Getting What We Deserve
nostrils pinched as we attempt to console ourselves with the reminder that we are not beatifying or canonizing them . . . God has allowed our virtue or lack thereof to be magnified in two particularly dismal nominees
Latest
Jesus-centered Intercessions
These congregational call-and-response supplications are based on Common Worship’s Eastertide prayers of the people. Jesus, our exalted Lord, has been given all authority. Let us seek His intercession that our prayers may be perfected by His prayer. Jesus, great high priest, living for ever to intercede for us: Pray
Psalm 27 — Christocentric & Personalized with Examen
Click the button below and then hit the gray 'Download a copy' button to download a PDF handout which walks you through seeing how Psalm 27 is prophetic of Jesus, and how it can apply to your own life. Psalm 27 PDF
Enchantingly Axiomatic: The Snakeoil in the Water We Drink
DWYL As-Long-As-Your’re-Happy . . . Follow-Your-Heart . . . Be-True-To-Yourself . . . Believe-In-Yourself . . . Live-Your-Truth . . . Be-Your-Best-Self . . . Do-What-You-Love — the aphorisms of our day are elegant. They sound like beautiful advice. They’re certainly enticing. Who wouldn’t want to be their best self? Who wouldn’t want to do what they love? Who wouldn’t want what makes them
Psalm 23 — Personalized with Examen
Psalm 23 (NLT, alt.) Place your first name in each blank: A psalm of ___________. 1 Yahweh is ___________’s shepherd; ___________ has all that ___________ needs. 2 He lets ___________ rest in green meadows; He leads ___________ beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews ___________’s strength. He guides ___________ along right paths, bringing honor to His name.
10 Things Suffering Achieves
Here is a list of 10 things that suffering achieves, followed by a series of Bible (ESV) passages and examen questions for each item, arranged as stations to be used in the context of a solemn Good Friday liturgy. I distilled this list based on word studies of the following
Timeline of Passover in Enemy Territory with Examen
Examining Ourselves Trust/Faith • Like Joshua, do I trust the Triune God to fulfill — either in this mortal life or in my resurrected life — his good promises and good reign in my life? • What is one area in my life where I am tempted to not fully trust God? • Our
Revelation chapters 14-15 -- a Bible study
C.I.A. Bible Study C = Clarification What does the historical document tell us about the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), or about ourselves (humanity)? I = Implication How am I implicated? What am I going to do about the clarifying insight about God or about myself? A = Application With
Rest, Drink, Eat — a new hymn
Here are three simple verses in 8.8.8.8, drawing from John 4.1-45, inspired by “I heard the voice of Jesus say” by Horatius Bonar 1846. I would set this to Waltham (“I heard the bells on Christmas day”) by John Baptiste Calkin 1872. I heard the voice
John 4 — the woman at the well dramatized reading
Here's a 1-pager for reading an excerpt of John 4 with three voice parts, drawn from the ESV.
What do Elijah, Moses, and Jonah have in common?
1 Kings 19.1-18 with excerpts from Jonah & Exodus a responsive reading (ESV) Elijah & Jonah Attempt Fleeing Elijah in 1 Kings 19.1-3 1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a
Timeline of Fleeing for Fear
Translation
Romans 8 - my translation
Here's my translation of excerpts from Romans chapter 8 for a responsive creed. There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his own Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Therefore you have
Christmas Eve
Luke 1.26-38 dramatized
Luke 1.26-38 (ESV, dramatized) Narrator: 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
Liturgy
10 Quick Notes About Advent
1. What does the word advent mean? The English word advent derives from the Latin ad “toward” + venīre “come”. So, advent indicates something coming (or approaching or proceeding) toward us. Most often, advent refers to the Messiah (Jesus Christ) coming to us. 2. When does the Messiah come to us?
Translation
Reverse version of Philippians 4.4-13
4 Be miserable in the Lord always! Again I say, be miserable. 5 Let your harshness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is far away. 6 Be anxious about everything. Pray to God about nothing. Be ungrateful to God. 7 Then turmoil — something we all understand — will
Ad-Ministration
Archangel
Behind every thriving parish is an angel. On this mortal side of eternity, given our limited senses of perception, we call them “Parish Office Administrators”. But we know that they actually are angelic beings whom God sends us from the far side of eternity because they transcend both time and
music
Psalm 23 sung to Woodlands
I first set the Tennents' metrical version of Psalm 23 to Woodlands in 2020 — it has revolutionized how I interpret the psalm. You may buy their psalter here: https://my.seedbed.com/product/a-metrical-psalter/
intertextual
2 Kings chapter 2 Intertextual Reading
2 Kings 2 with excerpts from Psalm 104 and other Scriptures a responsive reading (ESV) Gilgal [2 Kings 2] 1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha,
More Like Jesus
How to Abide in Christ
Here I pair verses from John chapter 15 with Murray's commentary. Thanks to Dr. Todd Pokrifka and Dr. Junia Pokrifka of https://www.communitytransformation.org/ for introducing me to Andrew Murray's vintage devotional, The True Vine. John 15.1 (ESV) — “I am the true vine . . .” Andrew
intertextual
12th Station of the Anointed — Resurrection
The return of the king to Jerusalem and to the throne in 2nd Samuel 20.3 — in the context of 19.8 to 20.22 — is David’s ‘resurrection’ after he willingly had gone into exile while his own son conducted an ill-fated insurrection. It was a hard-earned resurrection that
Emmaus
11 Stations of the Anointed One
Intertextual Readings from 2nd Samuel and the New Testament on David and the Son of David with Examen for Good Friday Scriptures are ESV unless otherwise noted. 1st Station — The Anointed Blesses the Lame 2nd Samuel chapter 5 (NLT) — Jerusalem’s ‘blind’ and ‘lame’ arrogant pagans 6 David then led
intertextual
Paired Readings from 1 Samuel & 1 Chronicles (ESV)
1 Samuel 5.1–7 Yahweh’s chest and Dagon 5.1 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.
Translation
1 Corinthians 12.31 to 13.13 — my alteration of the Phillips version
When it comes to looking for a functional/dynamic equivalent translation of the "love" chapter — perhaps for reading at a wedding where lots of Nones/Remixed may be in attendance — the 1972 J. B. Phillips version is actually quite good but I do have several concerns listed here,