Proper 5/Ordinary 10, 2010 – 1 Kings 17:11-12

We now enter that long stretch of the Season after Pentecost. For this Sunday, the lectionary includes 1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24); Psalm 146, Galatians 1:11-24 and Luke 7:11-17. An alternate passage is Psalm 30.

1 Kings 17:11-12 – As [the widow] was going to bring [the drink of water], [Elijah] called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat and die.”

We run into a number of people throughout the course of a day. Some, like the widow Elijah meets, may have lost all hope. My prayer today is that we will be able to discern those among us who are like the widow, so we can be most helpful to them.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us be instillers of hope in all those who come before us this day. AMEN.

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Christian Community Health Fellowship Annual Conference

I just returned from my third CCHF conference. The CCHF encourages Christians to “live out the Gospel through healthcare among the poor.” Student health professionals who are interested in a more intentional Christian ministry in their practices should seek the advocacy and assistance of this wonderful organization.

Trinity Sunday, 2010 – John 16:12-13

John 16:12-13 – “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

I enjoy guided tours. Guides provide the nuance, the subtlety, the stories behind the stories, the secrets you otherwise would not know. With the Holy Spirit as your life-guide, enjoy digging deeply into the mystery that is life.

Prayer: Gracious God, keep us attuned to your Holy Spirit this and every day. AMEN.

Trinity Sunday, 2010 – Psalm 8:3-6, 8

Psalm 8:3-6, 8 – When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

The passage reminds us that we are the caretakers of God’s creation, and we are reading it while the news is filled with stories of the tragedy that is the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Prayer: Creator God, we ask a special blessing this day for the birds of air, the creatures of the sea and all our brothers and sisters affected by this devastating spill. AMEN.

Trinity Sunday, 2010 – Romans 5:3-5

Romans 5:3-5 – And not only that, be we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Whenever I pray over a prayer shawl, I ask that the person receiving it see it as a tangible reminder of God’s unending presence in their life. While prayer shawls may not reduce pain levels, remaining connected to God in the midst of suffering can instill hope, as this passage reminds us.

Prayer: Loving God, we thank you this day for your healing presence in our lives and in the lives of those around us. AMEN.

Trinity Sunday, 2010 – Psalm 8:1-2

Psalm 8:1-2 – O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.

If God can create a fortification out of the mouths of babes and infants, imagine what God can do through you. Better yet, imagine what God is already doing through us as we work together as people of faith.

Prayer: Almighty God, bless our individual and collective actions this day to your glory. AMEN.

Trinity Sunday, 2010 – Proverbs 8:1-4

The first Sunday following Pentecost is known as Trinity Sunday. Scriptures for this week include: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15.

Proverbs 8:1-4 – Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.”

Our week begins with a plea that we seek wisdom. As you begin your journey toward Trinity Sunday, pray for the knowledge, the understanding, the perception and the good judgment that comes with wisdom.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us be seekers of wisdom this and every day. AMEN.