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Hope Springs Forth
Throughout the year, we have continued to celebrate the 90th anniversary of The Upper Room daily Read More
Mara Richards Bim | Read Isaiah 12:1-6
In the first ten chapters of the book of Isaiah, the prophet proclaims God’s judgment on the people of Judah and Israel for their defilement of God’s dwelling place in Jerusalem. God’s judgment will culminate in divine wrath, and God will send invading armies to burn Jerusalem to a stump....
Creator of all that is and all that will ever be, I come before you humbled and full of love. Thank you for your love and patience. Forgive me when I fall short in your sight. I pray that you transform me as you continue bending the universe toward wholeness. Amen.
The two readings from the book of Isaiah come from different eras in the lives of the Israelites: before the Babylonian exile and after. Both passages convey God’s vision for the new creation. The reading from Second Thessalonians addresses those in the church community at Thessalonica who are not abiding by the group’s covenantal agreement. The Gospel reading from Luke recounts a scene at the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem toward the end of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus prophetically announces that the Temple will once again be destroyed and that his followers will face persecution. Collectively, the four readings speak of God’s continued transformation of the world and the ways Christians are to participate in it.
• Read Isaiah 12. How are you being made whole by God’s love today?
• Read Isaiah 65:17-25. Where is God calling you to share your gifts and talents in the world today?
• Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13. Communities are made up of individuals, each with a responsibility to themselves and to the group. How is your spirit being formed privately and how is it being formed in community?
• Read Luke 21:5-19. Where do you experience the Divine’s presence in your life today? How are you being called to act in the world?
Respond by posting a prayer.
