Good morning church family! Thank you for another wonderful discussion last night on Zoom. It's so wonderful to see all the joy that you had being in the New Testament and reading about Jesus! Today has a heavy emphasis on Jesus' ability to heal people. How has your faith ever healed you? Maybe not in the traditional sense of healing but healed of bitterness, resentment, or loneliness. Might need to be a little creative with it but I'm sure you can find an example or two! Or, maybe you have a witness of the power of prayer healing you of something that the doctors otherwise believed to be terminal. How do you think faith can be a balm in our lives?
Scripture to Read
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What does this teach me about God/Jesus?
How has faith been a healing balm for me?
What does it mean to be sent by Jesus? How have I felt sent or called?
- My Thoughts -
So I don't have any specific thoughts to this necessarily but the lengthy section about Jesus sending his disciples without anything but what kindness provides them reminds me of this vide from amateur film creator, Beau Miles. Beau's video of his trip to work is a humbling reminder of just how much we tune out or ignore, how convince can lead us to isolation, and the damage we are doing to our planet. It's a fantastic and inspiring video that I think is a great modern day example of what the disciples were called to do.
Additionally, the Bible Project has a video on "God" today. While you may not have the time to watch "The Commute" right away I hope you can carve the time out to watch the following.
Praying the Hymns
Our prayer for today is another classic advent hymn - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. I invite you to hum, sing, meditate, or recite the words as you make this prayer for own.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.” Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With th’angelic host proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Christ by highest heav'n adored, Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a Virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Jesus telling the disciples to be, "as cunning as snakes and as harmless as doves," is such an interesting contradiction. The serpent imagary carries all sorts of conflicting connotations, like the serpant on the Garden of Ede. It's funny to have God tell believers to be careful and cunning, while also commanding us to be harmless. It's also the only time I can think in the Bible of God advocating for "street smarts," instead of wisdom. Are there any other examples? Maybe Jacob, since he is kind of a trickster figure.