Monday, January 19, 2009

Change, Change, Change

What better way to begin the year than with Jesus' first public preaching found in this weeks Lectionary reading in Mark 1:15, Time's up, God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message. (from The Message by Eugene Peterson) The Greek word translated change your life, literally means to change your mind or turn around. It can sound like a one time decision. You are going the wrong way, make a U Turn and live happily ever after. However, as we read through the Gospels, we quickly see that the disciples kept veering of in the wrong direction and again and again and had to be brought back to the right way by Jesus. The Old Testament Lectionary Lesson comes from the Book of Jonah, which is a whale of a turn around. (Pardon the pun.) Yet, even after being spit up on the shore by the big fish, Jonah's path with God is still not easy, smooth or direct. What has been your experience? Has your Christian walk been a quick turnaround and steady climb, or has it been more like the disciples and Jonah, full of ups and downs and turns around?

Monday, January 12, 2009

Temple, Fig Tree and Sanctuary

In this weeks Lectionary reading for Sunday there are three references to sacred places. In 1 Samuel 3:1-10 it is the Temple, in John 1:43-51 it is the fig tree where Nathaniel is studying and in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 it is the body. What do these three have in common? I could really use your help this week, so pray hard over these scriptures and blog back.

Grace and Peace,

Don Taylor

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Got Spirit?

In the Acts 19:1-7 lectionary passage for this Sunday, St. Paul encounters a dozen followers of Jesus who were baptized into repentance through John the Baptist. Since they had not received the Holy Spirit in John's Baptism, St. Paul baptizes them with the Holy Spirit.
Did you receive the Holy Spirit in your baptism? If so, what difference does it make? What do you think? These and other questions will be addressed this Sunday. Let me know if you have a query about baptism you would like me to answer from the perspective of our Reformed Tradition.

Grace and Peace,

Don