Scripture: Psalm 33:1-9 (NRSV) 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. 2 Praise the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of t…
When I was a little boy there were strict rules about what we could and could not do on the Sabbath. It seemed that there were far more things that were prohibited than were permitted. Most Sabbath days looked the same: Sunday School and worship in the morning; lunch at home; quiet afternoon in our living room or that of my grandfather; back home for dinner; and the evening at the church for…
I remember the day that Sarah was born. I remember that little baby with the cutest toes, wearing a blanket and a funny-looking cap, and demonstrating a healthy – and loud – set of lungs. I remember the first time our eyes met as she laid in the warming bed. I remember looking at her, tears in my eyes, and marveling at the wonder of this little new creation. I remember thanking God for his mar…
In Exodus 16, God had just delivered the people from years of slavery in Egypt. Instead of jumping for joy these newly freed people griped and disobeyed regularly. They complained about the menu (or lack of it). “Why couldn’t God have just left us in Egypt rather than saving us?” they grumbled. “There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. " So God gave them daily food te…
For six days God labored to create the heavens and the earth. Light and dark, land and sea, plant life, light and dark, day and night, all manner of animals, humans, and more beside: God created it all. And then, 2God completed all the work that he had done, and on the seventh day God rested from all the work that he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God…
