Good morning friends! Sorry to be a little delayed in my posting. I didn't have it in me to record anything after preaching yesterday, haha! In other great news we have another opportunity to read the Bible live together later this evening at 6pm. If you have participated in the past you should have received an email from Jackie this morning with a reminder. If you'd like to participate for the first time please use the Zoom information included here.
UMC of CF Office is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Reading the Bible LIVE
Time: Mar 29, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 731 241 8277
Passcode: 123456
Scripture to Read
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What does this teach me about God?
What clues does this reading offer that gives us an idea of what was happening at the time or what was something the contemporaries were struggling with that this was in response to?
What about this reading feels applicable today? What does it challenge me to do and how is it comforting?
What is the 'gospel' here? (What is the good news?)
- My Thoughts -
The famous dry bones story is cliche but good, and a really strong message for Easter. Also, at the end of the chapter God talks about a banquet table, but this table is filled with blood and slaughtered animals and they feasting because of God's fury. Contrasting that with the last supper where Jesus dines with the lowly and the outcast and creates a table for all with a simple meal shows to me just how much God had changed once God lived among humans as Jesus. There's a powerful witness there on the power of interpersonal relationships, that we can love just about anyone if we spend enough time with them. For this reason, I am quite eager for our churches to get back to "normal" so we can spend time together again, seeing one another's reactions, and feeling one another's pains. If it worked for God, it can surely work for us.
Prayer
Our prayer today is inspired by hymn 197 in our UMH - Ye Who Claim the Faith of Jesus. The video version included is a really pretty version done by a boys choir so I hope you feel enchanted by it! I invite you to hum, sing, or recite the words aloud as you make this hymn your prayer for the day.
Ye who own the faith of Jesus
Sing the wonders that were done,
When the love of God the Father
O'er our sin the victory won,
When he made the Virgin Mary
Mother of his only Son.
Blessed were the chosen people
Out of whom the Lord did come,
Blessed was the land of promise
Fashioned for his earthly home;
But more blessed far the Mother
She who bare him in her womb.
Wherefore let all faithful people
Tell the honour of her name,
Let the Church in her foreshadowed
Part in her thanksgiving claim;
What Christ's Mother sang in gladness
Let Christ's people sing the same.
Magnify my soul God's greatness
In my Savior I rejoice
All the ages call me blessed
In his praise I lift my voice
He has cast down all the mighty
And the lowly are his choice
I am not fil with the hymn that is the closing prayer, but I thought the last stanza was particularly beautiful & meaningful