Daily Devotions
New devotions are posted Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Relationships Far and Near
Today’s authors are Prince of Peace members, Caryn & Jim Josephson.
Genesis 1:24a, 31a
24a “Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness…”
31a “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. “
By the time this devotion reaches your in-box, our group of 5 travelers will be in Bomalang’ombe – a congregation that is part of the Iringa Diocese in Tanzania. There will be singing and dancing, hugs, laughter and tears of joy seeing old friends. When Jim and I were first invited to visit Tanzania in the early 2000s by Lee and Sandi Poppe, we had no idea what this Invitation into Relationship would turn into! When we tell people we are going on a Mission Trip, the first question is usually ‘what are you going to do? Are you going to build something?’. The answer is ‘we are building relationships!’.
This will be our 10th visit to our brothers and sisters in Tanzania. Over the years we’ve seen first hand how God uses relationships to form community. We have many dear friends in Tanzania, but we have also formed lasting relationships with members of Prince of Peace and with other congregations in the St Paul Area Synod who have similar connections to congregations in the Iringa Diocese.
Our reading for this week is the creation story and the verses that jumped out to me speak of how humans were created in God’s image and likeness. Traveling to another country and culture helps us experience the variety of God’s creation and although we have different backgrounds, cultures and experiences, each and every one of us is made in God’s image.
Tuombe – Let us pray: God, we thank you for your gift of creation and the gift of being able to connect with others to experience you in the image of others. Bless our siblings in Christ in Bomalang’ombe and Vikongwa parishes and help us to grow in faith and love for you and each other.
Amen
Previously…
More than a Meeting
In the life of faith, the Church emerges as the living embodiment of the “Body of Christ,” a means through which God’s transformative vision is breathed into existence. Each member, a unique thread, intricately woven into the fabric of communal existence, contributes to the vibrant expression of divine purpose. This Sunday, this body will be re-membered to tend to itself for the sake of the world.
What kind of soil am I, today?
In Mark 4: 1-34 the writer tells of Jesus’s parable of the Sower and the explanation of that parable Jesus gave to his disciples. There’s also the parable of the mustard seed and Jesus’s admonitions and advice for living in the faith. In other words, there’s a lot to think about in this passage, which is my typical reaction to virtually any passage of scripture.
Liberating the Structures
In the life of faith, our understanding of God’s vision evolves with the rhythm of time. Just as ancient wisdom guided our forebears through shifting landscapes, we, too, are called to adapt our structures to the ever-changing contours of the world. Our council is proposing just such an adaption with the updates to our constitution and bylaws to be considered at next Sunday’s semi-annual meeting.
Sowing Seeds of Grace
The teachings of Jesus are like radiant threads in the fabric of understanding, and the parables stand out as profound narratives weaving transformative truths into the tapestry of our lives. Take, for instance, the “Parable of the Sower” from Mark 4 which we’ll hear on Sunday, a story of seeds sown on different soils. This narrative unfolds as a tale of hope and challenge, inviting us to examine the conditions of our own hearts.