Friday, November 16, 2018

The Upper Room Daily Reflections from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 12 November 2018 through Sunday, 18 November 2018 "All Are Beloved" for Friday, 16 November 2018

The Upper Room Daily Reflections from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 12 November 2018 through Sunday, 18 November 2018 "All Are Beloved" for Saturday, 17 November 2018
Today’s Reflection:
COMPASSION IS THE VITAL CORE of Christianity. Jesus summed up all of his teachings with the commandment to love God with our entire being, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Tragically, however, we are rarely encouraged to extend compassion to ourselves. In fact, it has often been downright discouraged. . . . And yet, Jesus’ invitation is to love our neighbors as ourselves, not instead of ourselves. The care, good will, and delight we extend to ourselves should be the measure of that which we offer to others.
We do not love ourselves well. Self-denigration, self-loathing, and chronic self-critique are epidemic. …
Self-denigration violates the teachings of Jesus. Jesus sought to restore personhood, not diminish it. … In the eyes of the God Jesus knew, we are all sons and daughters of the divine, we are all beloved, and we are all held in the sacred radiance that delights in our beauty and giftedness. (Weavings, Nov/December 2015/January 2016)
From “That’s My Girl! That’s My Boy! Seeing Ourselves the Way God Sees Us” by Frank Rogers Jr., pages 42-43, Weavings: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life, November/December 2015/January 2016. Copyright © 2015 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about The Upper Room.
Today’s Question: 
Love yourself well today by reminding yourself that God loves you.
Today’s Scripture: “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.” (Mark 13:7, NRSV)
This Week:
pray for estrange family members.
The Upper Room Daily Reflections from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 12 November 2018 through Sunday, 18 November 2018 "Promise-Keeping God" for Friday, 16 November 2018

Today’s Reflection:
THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY REFORMER Martin Luther said that the gospel comes to us in the form of promise: God has acted and will act to save us. The God of the Bible is a promise-making, promise-keeping God. …
When we forget that God relates to us on the basis of gracious promise, we may be tempted to turn our relationship to God into an if-then relationship. If I am good, then God will love me; if I study my Bible, then God will listen to me; if I tithe, then God will bless me; if I serve the poor, then God will reward me.Whenever we take this approach, we are reshaping the gospel. … God’s promise of salvation never comes as a response but as a free, unconditional gift. (L. Roger Owens, Belonging to the Truth, e-book from Disciplines 2015)
“From page 335 of The Upper Room Disciplines 2015: A Book of Daily Devotions.” The readings for the week of November 16-22, written by L. Roger Owens, are titled “Belonging to the Truth” and are available as an e-book for Kindle or in EPUB format for other e-readers. Copyright © 2014 by Upper Room Books. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books.
“http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question: 
How do you experience God relating to you and to others out of gracious promise?
Today’s Scripture: Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” (Mark 13:2, NRSV)
This Week:
pray for estrange family members.


Did You Know?
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.
This week we remember: Gertrude the Great of Helfta(November 16).
Gertrude the Great of Helfta
November 16

St. Gertrude was born in 1256, and when she was five she went to the Benedictine convent at Helfta, Saxony. While at the convent, she studied the works of St. Augustine and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and became a good friend to her tutor, St. Mechtild.
When Gertrude was in her mid-twenties, Christ came to her in a vision, in the form of a handsome young man. In this vision, Christ asked her to come near, but she found her way blocked by a thorny hedge -- a manifestation of her sins and flaws. Jesus reached out and placed her by his side. This vision spawned her career as a mystic and spiritual advisor, and formed part of her Revelations of St. Gertrude. She died in 1302 after many years of helpful guidance and prayerful solitude.
If St. Gertrude had taken the Spiritual Types Test, she probably would have been a Mystic. November 16 is the feast day for St. Gertrude. (Art is close-up of stained glass window in the Church of the Holy Cross, St. Leo Abbey, Florida.)
Lectionary Readings for Sunday, 18 November 2018
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Psalm 16
Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25
Mark 13:1-8
1 Samuel 1:
4 One day, when Elkanah was sacrificing, he gave a portion of the sacrifice to his wife P’ninah and portions to each of her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved Hannah, even though Adonai had kept her from having children. 6 Her rival taunted her and made her feel bad, because Adonai had kept her from having children. 7 He did the same every year; and each time she went up to the house of Adonai, she taunted her so much that she would cry and not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying, and why aren’t you eating? Why be so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. ‘Eli the cohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of Adonai. 10 In deep depression she prayed to Adonai and cried. 11 Then she took a vow; she said, “Adonai-Tzva’ot, if you will notice how humiliated your servant is, if you will remember me and not forget your servant but will give your servant a male child, then I will give him to Adonai for as long as he lives; and no razor will ever come on his head.” 12 She prayed for a long time before Adonai; and as she did so, ‘Eli was watching her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart — her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard — so ‘Eli thought she was drunk. 14 ‘Eli said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Stop drinking your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a very unhappy woman. I have not drunk either wine or other strong liquor; rather, I’ve been pouring out my soul before Adonai. 16 Don’t think of your servant as a worthless woman; because I have been speaking from the depth of my distress and anger.” 17 Then ‘Eli replied, “Go in peace. May the God of Isra’el grant what you have asked of him.” 18 She replied, “May your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way, and she ate, and her face was no longer sad. 19 They got up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai, then returned and came to their house in Ramah.
Elkanah had sexual relations with Hannah his wife, and Adonairemembered her. 20 She conceived; and in due time she gave birth to a son, whom she named Sh’mu’el, “because I asked Adonai for him.”

Psalm 16:1 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.

Hebrews 10:11 Now every cohen stands every day doing his service, offering over and over the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this one, after he had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from then on to wait until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet.[Hebrews 10:13 Psalm 110:]14 For by a single offering he has brought to the goal for all time those who are being set apart for God and made holy.
15 And the Ruach HaKodesh too bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “ ‘This is the covenant which I will make
with them after those days,’ says Adonai:
‘I will put my Torah on their hearts,
and write it on their minds . . . ,’ ”[Hebrews 10:16 Jeremiah 31:32(33)]
17 he then adds,
“ ‘And their sins and their wickednesses
I will remember no more.’ ”[Hebrews 10:17 Jeremiah 31:33(34)]
18 Now where there is forgiveness for these, an offering for sins is no longer needed.
19 So, brothers, we have confidence to use the way into the Holiest Place opened by the blood of Yeshua. 20 He inaugurated it for us as a new and living way through the parokhet, by means of his flesh. 21 We also have a great cohen over God’s household. 22 Therefore, let us approach the Holiest Place with a sincere heart, in the full assurance that comes from trusting — with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.[Hebrews 10:22 Ezekiel 36:25] 23 Let us continue holding fast to the hope we acknowledge, without wavering; for the One who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other.And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Mark 13:1 As Yeshua came out of the Temple, one of the talmidim said to him, “Look, Rabbi! What huge stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “You see all these great buildings?” Yeshua said to him, “They will be totally destroyed — not a single stone will be left standing!”
3 As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Kefa, Ya‘akov, Yochanan and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what sign will show when all these things are about to be accomplished?”
5 Yeshua began speaking to them: “Watch out! Don’t let anyone fool you! 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people. 7 When you hear the noise of wars nearby and the news of wars far off, don’t become frightened. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come. 8 For peoples will fight each other, and nations will fight each other, there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the ‘birth pains.’
 (Complete Jewish Bible).
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Verse 4
[4] And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
Portions — Out of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings, the greatest part whereof fell to the offerer, and was eaten by him, and his friends or guests, before the Lord. And out of this he gave them all portions, as the master of the feast used to do to the guests.
Verse 5
[5] But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
Shut up her womb — Yet Elkanah did not withdraw his love from her. To abate out just love to any relation, for the sake of any infirmity which they cannot help, is to add affliction to the afflicted.
Verse 6
[6] And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
Her adversary — Peninnah: so her envy or jealousy made her though so nearly related.
Verse 7
[7] And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
When she went-This circumstance is noted as the occasion of the contention, because at such times they were forced to more society with one another, by the way, and in their lodgings; whereas at home they had distinct apartments, where they might be asunder; and then her husband's extraordinary love and kindness was shewed to Hannah, whereby Peninnah was the more exasperated; then also Hannah prayed earnestly for a child, which hitherto she had done in vain; and this possibly she reproached her with.
Did not eat — Being overwhelmed with grief, and therefore unfit to eat of the sacred food. Which they were not to eat in their mourning.
Verse 8
[8] Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
Ten sons — Oughtest thou not to value my hearty love to thee, more than the having of as many sons as Penninah hath? She would willingly change conditions with thee.
Verse 9
[9] So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
A seat — Or, throne; for it is manifest it was raised higher than ordinary, chap. 4:18. Here he might sit, either as the judge; or rather as high-priest, to hear and answer such as came to him for advice, and to inspect and direct the worship of God.
Temple — That is, of the tabernacle, which is frequently so called.
Verse 10
[10] And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
Bitterness — That is, oppressed with grief.
Prayed unto the Lord — They had newly offered their peace-offerings, to obtain the favour of God, and in token of their communion with him, they had feasted upon the sacrifice: and now it was proper to put up her prayer, in virtue of the sacrifice. For the peace-offerings typified Christ's mediation, as well as the sin-offerings: since by this not only atonement is made for sin, but an answer to our prayers obtained.
Verse 11
[11] And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Give him — That is, consecrate him to God's service in his temple.
No razor — That is, he shall be a perpetual Nazarite.
Verse 12
[12] And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
Continued — Heb. multiplied to pray. By which it appears that she said much more than is here expressed. And the like you are to judge of the prayers and sermons of other holy persons recorded in scripture, which gives us only the sum and substance of them. This consideration may help us much to understand some passages of the bible.
Verse 13
[13] Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
Drunken — Because of the multitude of her words, and those motions of her face and body, which the vehemency of her passion, and the fervency in prayer occasioned.
Verse 16
[16] Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
Count not, … — Thus when we are unjustly censured, we should endeavour not only to clear ourselves, but to satisfy our brethren, by giving them a just and true account of that which they misapprehended.
Verse 18
[18] And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
Find grace — That favourable opinion and gracious prayer which thou hast expressed on my behalf, be pleased to continue towards me.
Sad — Her heart being cheared by the priest's comfortable words, and especially by God's spirit setting them home upon her, and assuring her that both his and her prayers should be heard, it quickly appeared in her countenance.
Verse 19
[19] And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
Remembered — Manifested his remembrance of her by the effect.
Verse 20
[20] Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
Samuel — That is, Asked of God.

