Part 1 of 2
Daily Office Readings for Sunday of Proper 7:Year 1
Morning, Psalms 66 and 67; Evening, Psalms 19 and 46;
1st Samuel 4:12 to 22; James 1:1 to 18; Matthew 19:23 to30:
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel:” (Matthew 19: 28)
The twelve tribes or thrones may be a way of saying twelve ways of entering the kingdom of God. For me, the “renewal of all things,” is our resurrection into eternal life. Folks, the life we live now is not the end of all things. There is a renewal of all things in Christ Jesus. Christianity is the religion where the faith of believers propels us, with God’s blessings, into eternal life after our death here on earth. Believe, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and be saved.
Part 2 of 2
Eucharistic New Testament Readings for Sunday of Proper 7: Year B
2nd Corinthians 6:1 to 13 and Mark 4:35 to 41;
“He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
Jesus has been awakened because of the fear of his disciples who are in the boat with him. Jesus is concerned about their faith, more than about the storm; even if they drown they will live. Do they not know that raising them to new life is entirely within the realm of God?
We Christians need to start living our lives in the full belief that there is a new heaven and a new life, and a new place, awaiting us who believe. It sounds scary, I know. But at some point we need to believe, or give up altogether. For those who choose to give up, I quote Mister T, (from the A Team), who said, “I pity the fool.” We have an invitation to eternal life. It’s Real!
My beloved of the Lord, our hope is in the Name of the Lord. If there is nothing after this life then God’s promise is false. And, I don’t believe that. If this life is all there is, then let us just eat, drink, and be merry until death grabs us. This is like the man who built a larger barn in order to hold the abundance of his fields. He did this rather than share with the needy. He lived for this current life, not for eternal life. He lived for greed and not for love. “You fool,” God said of him, “this very night your life is being demanded of you:” (Luke 12: 20).
Let us live in order that we might love, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 