From thirdway.com, asimpledesire.wordpress.com, biblegateway.com and emu.edu:
Daily Readings/Devotiionals:
A Sip of Scripture
Daily Scripture:
UNIFY
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Reference: Ephesians 4:4-6
Ephesians 4:4-6 (New King James Version)
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you[a] all.
Footnotes:
a.Ephesians 4:6 NU-Text omits you; M-Text reads us.
Pondering at the Well
Carole Boshart invites you to ponder with her about faith and spirituality in a twice-monthly column.
A Sip of Scripture
Pondering at the Well
As Jesus was in conversation with the woman at the well, let us also be in conversation about faith and spirituality. Ponder with me ...
A New Year - A New Columnist
From the producers: Our thanks to Carole Boshart for writing “Pondering at the Well” for Third Way Café from 2006-2010. We have appreciated her insights and wish her the best as she moves on to other endeavors in the coming year. We are pleased to welcome Carol Honderich as our new writer with a new column. We are still working on a name for this column, but we do know it will focus on women of the Bible. Here’s what Carol says about what she will write:
Together we will consider how God provided for these women in their difficult circumstances and consider what lessons for today God may have for each of us.
In January 2000 I began what I anticipated to be a one-year journey with the Women of the Bible. Ten years later the journey continues. After traveling eight cycles through the Old and New Testament, meeting and re-encountering these women, hearing their stories, and discovering over and over lessons from their lives, I am thrilled to begin this journey again with you here at Third Way Café.
Twice a month I will share with you the story of a woman of the Bible, beginning on January 8 with the story of Eve. Together we will consider how God provided for these women in their difficult circumstances and consider what lessons for today God may have for each of us. All through the Bible these stories provide glimpses of God’s hand in the lives of women who were often the poor, the marginalized, the powerless. And yet God provided in amazing and miraculous ways as he invited these women to become part of his redeeming work. I believe you will find these stories to be a great encouragement and challenge.
I am honored to follow in Carole Boshart’s footsteps here, and look forward, as Carole did, to the discipline of study, reflection and writing in this format.
About Carol Honderich
In addition to working as an event facilitator for Mennonite Church USA, Carol enjoys combining her love of Bible study with quilting, speaking, teaching, designing faith-based quilts and finding ways to build community around quilt activities and Bible study. Her quilting adventures include leading annual quilt/spiritual retreats at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Michigan, and in 2008 traveling to Mongolia to teach quilting at a women’s center there. Several of Carol’s quilts have been published in books and magazines and her Women of the Bible Quilt was juried into the American Quilt Society competition in Paducah, Kentucky in 2005.
Carol is mother to three young adults and lives in Goshen, Indiana with her husband Martin.
Posted 1/1/2011 7:00:00 AM
Related Blog
A Simple Desire
The weblog "a simple desire" provides brief commentaries on "A Sip of Scripture" from a Mennonite perspective, The commentaries are written by Carole Boshart, of Oregon; Will Fitzgerald, of Michigan; and others on occasion.
a simple desireShort commentary on “A Sip of Scripture” from Third Way Cafe
There’s just the One
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“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. “ ( Ephesians 4:4-6 )
There was a time when each church created their own mission statement, as if the mission field was like a giant pizza and each church and denomination carved out their own slice and served it, or more accurately, was of service to it in the way each church felt they had the resources to be. Some churches served the poor, some the elderly, some the young, and some that were in far off mission fields that the church felt a connection to via a pin on a map. We are no longer in these times.
There is only one mission field. And all of creation is that mission field, and while churches may feel they are more equipped to serve one type than another, the truth of the matter is that everything the church does that is visible to the wider community is mission. How we serve those are are called to is more important, really, than who we serve. If we serve only out of our excess, then we will be seen in one way. But if we serve out of the same resources that we ourselves us, we will be seen another way.
The writer of Ephesians in this passage is not even talking about “mission” but is talking about relationships in the faith community. In verses 2-3 he says, “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” But these instructions are just as important for those who are outside of our faith circle as well as within. In fact, even more so. How can we put ourselves forth as a community that has a different set of values if we do not treat other in a caring and compassionate way? How does it look if we treat those in our “inner” circle differently than those who are in the wider community?
No, there is just one way to treat everyone, just as there is one body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, and one God. May you missional reader be called anew to our one and only God. And may you be called to serve that God so that all may come to know our Lord through the One Spirit. Selah!
Written by Carole
January 3, 2011 at 12:49 am
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Related Website
Soul Space
You are invited to take some time each day for "Soul Space," written by Wendy Miller and posted on the Eastern Mennonite University website. Each day's guidance centers around a theme for reflection and prayer drawn from the lectionary readings for the week.
Coming
Loving God,
Bringing light—epiphany–
Awaken my soul.
Open my eyes to see,
Help me to hear
Jesus among and within us.
Amen
Silence
Be still.
Open your awareness to God’s presence
Within and all around.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Being With- Epiphany
Epiphany of the Lord: God shows up among us
Season of Epiphany: Baptism of Jesus
In this season of Epiphany—the time of God showing up among us—the lectionary guide leads us into the narrative in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 2:1-12. We find ourselves led to a far-away place, in the east, where wise men–magi–who gaze at the stars and study their movement, become aware of a new and bright star arising in the heavens. They discern that this star signals the birth of “the child who has been born king of the Jews”. Their discovery erupts into a deep desire to see this child, to worship him, and to offer him gifts worthy of a king: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This deep desire means charting a way to travel, and along with the things they pack they also carry a question: How would they find this child who has been born king?
They follow the starry sign given in the night sky—this heavenly GPS– as it offers direction west for hundreds of miles, to Israel/Palestine.
