us the story, the host remains oblivious to the blessing given by his guest. He may very well have been surrounded by the presents of so many other guests: promptly delivered in person, carefully listed by a servant, and lavishly thanked by the couple. Yet the grandest gift of them all, one of immense monetary value, one of immeasurable social value, was given with no “From: Jesus” card attached. Only the servants and the disciples of Jesus knew.
How many times is Jesus the silent guest at our table? How often does his power provide the embarrassment of riches that we serve? The blessings which prevent our embarrassment before our guests? I don’t suppose that we could count the ways that he enriches our hospitality, could we? Because in truth, all blessings come from God.
We might easily respond, “I’ve never had Jesus physically at my table.” Yet since Jesus challenged us to be hospitable to even “the least of these,” because in doing so we minister to Jesus, we ought to believe that in feeding, clothing, or sheltering an outcast soul, and thus comforting Jesus, that this outcast soul may very well be able to bless us as Jesus is able to bless us. Not as compensation or appreciation, but in some other category of blessing altogether.
Think about it. Pray about it. Try practicing it with these wonderful blessings of outcast children in our care today.
Blessings,
Ron
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Who's that knocking at the door?
Someone knocks at the door.
You go to see who it is, and as you open the door, you see two men standing there. Black suit coats. Black pants. Black hats. Ray Bans. If you were to ask, one of them would tell you that he has $23.07 in his pocket. But there is no luggage, and no car, not even a car “with a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, … cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks.” Not even “a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.”
You’re admittedly a little stunned, so you stand there speechless. The two men look at each other, then look at you and say together, “We’re on a mission from God.”
Would you let them in?
Before you answer “no”, consider the task that Jesus gave to the seventy that he sent out in pairs:
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
Luke 10:2-12 – NRSV
When Jesus sent forth his workers, he deliberately sent them with so few resources that they would be dependent upon the hospitality of others. They could not purchase room, board, or replacement sandals; others would have to provide them with these blessings.
Yet, who blessed whom?
Did the people who provided shelter and food give a greater blessing, or the guests who delivered the living water? Sometimes we see ourselves as the benefactors when we invite guests into our homes, yet who blesses whom?
Just as the hosts of Jesus’ messengers were blessed by their hospitality, so are we. This is generally true, but it is especially when we show hospitality to children. Don’t expect the blessing, and don’t ask for it either. But watch and see if they do not bring more into your life than you can put into theirs. Perhaps this awareness will allow us to burn bright, instead of burn out.
May God bless your hospitality today.
Ron
You go to see who it is, and as you open the door, you see two men standing there. Black suit coats. Black pants. Black hats. Ray Bans. If you were to ask, one of them would tell you that he has $23.07 in his pocket. But there is no luggage, and no car, not even a car “with a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, … cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks.” Not even “a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.”
You’re admittedly a little stunned, so you stand there speechless. The two men look at each other, then look at you and say together, “We’re on a mission from God.”
Would you let them in?
Before you answer “no”, consider the task that Jesus gave to the seventy that he sent out in pairs:
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
Luke 10:2-12 – NRSV
When Jesus sent forth his workers, he deliberately sent them with so few resources that they would be dependent upon the hospitality of others. They could not purchase room, board, or replacement sandals; others would have to provide them with these blessings.
Yet, who blessed whom?
Did the people who provided shelter and food give a greater blessing, or the guests who delivered the living water? Sometimes we see ourselves as the benefactors when we invite guests into our homes, yet who blesses whom?
Just as the hosts of Jesus’ messengers were blessed by their hospitality, so are we. This is generally true, but it is especially when we show hospitality to children. Don’t expect the blessing, and don’t ask for it either. But watch and see if they do not bring more into your life than you can put into theirs. Perhaps this awareness will allow us to burn bright, instead of burn out.
May God bless your hospitality today.
Ron
Saturday, October 25, 2008
A choice for the day ...
There is a decision that awaits our boys. It appears to be difficult, but actually it is the path to peace,
Both within the heart of an individual, and the heart of a community.
It is a decision that we who are older have made, yet, in a way, on that we renew every day.
It is the choice to walk with God, or not.
Hear the words of Moses:
Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away.
It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us,
and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?"
Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us,
and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?"
No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today,
by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances,
then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.
But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him;
for that means life to you and length of days,
so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 - NRSV
May your day be blessed,
Ron
Both within the heart of an individual, and the heart of a community.
It is a decision that we who are older have made, yet, in a way, on that we renew every day.
It is the choice to walk with God, or not.
Hear the words of Moses:
Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away.
It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us,
and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?"
Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us,
and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?"
No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today,
by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances,
then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.
But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him;
for that means life to you and length of days,
so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 - NRSV
May your day be blessed,
Ron
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Adoption through Jesus Christ
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that Heaven has to offer. Before the creation of the world, He chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in His presence. Because of His love He had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this so that the kindness He has given us in His dear Son would be praised and given glory. Ephesians 1:3-6 (God’s Word Translation)
You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. Galatians 4:6-7 (The Message)
It is really interesting to do a perusal of scripture about the things that God’s Word says about the idea of adoption. Above are just a couple of mentions. It has been said by many that choosing to love a child that is not your own is the closest thing to understanding God’s heart. This seems to be true, in varying degrees, if you are an adoptive parent, a houseparent at Westview, a teacher that commits to love your kids rather than just teaching them, etc. I hope that you will have the courage to love with all your heart so that you know more of the heart of God as well as await the promise of knowing a more intimate relationship with God.
