Posts Tagged ‘Scripture readings per Revised Common Lectionary’
Lectionary Scriptures January 22, 2012
January 16, 2012Lectionary Scriptures for January 15th, 2012
January 9, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
January 3, 2012
I am the one with just his nose sticking out. The one in the yellow is my brother Jim who lives in Utah. We are at Snow Basin which is just down the road from where he and Dianne live. Beautiful country with more post card picture scenes than you can shake a stick at. The trail we are about to ski is down the hill to the right.
In reading this scripture from Mark we see Jesus begin His ministry. We see Him subject Himself to John’s Baptism. John was offering baptism as a means for the Jewish people to show their repentance and return to righteousness.
Obviously Jesus did not need this baptism for repentance or righteousness but instead subjected Himself to it to show us the right and good way. He set this example for us as a way to start our lives anew. His baptism was the start of His ministry and is to be the start of ours also.
Our baptism in Jesus Christ is also a time of revelation to us about our lives. Just as God revealed to Jesus that He truly is the Son of God He reveals to us that we are His children. If we are truly repentant and seeking righteousness we will see our lives, the sin in them and work towards righteousness in Jesus Christ. What Christ came to give us is the realization that His blood has washed us clean and given us the freedom to worship Him even if we are living in sin. Our baptism is a sign of who we are in this world, a people living with sin in and around us but forgiven by the sacrifice Jesus has made for us. His baptism gives us the revelation that we are His children, washed clean and living in His righteousness.
How we live our lives in Christ is kind of like learning to snow ski. You just have to point your ski’s downhill and use the skills you have learned, hope that what you know will get you to the bottom of the slope and know that next time it will be a little easier. When we fall we get back up and get going again in the direction that leads to the bottom of the hill. Living our lives in Christ is knowing Him as our Savior in a way that we want to carry His message to the world. We sometimes start out with very few skills but know that our knowledge of and in Him will get us started down the right trail. We may make mistakes that we can learn from and make our trail easier next time. The most important point to realize is that Christ gives us the courage to step out in faith that will lead us down the path to guiding others into His saving grace.
In order to begin skiing we must point our ski’s downhill, give a little push, choose our path and know that if we fall we can get back up and try again. In order to become a child of Christ we must push ourselves to the altar, choose our path and know that if we fall we can get back up and try again.
God’s Peace and Blessing to all,
Randy
Lectionary Scriptures January 8th, 2011
January 2, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
December 30, 2011
Seagulls at MacArthur Shopping Center parking lot.
This is just a few of the Seagulls that hang out in the parking lot. I am not sure why other than I did see someone feeding them the other day. To say the least they are a little off course as far as the normal environment they usually inhabit. There is not any natural food, you know fish, shrimp or salt water, so why do they hang out there. They are there on sunny days, rainy days, cold days and cold rainy days. But they are not there everyday. I am sure there is some scientific explanation other than they just got tired and decided to rest. Well maybe that is it, tired and resting.
Sometimes in our Christian lives we get a little lost, get tired and decide to just land somewhere and rest. Have you ever experienced feeling lost, tired and needing rest? Me too!
One of the essentials that seagulls seem to need is salt. They are hardly ever to0 far from saltwater. They depend upon it to provide the sustenance they need to survive in this world. Just like the seagulls we need salt but the salt that can make the biggest difference in our lives is the salt found in the Word of God. These few scriptures are very important to us and speak to us about how important it is for us to stay in His Word and keep it close to our hearts. We need to keep this salt close to our hearts and let the Word nourish us and revive us.
Mat 5:13 “You are the salt of the world. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty again? It’s good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on by people.”
Mar 9:50 “Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can you restore its flavor? Keep on having salt among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”
Go to the place that offers you nourishment often. Live with those words close to your heart and revive your heart and soul. In our world today being salty may not be a compliment but being salty in the Word of God is never a wrong place to be. Like the salt water the seagulls live in we are a people of the Water and Salt found in His Word.
Have a blessed New Year, be of the Water and the Word getting the nourishment you need from His salty water. It will revive and refresh you,
Randy
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 