Daily Devotion – Great Plains Episcopal Area – Monday, 6 January
2014
Pastor Debby Dick of Waterville-Blue Rapids UMCs of the Flint
Hills District of the Kansas East Conference
Pastor Cathy Holley of Wichita New Covenant-Norwich UMCs of the
Wichita West District of the Kansas West Conference
Pastor Miriam Peralta de Garcia of Omaha Grace UMC of the
Missouri River District of the Nebraska Conference
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This Week's Lectionary
Epiphany Sunday – White or Gold
Isaiah The Ingathering of the Dispersed
60: Arise,
shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 Lift
up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,[a]
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,[a]
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Footnotes:
Psalm 72: Prayer for Guidance and Support for
the King
Of Solomon.
1 Give
the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May
he live[a] while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
Footnotes:
10 May
the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
12 For
he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Ephesians Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles
3: This
is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for[a] Christ Jesus for the sake of
you Gentiles— 2 for surely you
have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, 3 and
how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few
words, 4 a reading of
which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5 In
former generations this mystery[b] was not made known to
humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit: 6 that is, the
Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of
this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that
was given me by the working of his power.8 Although I am
the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the
Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and
to make everyone see[c] what is the plan of the mystery
hidden for ages in[d] God who created all things;10 so
that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made
known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This
was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ
Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we
have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.[e]
Footnotes:
Matthew The Visit of the Wise Men
2: In
the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men[a] from the East came to
Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where
is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at
its rising,[b] and have come to pay him
homage.” 3 When King
Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and
calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired
of them where the Messiah[c] was to be born. 5 They
told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And
you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd[d] my people Israel.’”
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd[d] my people Israel.’”
7 Then
Herod secretly called for the wise men[e] and learned from them the exact
time when the star had appeared. 8 Then
he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and
when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him
homage.” 9 When they had
heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they
had seen at its rising,[f] until it stopped over the place
where the child was. 10 When they saw
that the star had stopped,[g] they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On
entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt
down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And
having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own
country by another road.
Footnotes:
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Today's Devotional:
Ezekiel The Valley of Dry Bones
37: The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by
the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full
of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the
valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones
live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to
these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus
says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath[a] to enter you, and you
shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you,
and cover you with skin, and put breath[b] in you, and you shall live; and you
shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied,
suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to
its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon
them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he
said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the
breath:[c] Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath,[d] and
breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded
me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a
vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house
of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut
off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord
God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my
people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know
that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves,
O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will
place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken
and will act, says the Lord.”
Footnotes:
a. Ezekiel 37:5 Or spirit
b. Ezekiel 37:6 Or spirit
c. Ezekiel 37:9 Or wind or spirit
d. Ezekiel 37:9 Or wind or spirit
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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
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