Blessings,
Shiann
You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. Galatians 4:6-7 (The Message)
It is really interesting to do a perusal of scripture about the things that God’s Word says about the idea of adoption. Above are just a couple of mentions. It has been said by many that choosing to love a child that is not your own is the closest thing to understanding God’s heart. This seems to be true, in varying degrees, if you are an adoptive parent, a houseparent at Westview, a teacher that commits to love your kids rather than just teaching them, etc. I hope that you will have the courage to love with all your heart so that you know more of the heart of God as well as await the promise of knowing a more intimate relationship with God.
Blessings,
Shiann
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Children are a gift of the LORD
Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it.
Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchmen keep awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors:
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
Behold children are a gift of the LORD;
The Fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
So are the children of one’s youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies at the gate.
It is easy to forget how precious our boys and families are with the start of school and the hectic schedule, hope this encourages you.
God Bless
Josh Birney
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Is there any gentleness in the God of Joshua?
David Keck has noted that "it seems a somewhat strange combination of the book of Joshua with being kind, humble, patient, compassionate, and gentle. But I remember the words of James Cail from way back: 'people tend to behave the way they believe their God would'."
I agree with David; at first Joshua's story seems disconnected from kindness, but a look at the larger story reveals God's kindness. When the Israelites were in Egypt, there were the haves and the have nots. The Egyptians had; the Israelites had not. Oppression was the rule of the day. But an ancient proverb reveals the heart and the behavior of God:
"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Prov 14:31 (NIV)
So after God removes his people from oppression, he creates a nation patterned after his values. He creates the "gentler and kinder" country of its day: Israel. How is this so?
Chapters 13-21 of Joshua reveal that God's plan was for the land to be divided by tribes and by family. When you couple this with the knowledge that the laws for ownership of land and indebtedness specified in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy (i.e., Lev 27.14-25; Num 36.5-9; Deut 15) did not, in theory, allow any family to permanently lose their land, you see the kind hand of God protecting people from falling permanently into poverty and need. Oppression was against the law. Instead, there is the Levitical imperative (19.18) to "love your neighbor as yourself." In this nation, blessings were to be found in behaving kindly (as God would), and curses come to those who are unkind or oppressive. How does that connect with Joshua?
According to Josh 8.30-35, The Israelites stood on Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal and did what "Moses had commanded." What was that? The people recited the blessings and curses listed in Deut 27.12-26, half speaking the curses, half speaking the blessings. Read them and see the curses for those who are unkind, who are oppressive. Here is effectively their "Declaration of Dependence" on God and his kindness, and their agreement to be kind themselves or else face the consequences. It is the covenant to be a different and "kinder" nation than the world had yet known.
If people "tend to behave the way they believe their God would," God would have us (and Cail would, too) see God and his behavior as it truly is: kind.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Fishing around for some bread
Have we ever really understood the importance of "bread" to the people of God? How does the symbol connect with the reality? What does it mean to break bread, to share bread? What does the history of bread have to do with the present and the future of bread? I believe that the answers to these questions are more important that we might imagine at first. To help us get a glimmer of the significance of the little word describing this hugely significant idea, we will consider today some relevant scriptures from the life of Jesus and then conclude with a prayer.
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?" Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.
Mt 15:32-39 - NRSV
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Lk 14:12-14 - NRSV
I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." . . . . So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."
Jn 6:48-59 - NRSV
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Mt 26:26-30 - NRSV
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
Lk 24:28-31 - NRSV
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jn 21:9-14 - NRSV
A prayer for the bread
Lord Jesus Christ,
because you broke bread with the poor,
you were looked on with contempt.
Because you broke bread with the sinful and outcast,
you were looked on as ungodly.
Because you broke bread with the joyful,
you were called a winebibber and a glutton.
Because you broke bread in the upstairs room
you sealed your acceptance of the way of the cross.
Because you broke bread on the road to Emmaus,
you made scales fall from the disciples' eyes.
Because you broke bread and shared it,
we will do so, too,
and ask your blessing.
- San Antonio Conference 1989
May God bless us as we break bread today with those whom we love.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?" Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.
Mt 15:32-39 - NRSV
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Lk 14:12-14 - NRSV
I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." . . . . So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."
Jn 6:48-59 - NRSV
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Mt 26:26-30 - NRSV
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
Lk 24:28-31 - NRSV
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jn 21:9-14 - NRSV
A prayer for the bread
Lord Jesus Christ,
because you broke bread with the poor,
you were looked on with contempt.
Because you broke bread with the sinful and outcast,
you were looked on as ungodly.
Because you broke bread with the joyful,
you were called a winebibber and a glutton.
Because you broke bread in the upstairs room
you sealed your acceptance of the way of the cross.
Because you broke bread on the road to Emmaus,
you made scales fall from the disciples' eyes.
Because you broke bread and shared it,
we will do so, too,
and ask your blessing.
- San Antonio Conference 1989
May God bless us as we break bread today with those whom we love.
Grace and peace,
Ron
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