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Alan Welcome to soft idolatry season 7 episode 1 our season on epiphany or season of epiphany corissa has it going. 00:30.88 softidolatry It's going pretty Well, it's a little bit rainy here. But it's been fairly warm so it's good. Good weather for running and and walking in got the new dog to walk and a marathon to train for So I'm grateful for the warmth. 00:45.92 Alan Ah, yeah, not too bad, um, kind of gray and ugly today not quite as gray and ugly as Christmas day which was rainy and yucky and um, yeah, you know. 00:46.67 softidolatry About you. 01:04.70 Alan I can think of christmases in all sorts of weather and ah even the other christmases with bad weather seemed to ah offer good things. You know like if it snows great. It's Christmas it's a white. 01:17.40 softidolatry Oh. 01:23.35 softidolatry Right? It's the one acceptable day of the year for snow. 01:24.34 Alan Christmas there's something romantic about that. Ah yeah, you know if it's if it's really unseasonably warm. That's great and enjoyable to get outside but it was neither cold nor warm. It is. Ah yeah I mean it wasn't pouring rain. But yeah, it was just ah, weird. But then this has been an exceedingly weird year hasn't it. 01:54.49 softidolatry It really has yeah and even you know these holidays felt a little more normal than than before you know we got together with some family. We've got friends who are in town visiting family every year that come to have a game night with us over Christmas break. And that happened again this year but there was all There's also fewer parties and like everybody is covid testing before getting together with others and so there's still like this weird looming presence over the holiday season that's kind of like the icing on the crap cake that was. 02:30.47 Alan Yeah, exactly exactly. Um, it's for for those of you who do not have kids and well well for those of you who do have kids from the rest of us who do not when you don't have. 02:30.57 softidolatry 2021 right 02:50.45 Alan Younger people in your life to anchor you to the present nostalgia just can become deadly this time of year because you remember the christmases when people were together and um I would imagine. A lot of people just felt extra disconnected this year even though we could be back sharing one. Another's company to a certain extent. Um, it's just a reminder was for me a reminder of how far that. Time is in the rearview mirror and so a a dreary day Christmas day for me was about the worst thing imaginable. 03:38.19 softidolatry Yeah, um, even even with young people in life in life. It was pretty crappy so I can I can only imagine and my yeah, my heart goes out to all of those who who felt even more alone than normal. The holidays can be a lonely season to begin with let alone when it's. Rainy and gray and gross and covid. Yeah. 04:02.20 Alan So what? what light is dawning on us now. 04:08.13 softidolatry Yeah there's I mean you can go so many different directions with that I feel like we've beaten the pandemic to death in this podcast but you know we're so even with new variance and things we're slowly but surely seeing new ways of of going about life. So I think that that's that's. Ah, light and in the midst of it. God is still moving and speaking to us right? I know I've heard god speak a lot over this past year whether I liked it or not and mostly I did not sometimes I did but generally it wasn't pleasant. Um, and I think for me one of the the things that was revealed to me that I I saw a new light on was just the variety of ways that god speaks to us I would like for a large blinking billboard. And what I got was more of um, some sort of crazy like word search puzzle that got set on fire halfway through or something like you know, um. 05:17.47 Alan Ah, ah. 05:22.67 softidolatry Yeah, epiphanies aren't always like these big bright, beautiful aha moments with a star in the sky. Sometimes they are you know a year or 2 of getting dragged through the mud. 05:34.68 Alan Or or sometimes they're a year or 2 of ah slow steady growth. You know I um a colleague of mine. 05:43.45 softidolatry Yeah. 05:52.27 Alan Said of of her congregation what they need is a therapist more than a pastor and you know I can I can relate and I hear the same thing from lots of colleagues that um, what. 05:57.60 softidolatry Ah, yeah. 06:10.97 Alan What they expected ministry to be and what it actually is are so widely different sometimes and you know in this conversation I started to turn back to some of my own epiphanies. You know when I had ah. I had been unchurched for a long time and I drifted back and it was good and then I found a great church in Pittsburgh through through the recommendation of a former pastor I did not just randomly find this place. Um, and. As I got more and more involved it began to make more and more sense intellectually but also just the way it felt the way it felt being in a sanctuary where all of a sudden I felt I got what the pastor was saying and it felt like the people around me. We're getting it too and it was a really powerful experience and it was formational. It was part of what led me to seminary and it was part of how I discerned my call to ministry and it was. You know a process of a couple of years to to get those epiphanies and it was great and I thought that I would be able to help translate those experiences for other people and be there when people wanted to engage. And I find so few people want to engage. 