Ruahmie: October 31, 2011

Ruahmie: October 31, 2011: Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference) I know that God is forgiving and patient; therefore I do not understand today’s read...

Ruahmie: October 30, 2011

Ruahmie: October 30, 2011: Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference) I once heard a joke about a woman who sent a letter to her son and the note said, “S...

November 5, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

Jesus knows his days are numbered so he splits his time between prayer and teaching the disciples how to carry on without him. In the prior pericope Jesus asks them to feed the five thousand families and in this one Jesus encourages Peter to walk on water. The bad news is that Peter begins to sink; the good news is that Jesus is there to catch him. The other good news is that the only think Peter lacks in faith in himself. Or is that bad news? J

Gracious loving God, with you I can accomplish good things, without you I can accomplish no good thing. Help my doubting.

Namaste

The Readings

Ezra 9:1-15

Revelation 17:1-14

Matthew 14:22-36

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

November 4, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

What interests me about this reading is that Jesus gives the disciples the right of first refusal. He asks them to give the people something to eat. What is Jesus asking me to do today? Whatever it is, may I have the discernment to see it, the courage to take it on, and the humility to look up to heaven for blessing.

Namaste

The Readings

Ezra 7:27-28, 8:2-36 (NRSV)

Revelation 15:1-8 (NRSV)

Matthew 14:13-21 (NRSV)

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.  When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.  When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."  Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."  They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish."  And he said, "Bring them here to me."  Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.  And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

November 3, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

Today’s reading speaks to me about how toxic fear can be. Herod Antipas marries his first wife for political advancement, then he divorces her to marry his brother’s wife. His fear first stops him from killing John the Baptizer, and later induces him to, rather than back off of a drunken promise. Even after John’s execution, Herod continues in fear redirected towards Jesus. It’s interesting that Herod Antipas makes every single mistake that a prior Matthew gospel warns against (Matthew 5:21-48) in the Sermon on the Mount.

Good and gracious God, when I fear, when I fail, when I fall, open my eyes to see your face, to follow you, to seek the true refuge of of forgiveness rather than the false refuge of outrage.

Namaste

The Readings

Ezra 7:11-26 (NRSV)

Revelation 14:1-13 (NRSV)

Matthew 14:1-12 (NRSV)

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had been telling him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask.  Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."  The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison.  The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother.  His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.

November 2, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

I am not sure exactly how “God will wipe away the tears from all faces” but I believe it to be true. May it be so.

Namaste

The Readings

Isaiah 25:6-9

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines,

of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear.

And he will destroy on this mountain

the shroud that is cast over all peoples,

the sheet that is spread over all nations;

he will swallow up death for ever.

Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,

and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken.

It will be said on that day,

Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.

This is the Lord for whom we have waited;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

John 5:24-27

November 1, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

We learn three things from today’s reading. If you want to follow Jesus you must be ready to let go of non-essential things (like pillows), follow at the drop of a hat no matter what else you think is on your plate (like dealing with personal loss), expect the unexpected.

Namaste

The Readings

2 Kings 19:21-36 (NRSV)

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (NRSV)

Matthew 8:18-27 (NRSV)

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.  A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."  Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.  A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.  And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"  And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm.  They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"