As we read through today’s scripture passage we cannot help but ask “who was Melchizadek?” Let me share briefly what I have concluded in my exploration of this fellow named Melchizedek. The Hebrew Bible, aka the Old Testament, contains the first mention of Melchizedek in Genesis 14, followed by a mention in Psalm 110.
In reflecting on today’s scripture, I went back to the beginning of 1 Peter. The letter of encouragement is addressed to persecuted Jewish Gentile believers, “God’s chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora, who live in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithinia” (1 Peter 1:1) They are God’s chosen people living as strangers in their current context.
Today’s reading begins with, “ 5 Come, house of Jacob, walk by the Lord’s light” and it jumped out at me immediately upon my first reading. I have been reflecting on “walk by the Lord’s light” for almost two weeks and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. Have you sung or heard the song “Marching in the Light of God”?
Reading scripture is an interesting exercise because frequently the language distracts the reader and clouds the message, leading one to re-read it and say “huh?” It is helpful to read the assigned passage in multiple translations to better understand what the written word is trying to say.
Whenever we read Colossians, we read it through the lens of time. Scholars now agree that this document was written and edited by a follower or followers of Paul years after his imprisonment and death. The letter was likely written to the church in Colossae (a city in Phrygia, Asia Minor) to address false teachings
The first time I read Psalm 6 in preparation for writing this devotion I wanted to reach into my Bible and smack the Psalmist for crying and carrying on like he was. I wanted to say to him “Just stop crying! Apologize, say you are sorry, and get on with acting like you are really SORRY!
As I reflect on this Psalm it occurs to me that God and the people of God are in the activities of this world together and always have been. We cannot accomplish anything without the inspiration of God, and God cannot accomplish anything until God’s people get on board to make it happen.
The Letter of James begins chapter 1, verse 1 by greeting the “Twelve tribes in the Dispersion.” It addresses both the first followers of Jesus as well as those Jews of the first century who found themselves outside of Palestine. This passage also resonates with those of us in the twenty-first century.
That’s not the way it will be with you….
As I explored the context of today’s passage I found that this was Jesus’ reply to James and John as they tried to understand their call to ministry (as recorded in Mark 43:35-38 from The Message) “ 35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him (and said)
Throughout the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) evil doers and idolaters are understood to be punished by the Lord for being disobedient, despite the covenant that God made with God’s people. Any struggles the Hebrew people suffered were understood to be “teachable moments” inflicted by God. This is a primary difference between the Old and New Testaments.
As we come to the close of our devotional questions for the series on SEEKING, our last reflection is this: “How will you know when you have found what you are looking for?” There is no single, easy answer to that very personal question, but today’s scripture can enlighten us.
The question posed for today’s devotional is “What is something you’d like to ask God’s help with? I recently encountered my own life-threatening situation requiring God’s intervention for which I shout “Hosanna!” Footnotes to this passage remind us that the petition “Hosanna” “Save Us” was not only shouted by the crowds on “Palm Sunday”
Together we can turn the nation’s largest weekend of football into the largest weekend of giving. Youth group members will be collecting monetary donations at each service this Sunday and will then send the donation to the Turning Point United Methodist Food Pantry in Trenton. Your generosity will be very much appreciated. The link below will take you to our PushPay system. You can select “Give One Time” then use the Fund Selector to choose “Souper Bowl of Caring.”
PEDAL for PROMISE – SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019: Medford United Methodist is fielding a team for the Urban Promise fundraiser “Pedal for Promise.” This year the ride begins and ends at Valenzano Winery in Shamong. You can register to ride, make a donation to the team or register as a spectator to enjoy the party and cheer on our team.
Go to urbanpromiseusa.org/pedal for more information about the event, to donate, or to register as an individual. OR you can go directly to the TEAM MEDFORD UMC page at www.crowdrise.com/team-medford-umc.
Questions or need help? Speak with Pastor Kathleen, Wayne Richards, or Heidi and Mike Polhemus