07:47.36 softidolatry Yeah, that is sad but true. Um, and I think part of it is just you know folks are so busy and stretch so thin that they only have so much to offer and so much energy with which to engage and so. Folks have to be really selective about what they engage in and an old dying institution that quite frankly has been pretty mean throughout the years is not where a lot of people want to throw their their time and energy. 08:19.81 Alan Right? And um to to beat one of the drums that we typically beat so many of the people in our Pews have been used to pastors doing most of the heavy lifting and they are not used to. 08:33.34 softidolatry Yeah. 08:39.72 Alan Calls for change from the pulpit and I think that's why my friend they need a therapist because um, nobody wants to change everybody wants everyone else to change around them but nobody wants to. Take the step of doing that change work and and that's a broad generalization and there are people who understand the need to change but it feels from my end like instead of instead of. Going into the pulpit and teaching and exhorting people to action like they only have the bandwidth for me coming up there and saying it's ok, it's ok, It's ok. 09:32.57 softidolatry Jesus loves you? yeah. 09:35.87 Alan Right? And yes that sermon needs to be preached and so do all the other sermons. Um, love your neighbor. Your neighbor is everyone Love your neighbor. 09:43.62 softidolatry Then who. 09:52.58 softidolatry Yeah i' also leviticus um and pretty much the rest of the bible. Oh yes, the everyone. Yeah yeah, um, yeah, it's. 09:54.13 Alan That's it. That's a shout out to the gospel of Luke pretty much but but the everyone is your neighbors particularly Luke. 10:11.25 softidolatry You know change is hard right? It's really easy to say we need change. We need to be willing to change but it is a really hard process. Um, it's hard to love everyone. Some people really suck and you know it's hard to love them and um, we're called to love them anyway. Even when they're. Not great or they're scary or we don't know them very well or or we don't agree with them or whatever it is but you know epiphany is not necessarily. Not only is it not just necessarily 1 quick aha moment where suddenly you realize something but it's not always. Easy. It can take a long time and I think it can be kind of staged and seasoned right too. So there's um, little epiphanies which within greater epiphanies I was just preparing my I'm preaching on sunday. Pulpit supply actually at your home church Allen I'm going to be filling in there. Ah um, and I was reading through the sermon I want to preach and it talks a lot about some of the places around the world that I have. 11:09.89 Alan Your kid. Oh you're at 6 Oh great. Ah. 11:22.80 softidolatry Seeing Jesus and others because that's what epiphany is right? It's seeing Jesus in unexpected places. Um, you know the wise men bringing gifts from the east are very unexpected people to be coming into a jewish place to come see Jesus although they they were probably in Egypt by then but that's a history lesson for another day. 11:26.18 Alan Um, move. 11:40.15 Alan Yeah. 11:42.35 softidolatry Um, that you were about to I saw the look on your face and um, ah yeah, and you know I've I've seen Jesus in a lot of different places but have I ever told you that the story about the first time I ever preached. 11:55.50 Alan I Don't recall. 11:57.59 softidolatry Um, and it was kind of like one of those little epiphanies that set off a longer season. It was pre-seminary. Yeah, it was actually pre Gloria. Um. 12:00.67 Alan Was this preset pre-seminary or okay, oh my. Okay this then then maybe you've never told me this story. 