Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth is one of his first attempts at verbalizing his theology, his understanding of God, and what some 300 years later became known as “Trinitarian theology” (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Gifts of the Spirit is Paul’s attempt at describing the awesome and amazing Lord at work within the community.
As I began reflecting on this passage, I looked at the background of the Book of Proverbs to clarify its purpose and origins. It is part of the wisdom literature in the Old Testament, and it is believed to have been written over centuries. Imagine the amazing amount of wisdom gathered from the time of King Solomon
This passage from the prophet known as Isaiah imagines a future that will bring a peace that is almost incomprehensible. Verses 1-5 and 10 focus on the emergence of a leader who is distantly related to King David; one who will bring peace to humankind. Verses 6-9 paints a word picture
Collect the food and drink you’ll need for a seven-day celebration and then REJOICE! That sounds like quite the party to thank the Lord. And don’t forget to invite all your family, friends, as well as strangers such as immigrants, widows and orphans. If you are like me, you probably have countless memories of Thanksgiving celebrations.
Commentaries say that in Psalm 62 David is expressing his trust in God and his anticipation of deliverance from his enemies. He waits and rests in God, relying on God’s power and control instead of his own abilities or the strength of his allies. True rest, God’s rest, is a state of mind or
There are only two questions that really matter on our spiritual journey. The first is: Where am I? The second is: What time is it? There is only one answer to each of these questions: Here and Now. The only time and place one can encounter the
Divine is here and now – not in the past or in the future. We don’t get to know WHEN something is going to happen.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 has always been a universal protest song in my heart. I graduated high school in 1969, at the height of the war in Vietnam, shadowed by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy a year before. As I read the verse for today, I could not
Comparing various versions of verse 3:1 inspired me to think about where this scripture says TIME is located and active: some say “under heaven” or “the heavens”; another says “on the earth”. The International Children’s Bible says simply “there’s a right time for everything. Everything on earth has its special season.”
What did Paul mean when he wrote to the Romans “Love each other like the members of your family.” Loving the members of your immediate family can be a challenge sometimes. The grievances against our brothers or sisters may be traced to sibling rivalry, or they may run much deeper
The phrase that jumps out to me immediately as I reflect on “Courage” is “Be Strong!” (vs.2:4). Haggai is the tenth book in the minor prophets and isn’t preached on very often so I’m pleased to look more deeply into it for today’s devotional. Haggai’s prophetic words were given to the Judean community returning from the diaspora
Be Brave! Be Strong! Bon Courage!
The setting for this statement is the bank of the river Jordan at the end of the journey for the children of Israel. Moses has led them up to this point but now Joshua will take over as their leader. Tradition and scripture tell us that Moses first said this to the entire entourage
As we draw Compassion Camp to a close for this week, I hope you have had a good journey exploring compassion in a more focused way. Compassion is not just about donating money to a cause, or delivering food to a neighbor, or driving a friend to the emergency room, or sitting with a family member as he or she goes through one of life’s challenges,
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