Psalm 16
Verse 2
[2] O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
To thee — Thou dost not need me or my service, nor art capable of any advantage from it.
Verse 3
[3] But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
But — I bear a singular respect and love to all saints, for thy sake, whose friends and servants they are, and whose image they bear. This more properly agrees to David, than to Christ, whose goodness was principally designed for, and imparted to sinners.
Verse 4
[4] Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
Sorrows — Having shewed his affection to the servants of the true God, he now declares what an abhorrency he has for those that worship idols.
Offerings — In which the Gentiles used sometimes to drink part of the blood of their sacrifices.
Names — Of those other gods mentioned before.
Verse 5
[5] The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
The Lord — I rejoice in God as my portion, and desire no better, no other felicity.
Cup — The portion which is put into my cup, as the ancient manner was in feasts, where each had his portion of meat, and of wine allotted to him.
Lot — My inheritance divided to me by lot, as the custom then was.
Verse 6
[6] The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
Lines — My portion, which was measured with lines.
Are fallen — In a land flowing with milk and honey, and above all, blessed with the presence and knowledge of God.
Verse 7
[7] I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
The Lord — Hath inspired that wisdom into me, by which I have chosen the Lord for my portion, and am so fully satisfied with him.
Reins — My inward thoughts and affections, being inspired and moved by the holy spirit.
Instruct — Direct me how to please God, and put my whole trust in him.
Night — Even when others are asleep, my mind is working upon God, and improving the silence and solitude of holy meditations.
Verse 8
[8] I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
I have set — I have always presented him to my mind, as my witness and judge, as my patron and protector. Hitherto David seems to have spoken with respect to himself, but now he is transported by the spirit of prophecy, and carried above himself, to speak as a type of Christ, in whom this and the following verses were truly accomplished. Christ as man did always set his father's will and glory before him.
Right-hand — To strengthen, protect, assist, and comfort me: as this assistance of God was necessary to Christ as man.
Moved — Though the archers shoot grievously at me, and both men and devils seek my destruction, and God sets himself against me as an enemy, yet I am assured he will deliver me out of all my distresses.
Verse 9
[9] Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
My glory — My tongue, which is a man's glory and privilege, above all other living creatures.
Rejoiceth — Declares my inward joy. For this word signifies not so much eternal joy, as the outward demonstrations of it.
My flesh — My body shall quietly rest in the grave.
Shall rest — in confident assurance of its incorruption there, and of its resurrection to an immortal life: the flesh or body is in itself, but a dead lump of clay; yet hope is here ascribed to it figuratively, as it is to the brute creatures, Romans 8:19.
Verse 10
[10] For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Hell — In the state of the dead.
Holy one — Me thy holy son, whom thou hast sanctified and sent into the world. It is peculiar to Christ, to be called the holy one of God.
To see — To be corrupted or putrefied in the grave, as the bodies of others are.
Verse 11
[11] Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Life — Thou wilt raise me from the grave, and conduct me to the place and state of everlasting felicity.
Presence — In that heavenly paradise, where thou art gloriously present, where thou dost clearly and fully discover the light of thy countenance; whereas in this life thou hidest thy face and shewest us only thy back-parts.
Right-hand — Which he mentions as a place of the greatest honour, the place where the saints are placed at the last day, and where Christ himself is said to sit, Psalms 110:1.
Pleasures — All our joys are empty and defective: But in heaven there is fulness of joy. Our pleasures here are transient and momentary; but those at God's right hand are pleasures for evermore. For they are the pleasures of immortal souls, in the enjoyment of an eternal God.

Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25
Verse 11
[11] And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Every priest standeth — As a servant in an humble posture.
Verse 12
[12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
But he — The virtue of whose one sacrifice remains for ever.
Sat down — As a son, in majesty and honour.
Verse 13
[13] From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Psalms 110:1.
Verse 14
[14] For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
He hath perfected them for ever — That is, has done all that was needful in order to their full reconciliation with God.
Verse 15
[15] Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
In this and the three following verses, the apostle winds up his argument concerning the excellency and perfection of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ. He had proved this before by a quotation from Jeremiah; which he here repeats, describing the new covenant as now completely ratified, and all the blessings of it secured to us by the one offering of Christ, which renders all other expiatory sacrifices, and any repetition of his own, utterly needless.
Verse 16
[16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Jeremiah 31:33, etc.
Verse 19
[19] Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Having finished the doctrinal part of his epistle, the apostle now proceeds to exhortation deduced from what has been treated of Hebrews 5:4, which he begins by a brief recapitulation.
Having therefore liberty to enter, —
Verse 20
[20] By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
By a living way — The way of faith, whereby we live indeed.
Which he hath consecrated — Prepared, dedicated, and established for us.
Through the veil, that is, his flesh — As by rending the veil in the temple, the holy of holies became visible and accessible; so by wounding the body of Christ, the God of heaven was manifested, and the way to heaven opened.
Verse 22
[22] Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us draw near — To God.
With a true heart — In godly sincerity.
Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience — So as to condemn us no longer And our bodies washed with pure water - All our conversation spotless and holy, which is far more acceptable to God than all the legal sprinklings and washings.
Verse 23
[23] Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
The profession of our hope — The hope which we professed at our baptism.
Verse 25
[25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Not forsaking the assembling ourselves — In public or private worship.
As the manner of some is — Either through fear of persecution, or from a vain imagination that they were above external ordinances.
But exhorting one another — To faith, love, and good works.
And so much the more, as ye see the day approaching — The great day is ever in your eye.

Mark 13:1-8
Verse 4
[4] Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
Two questions are here asked; the one concerning the destruction of Jerusalem: the other concerning the end of the world.
 (Complete Jewish Bible).

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