12:12.84 softidolatry The the first time I ever left the country. It was for short-term medical mission to Guatemala in 2005 in the fall and if you know anything about the fall of 2005 in Guatemala. There were huge mudslides that felt ah, not long after Hurricane Katrina hit the United States storms and mudslides hi Guatemala and that hit about 24 hours before we left for that trip and the trip it changed dramatically the nature of what we were doing there but 1 of the the. Places we were at I have no medical background whatsoever and I was put in charge of a pack of children and anyone who knows me well is. Probably giggling right now because I do not love large groups of small children. Um I will take your teenagers and your college students but please keep your toddlers to yourselves. Um and I was like I don't want to do that and the person in charge of the trip said no this is for you. Today you're gonna preach to these children. It said I don't speak any spanish and they don't speak any english she said it's okay, you speak the Lord's word I'll translate. So um, the first time I ever preached I was plopped down in front of dozens possibly. You know scores of small mayan children who spoke no english and I spoke no spanish and preached extemporaneously with no preparation whatsoever. Um, no warning whatsoever and the whole time I was thinking this is the most ludicrous thing I've ever done in my life. But at the end our translator said. Thank you so much. You really do have god's gift for this. So thank you and that was like a. An epiphany that set off epiphanies right? It wasn't in that moment I knew I was going to be a preacher and a pastor but it set off it sparked something new like I saw the star in that moment and then I went to seminary like ten years later or something like that. 14:26.00 Alan Wow! good. 14:32.52 Alan Ah, 6 I think but yeah, that's I've I don't have a great story like that about the first time that I preached but it was definitely as part of seminary I guess maybe I talked. 14:34.41 softidolatry It took a while Yeah, it took a while. 14:51.53 Alan In Church at a point. Um, you know, maybe on a youth Sunday but somehow that doesn't entirely count because everyone was talking and yeah, um, ah. But yeah, that's ah, that's one of those wonderful validations of the gift of the talent and it seems like it's easier to find those things before you get ordained and find yourself. A wash and parish life then then after the fact so ah. 15:31.67 softidolatry When you're still in that wide-eyed dreamer stage. Um, well and I think it's a um I share that one too is an example of sometimes it can be hard to ascertain whether this is really God speaking or not in a moment. And the voice of the community is so important like who has corroborated this for you because if you're just pulling it out of your own hat. Be careful. 15:56.75 Alan Yeah, Well I mean I think that's one of the great things about the reformed tradition is at least in Theory. There are so many checks and balances out there that um, we we have enough. Ah. Enough other voices saying yes I hear that in you too rather than are you sure? Well I mean they could say that too. But ah we we rather than it just being Ego-d Driven you know, um. 16:23.10 softidolatry Yeah. 16:35.90 Alan Hey I'm having this really great experience in church and I can I can lead other people to god in the very same way. That's an ego-d driven response to what might be a very positive set of church relationships but ah just because I felt that. Didn't mean it was a call to ministry and you know I had to validate that with a bunch of other people including a pastor who said you need to do some more discernment work before you decide to apply to seminary and ah so you know I I i. Did that work for a couple of years before I truly ah discerned the call and it was a long process with multiple epiphanies along the way to be sure. 17:25.20 softidolatry Yeah, um, it just occurred to me. Maybe that's why one of the reasons why it was wise men traveling and not just one wise guy. Um. 17:37.29 Alan Um, yeah, yeah, how how very reformed of them. Yeah, who. 17:42.51 softidolatry Yeah, they traveled in Committee they the wise men the match I were clearly Presbyterian because they traveled in Committee they were. They were the commission that came from afar. 17:52.58 Alan They were yes they were on the committee of gifts. Ah, ah. 18:01.68 softidolatry Commissioners from presbytery afar. All the presbyterians in the crowd are laughing their butts off right now and the methodists are like you guys are so weird. Yeah well and so. 18:10.92 Alan Yes, ah. 18:17.36 softidolatry We We really enjoyed and I think some of our listeners really enjoyed the format that we had last season to the the podcast which was inviting other clergy other pastors and ministers into the conversation we were having. With us so instead of trying to come up with a brand new topic Every single week. We had a brand new guest to talk about the same topic every week and I felt like that was a really rich and helpful exploration at least for me as we were wrestling through some of that and some good Conversations. So we're going to do that again. This season. 18:57.12 Alan Um, yeah I'm I'm looking forward to having back some of our excellent guests from before and just having new conversation. Partners. This is always great to have this conversation with me and you and we would have this conversation if we weren't on a podcast but we also know some pretty cool people and it's fun to. 19:20.11 softidolatry Right. 