I remember as a teenager feeling a longing to meet God, to know God. The longing drew me to listen deeply to lessons taught in a weekly Bible class, and made me aware of the deeper conversation God was having with me. Like the magi I needed guidance from the scriptures and welcomed direction as to where to read in the gospels. Guidance from helpful teachers and the scriptures shed light on my path as I searched. Many people long for God, to know and to be known by God; to come home to God. Often the desire is buried underneath a pile of activity and things which we hold on to, somehow thinking that they will satisfy the longing of our soul. But of course, they don’t. The star of God’s making still draws us in the night of our searching.
For the magi it is the pronouncement from the prophet Micah which gives them direction for their journey:
“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2)
This one, born to be king, signals the shining of the light of God, light that beams into every dark corner of the nation, and of the human heart. (Isaiah 60:1-6) Now the magi know where to go: to Bethlehem, to find the child. Overwhelmed with joy and wonder the magi enter the dwelling and kneel before the child Jesus to give him homage, and to offer him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
However, warned in a dream of Herod’s secret plan to kill this newborn baby, they return home to the east another way.
Like the magi I was overwhelmed with joy and wonder at the in-breaking of this love and grace in my life and, like them, I began to take another road, a road leading home for my life and soul. This encounter with Jesus began to change my life.
Matthew’s gospel leads us into the wilderness now, and prepares us to listen for this new road. A voice sounds in the silence, the voice of John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. He now lives in this barren wilderness, owning the call of God on his life spoken by his father at his birth:
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.” Luke 1:76-77
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Zechariah had also spoken of the new day that was about to dawn with the coming of Jesus:
“By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79
As we follow John, he leads us the banks of the River Jordan, the river which threads its way south from the high mountain ranges north of Galilee to the Dead Sea south of Jerusalem. When Jesus arrives at the River Jordan, Matthew invites us to sit on the river bank and to notice how he comes, receiving from John, receiving from God: Abba and Holy Spirit. John is surprised, but moves with the invitation of Jesus. Jesus himself, led by the Spirit, moves with Abba’s way of bringing the gracious Rule of God near. This is the road for us to walk.
Enter into this baptismal narrative. Sit on the bank. Watch. Listen. Notice what draws your attention, how the Spirit of God speaks to you.
Prayer before reading:
Lord Jesus Christ,
You come to us.
Help me to see as you see,
To recognize your presence,
To receive the gift of your Spirit
Who guides us as we walk in your way.
Read slowly. Listen deeply. Indwell the scripture.
Scripture Guide:
Season of Epiphany: First Sunday after Epiphany
» 1/3 Monday: Matthew 2:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12 (King James Version)
Matthew 2
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
» 1/4 Tuesday: Matthew 3:13-17
» 1/5 Wednesday: Psalm 29; 72:1-7,10-14
» 1/6 Thursday, Epiphany: Isaiah 42:1-19; 60:1-6
» 1/7 Friday: Ephesians 3:1-12; Acts 10:34-43
» 1/8 Saturday: Matthew 2:1-12
» 1/9 Sunday: Matthew 3:13-17
Responding
The third movement within Soul Space is Responding. Here we shift our focus towards outward engagement.
Monday
Pray for the coming day, and for God’s servants who are bringing good news, healing and hope in the world, especially for ___________________________ (persons you desire to pray for).
Loving God,
You are Lord of the harvest, and Owner of the farm.
Thank you for calling _____________________ to co-labor with You in the field of this world.
Help ___________________ this day to know your voice and guidance, to be led and empowered by your Spirit, and protected from all that is against you and your work in the world. May your kingdom come, and your will be done in their life and in the lives of those they companion into your gracious love and salvation.
In the name of Jesus, Savior, Emmanuel.
Amen.
INTERCESSION
Pray for the coming day, and for the alienated world in which we live.
Lord Jesus,
You who came among us,
moving into the painful fractures of our cultures
offering the healing invitation of the Kingdom,
walk into the lonely chasms in our world,
our nation, our cities, our households.
Lord,
help me feel the sadness and pain of persons
who are suffering because of terrorism, hate crimes, war, prejudice.
Soften my heart with your sorrow and compassion.
Lord Jesus,
walk among us by your Spirit. I bring to
you this day, for your care, release, and healing:
persons who are victims of violence, of greed, of addictions; ___________________________
prisoners of war, of illness, old age, famine and hunger; _______________________
people who are homeless and suffering, who have lost family, friends, neighbors,
because of storms, earthquakes, floods. ____________________________
People who grieve, Whose hearts weep, Whose bodies suffer. ________________________
Comfort and heal through your goodness and provision, healing and hope, as I pray and wait in Jesus’ name. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, Emmanuel,
God with us,
May your kingdom come
And your gracious will be done,
In the earth of our lives in this world
As it is in heaven.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Amen.
Morning- Week Four
Opening the day with prayer.
As darkness fades and dawn awakens
Lord, give me the joy of your saving help
And sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
In the tender light of morning
Help me as I pray.
In the name of Jesus, bright and morning star. Amen.
Morning by morning God wakens–
wakens my ear
to listen
as those who are taught. Isaiah 50:5
Evening- Week Four
Closing the day with gratefulness.
It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;
To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning
And of your faithfulness in the night season.
Psalm 92:1,2
As I come to the end of this day,
For what am I thankful?
How have I known God’s faithfulness this day?
What do bring to God . . .?
For confession . . .
For forgiveness . . .
For help . . .
For God’s holding.
Reading
The psalm for this week’s lectionary readings.
Silence
Closing Prayer
Living God,
In you there is no darkness;
Shed upon us through this night the light of your forgiveness,
Your healing and your peace.
Cover us with the blanket of your protection.
When we wake from sleep
May we know once more the light of your presence,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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