Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 8: Year 1
Morning, Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123; Evening, Psalms 124, 125, 126, [127];
1st Samuel 11:1 to 15; Acts 8:1 to 13; Luke 22:63 to 71:
In our readings for today we have the action of two Sauls.
The Saul of the Hebrew Testament rejoices after a victory and calls the people to renew his kingship. After reading about this Saul the next reading is about the New Testament Saul who consented to Stephen’s death by stoning. The two Sauls will go different ways. The Saul of the Hebrew Testament will lose favor with God while the Saul of the Christian Testament will gain favor with God. The death of people is involved in both.
The biggest difference between the Sauls is the “why” they did the things they did. The Hebrew Testament Saul begins to praise his own kingship, the kingship of himself. The New Testament Saul was always zealous for God but learns to honor the Kingship of Christ Jesus and lives out the remainder of his days as Paul only to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Perhaps many of us have names that are recycled through our families. I am named after my uncle and my dad. I don’t know that with my name I also received any of my uncle’s or dad’s personality traits. No matter our name, in Christ Jesus we are a new creation, and maybe even have our names changed as did Saul to Paul and Simon to Peter.
Today we remember Pauli Murray, Priest (July 1, 1985), and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Writer and Prophetic witness (July 1, 1896) their information may be found at: Pauli Murray and Harriet Beecher Stowe, respectively.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray:
O Lord God Almighty, we pray that we are called by who You name us to be. May we live the best lives we can in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
onewhoponders 