19:30.27 Alan Hear What they have to say and bounce ideas off of them. 19:31.73 softidolatry Yeah, so you'll hear hear some familiar voices that you heard in season 6 um, next week we have a voice you haven't heard in a little while on soft idolatry but has joined us before reverend Rebecca Depoe and so she'll be here next week to to join us. And I think that this will be really cool too in our exploration of epiphanies and growth and learning and listening to god because everyone does hear god differently god speaks to different people depending on their. Personalities and passions and place in life and so talking to different people about what that means to them I think will be a really interesting conversation as well over the next the next few months. 20:16.29 Alan Yeah, and you know we can. We can be pretty much assured that there will still be plenty of turmoil and strife and tumult in our lives Anyhow with a pandemic that continues and. A society that will not uniformly embrace a sensible response to said pandemic and you know, no no shortage of political issues to to talk about. But um. And to look at how our call to follow God is affected by all of those winds around us. 21:01.91 softidolatry Yes, yeah, it is I've found for me over the past two years so I'm looking at 20202021 and 2020 came in hot for me even before the pandemic because I had that. That trip to central America that just made I came back angry from that trip reverse culture shock is a real thing like reentry shock when you get home from somewhere and that was like mean angry reentry shock after I saw what was going on down there. Um. But like just reflecting on those 2 years I think it was the nature of what was going on in the world both before and during the pandemic that really put me through those fires of epiphany. Yeah, so it'll be interesting too as the pandemic develops. Does whatever it's going to do I don't even pretend to predict these things anymore. It'll be interesting to see what the church learns as a whole what we as as pastors learn what our society learns or doesn't. 22:11.41 Alan Ah, yes, interesting is 1 word for it. Um, ah yeah, yeah, I yeah I am struggling to I'm struggling to keep it on just an intellectual level. 22:18.62 softidolatry Terrifying is another. 22:31.23 Alan Where interesting works. 22:32.62 softidolatry Yes, yeah, we oh man, it's I think our all of our emotions are so raw and and that does put us in a position where I feel like the spirit can really work through us when we're in a emotionally vulnerable place. Ah, that can bring us into deeper intimacy with God but it does make it really hard to have composure sometimes. 22:56.63 Alan Well yeah, because you can very easily trick transmit your own anxiety to those you are called to serve and that's particularly a challenge for me because. 23:04.18 softidolatry Yes. 23:13.75 Alan Ah, because the anxiety is real and because the anger is real. 23:17.33 softidolatry And yes, yeah, there's been a lot of anxiety and and anger and I think when we when we talk with with Rebecca next week we're gonna be touching on some of that and some of the epiphanies that have come through some of that a little bit more as well. But yeah, be prepared for a wild ride and. Like we reminded you in our little segue between season 6 and season 7 if you have a story of Epiphany or something that you have learned over the past year or even the past two years right we'll count this whole in 20202021. We're kind of a weird. Slow blur I don't even know how to explain how time both stood still and rocketed through all at the same time and blurred together. But if you have some of those stories feel free to send us an email or even like a voice memo that we can toss into the podcast. Emails info at http://softidolatry.com and if it's something really interesting. You might get a call from us to pop in and and join us as a guest on the show but we would really love to hear from you. What some of your your experiences with epiphanies and learning are over the past year 24:28.59 Alan Yeah I think that I think that will be a wonderful rich season in the life of our podcast. Anyhow here here's hon. So ah, Carissa would you like to pray us out today. 24:38.25 softidolatry Here's hope in Anyway, that's the plan. 24:44.57 softidolatry Sounds great. Friends. Let's pray god of all we thank you that you are constantly teaching us and speaking to us and guiding us by your spirit reveal to us your presence. Over these coming weeks as we reflect on times that we have known deeply of your presence and just help prepare us for whatever the next season of epiphanies and learning happen to be. Guide us and continue to form and mold us we pray these things humbly in the power of the holy spirit in the name of Jesus Christ amen 25:37.60 Alan Amen.
