Daily Devotion – Great Plains Episcopal Area – Tuesday, 31
December 2013
Pastor Lucille Barb of Ople UMC of the Flint Hills District of
the Kansas East Conference
Pastor Gregory Reed of Wichita Dawson UMC of the Wichita West
District of the Kansas West Conference
Pastor Bruce Davis of Omaha St. Andrew's UMC of the Missouri
River District of the Nebraska Conference
-------
This Week's Lectionary
Watch Night - White or Gold
Ecclesiastes Everything Has Its Time
3: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter
under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones
together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
The God-Given Task
9 What gain have the workers from their toil? 10 I have seen the
business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. 11 He has made
everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and
future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the
beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to
be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 moreover, it is God’s
gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.
Psalm 8: Divine Majesty and Human Dignity
To the leader: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your
name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouths of
babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy
and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars
that you have established;
4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals[a] that you
care for them?
5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,[b]
and crowned them with
glory and honor.
6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all
things under their feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of
the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along
the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your
name in all the earth!
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 8:4 Heb ben adam, lit. son of man
b. Psalm 8:5 Or than the divine beings or angels: Heb elohim
Revelation The New Heaven and the New Earth
21: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I
saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from
the throne saying,
“See, the home[a] of God is among mortals.
He will dwell[b] with them;
they will be his peoples,[c]
and God himself will be with them;[d]
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am
making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are
trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a
gift from the spring of the water of life.
Footnotes:
a. Revelation 21:3 Gk the tabernacle
b. Revelation 21:3 Gk will tabernacle
c. Revelation 21:3 Other ancient authorities read people
d. Revelation 21:3 Other ancient authorities add and be their
God
Matthew 25: The Judgment of the Nations
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will
be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at
his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at
his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was
sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the
righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave
you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that
we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And
when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king
will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of
these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say
to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you
gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a
stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer,
‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or
sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them,
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you
did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but
the righteous into eternal life.”
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 25:40 Gk these my brothers
-------
Today's Devotional:
Matthew 14: Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on
ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had
dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening
came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves,
was far from the land,[a] for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the
morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw
him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they
cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take
heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come
to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong
wind,[b] he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save
me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him,
“You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the
wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the
Son of God.”
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 14:24 Other ancient authorities read was out on the
sea
b. Matthew 14:30 Other ancient authorities read the wind
-------
Great Churches. Great Leaders. Great Disciples. Transformed
World.
Contact Information:
Great Plains Episcopal Office
9440 E Boston, Suite 160
Wichita KS 67207
316-686-0600
800-745-2350
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment