Ruminate This

The feeding of the 5,000. A very common story, probably one you have heard numerous times.

As you listen today, pay attention to the details. What is the context of such a miraculous story? What message is God speaking to you through today's text? What might God be calling you to do, today? Who is God asking you to feed (literally or metaphorically)?

May God bless the reading and hearing of these words. You can follow along here.

Today is a tough passage. It deals with weird family intermarrying, death - but not just any death, a beheading at the request of a young girl. This may seem like a difficult passage to sit with as you practice lectio divina.

However, it is often in the strange and in the unexpected that God shows up most to us. So may it be so. May God speak to you in the midst of this difficult text for today, Monday September 30.

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Today's passage is a shorter one. Take the extra time to sit in contemplation. Notice that by the end of the passage the disciples are doing the same work Jesus was doing.

As you hear these words, may you ruminate on what it means to be Christ-like today, September 27, 2019.

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September 26, 2019... what prophetic word is God asking you to speak?

A prophet is not a fortune teller. Not somebody who looks into the future. A prophet speaks truth, typically truth to power. If you want a good definition of a prophet, Walter Brueggemann defines it well here.

May you be open to the prophetic word God has for you this day, and may you be bold enough to share it.

Follow today's reading here.

The text for today, September 25, is a bit longer. It is only read three times, so if you need that fourth reading to continue to wrestle with, be inspired by, or in conversation with the text, take the time!

The text today has a lot to teach us about our bodies. How we (de)value our bodies. The value of embodiment. The power of a simple touch. May you come to value your body as you hear these words of scripture.

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The passage for today, September 24, is a bit of a haunting text. It is kind of gruesome and there seems to be a lot going on under the surface. Who is this Legion? Why pigs? Why does Jesus barter with unclean spirits?

As you hear these words of scripture today, may your interest be peaked, as God speaks a new word to you.

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Today, September 23, we look at the end of Mark chapter 4. Today's passage is a transition passage. Jesus, and his followers, are moving across the sea. They are moving from the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee to the more Gentile side. A move that probably invoked some uncertainty, and some fear among his followers.

As you hear these words today, may you open your ears to hear anew that which God might be telling you. Maybe you too are going across to the other side, you have some uncertainty, have some fear, maybe even chaos, may God inspire you by these words.

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Today's reading speaks of the Kingdom of God. Jesus explains the Kingdom of God again using parables. If you have questions, struggle to understand the meaning, and/or want to know more about the Kingdom of God, I suggest this quick read.

May your understanding of God and this text grow as you hear today's divine reading.

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Today's reading includes a parable, quite possibly one of the best known parables. Often when we read (or hear) passages of scripture we have heard many times, we fail to actually listen to the passage. As you hear this parable read to you today, hear it as though it is the first time you have ever heard it.

Teaching in parables was a common, and it seems preferred, way of teaching for Jesus. Parables typically are told in such a way that the beginning of the parable is common knowledge, but, more often than not, the ending is not what you expect. Said differently, the beginning of a parable depends on the contextually modern idea of conventional wisdom, but the ending turns the story upside down, often disrupting and disturbing the status quo. Parables can be hard to understand as we don't always fully understand the context. If you are looking for a resource to better understand parables, I suggest this book.

May you hear these words anew, and may God teach you anew as you hear these words in today's divine reading.

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Today's reading talks a lot of unity and division. It also uses names like Beelzebul and Satan, names that have a lot of historical and contextual value for understanding the passage. I highly recommend a good study Bible (you can find many great options here, though this is one of my favorites) if you feel you need a little additional help understanding who these characters are and what role they play in the story.

May God speak to you through the reading of these sacred scriptures.

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