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This week's scripturesOther links and infoThis week's textsThat Scene From "The Godfather". . . and the song we hear a million times in "Groundhog Day"
This week's textsStuff we referenced
Scripture Passages for This WeekIsaiah 7:10–16 (NRSV) — 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. Matthew 1:18–25 (NRSV) — 18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. 1980s cheeseI will follow, by U2This week's textLuke 16:1–13(ESV) 1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 1 Timothy 2:1–7(ESV) — 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Recommended Linkshttps://www.guideposts.org/faith-and-prayer/daily-devotions/a-prayer-for-those-who-irritate-us http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/230606.htm This week's spiritual practiceThink of someone you cannot stand. Might be someone in government. Might be liberals if you’re conservative. Might be conservatives if you’re liberal. Maybe there is a coworker that annoys the daylights out of you. Pray every day for that person or people. If possible, ask them if there is anything specific you might be able to pray about for them. This week's prayerGod of grace and mercy, I thank you for relationships. I thank you for the wonderful people who have graced my life, as well as the opportunities that I am constantly given to practice mercy, grace, and love. God, I thank you for the relationships with people who annoy the life out of me. I ask that you fill me with your Holy Spirit when I deal with people who annoy me. I ask that you make me mindful that every person is your beloved child, and how I treat each and every one of them is how I treat you. I ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. What we're reading this weekBelieve it or not, neither of us picked up anything new this week. You can check out last week's reads in the previous show notes.
This week's text
1 Timothy 1:12–17(ESV)
12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Luke 15:1–10(ESV) 1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Recommended LinksThis week's spiritual practiceThis week's prayer
Psalm 51:1–10 (ESV)
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. What we are reading this week
This week's scriptures
Deuteronomy 5:6(ESV)
6“ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy 5:20–21(ESV) 20“ ‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21“ ‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’ Deuteronomy 30:15–20(ESV) 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Luke 18:18–30(ESV) 18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” This week's spiritual practice
Set aside some time each day to read the daily lectionary readings. You can find the listings at the link below.
This week's prayer
Our prayer this week was written by our own Pastor Alan:
God, we all suck. We all fall short. We all fail to love and live as you would have us love and live. Guide us as we attempt to love one another and be less of a hot mess. In Jesus’ name, Amen. What we're reading this week
Friends,
Thanks for hanging around as we work out the kinks in our process. We haven't been super great about getting the links we talk about into the actual show notes. Your patience is greatly appreciated. We have added a producer and an editor to our team and this has taken much of the pressure/work load off of Alan and I. Hopefully this means we'll be able to get these show notes up more regularly now. Also, sorry cross fitters, I need to make an adjustment to something I said at the beginning this week. . . I know. . . I accidentally referred to "Katrin Thorisdottir". I know her name is Katrin Davidsdottir. I just misspoke. There are so many "'dottirs" in CrossFit, it's easy to do! Blessings, Charissa 9/2/19 Show notes: |
Show NotesCheck here for notes and other links we reference in the podcast. Archives
December 2021
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