Watch Beginnings

Tuesday, May 21, 2012

Proverbs 8

Click or touch “Firestarter”
To listen to Nick read the one-minute introduction.

Contrast the call of Wisdom in today’s chapter of Proverbs, with the enticements of the seductress in the previous chapter. The former leads to life—the latter, to death. The seductress dresses up as wisdom, but only for a brief moment. At times, the devil comes as an "angel of light," only later, to envelop one in darkness. With wisdom comes the gift of discernment of spirits—the spiritual power to sense at the very outset, whether a thread of thoughts and desires leads toward life or toward death.

Verses 22 and following are a poetic and profound reflection upon the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Recall the opening of John’s Gospel where, just as the sacred writer of Genesis and the author of today’s passage, John penetrates to the very beginning of creation.

Watch beginnings. See where they lead.

 

The Reading for Today
Text     Audio

Bible Breaths
Wisdom from the beginning v. 22
Wisdom God’s daily delight v. 30
Watching daily for wisdom v. 34
Finding wisdom—finding life v. 35

For more about this way to pray, see “Daily Bible Breaths” in the menu above.

Click or touch the image
for the version for children and families.

Due to an early Easter in 2013, weeks 7 and 8 from the Epiphany Season, which were omitted, are now added to the first two weeks at the beginning of the season of Pentecost. The Monday-to-Friday readings for this week are from the Seventh Week in Epiphany, Year C.
See “Solar and Sacred Seasons” in the menu above.
Tuesdays are dedicated the Hebrew “Writings.”

Scripture Recordings in over 700 languages!
Faith Comes By Hearing
Audio Bible App from www.bible.is

The Firestarters and readings are posted in the timezone UTC+12, so that they are available in New Zealand and other regions near the International Date Line.

The Healing Joy of the Lord

Monday, May 20, 2012

Isaiah 65:17-25

Click or touch “Firestarter”
To listen to Nick read the one-minute introduction.

Glorious images fill this week and next, springing from the joy of the Lord which God has planted in the heart of Isaiah. The power of God’s saving grace is expressed by the utter transformation of the physical world into complete reconciliation and exuberant life.

Soak in these images of life. The final times of which Isaiah speaks are with us now in the age of the resurrection of Jesus—the Church. Though tainted with sin, the Church is the expression of the visions that well up from these verses.

All that may be at odds with you and your past, to which you have yet to be reconciled, is happening in the realm of the Spirit. Pray until all aspects of your life—past, present and future—are before you here and now in the healing joy of the Lord.

The Reading for Today
Text     Audio

Bible Breaths

New heavens and a new earth v. 17
You delight in Your people. v. 19
No more the sound of weeping v. 19
Wolf and the lamb together v. 25

Click or touch the image
for the version for children and families.

Due to an early Easter in 2013, weeks 7 and 8 from the Epiphany Season, which were omitted, are now added to the first two weeks at the beginning of the season of Pentecost. The Monday-to-Friday readings for this week are from the Seventh Week in Epiphany, Year C.
See “Solar and Sacred Seasons” in the menu above.
Mondays are dedicated to the Prophets. We conclude the Prophet Isaian.

Scripture Recordings in over 700 languages!
Faith Comes By Hearing
Audio Bible App from www.bible.is

The Firestarters and readings are posted in the timezone UTC+12, so that they are available in New Zealand and other regions near the International Date Line.

Released in the Spirit

Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2012

John 14:8–17

Click or touch “Firestarter”
To listen to Nick read the one-minute introduction.

With the death of Jesus, the veil separating heaven and earth is lifted. Total access to God is restored once again as God makes a new creation in and through the risen Jesus.

The world for John is that autonomous, self-centered, exploitive reality remaining in darkness. The world has constructed a veil once again, obscuring the vision of God. The only vision that the world has is the narcissistic gaze into its own face. No wonder the world cannot receive Jesus … it does not even see him!

On Pentecost, the full release of the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, freeing them from all connection with the world. No longer manipulated by fear of what the world can do, boldness and expansive joy fill their hearts. Join the crowd of those who receive Jesus in the Holy Spirit today and forever.

 

The Reading for Today
Text     Audio

Bible Breaths
Believing in You, Jesus v. 12
Asking in Your holy name v. 13
Spirit with us forever v. 16
Spirit abiding in us v. 17

For more about this way to pray see “Daily Bible Breaths” in the menu above.

Click or touch the image
for the version for children and families.

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Due to an early Easter in 2013, weeks 7 and 8 from the Epiphany Season, which were omitted, are now added to the first two weeks at the beginning of the season of Pentecost. The Monday-to-Friday readings for this week are from the Seventh Week in Epiphany, Year C.
See “Solar and Sacred Seasons” in the menu above.
Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from
The Revised Common Lectionary.
Year C is dedicated to the Gospel of Luke, with focus on the Gospel of John in the later weeks of Lent and during the Easter Season.

Scripture Recordings in over 700 languages!
Faith Comes By Hearing
Audio Bible App from www.bible.is

The Firestarters and readings are posted in the timezone UTC+12, so that they are available in New Zealand and other regions near the International Date Line.