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DAILY READING Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 FIELD NOTES I’ve read these verses countless times. Yet this time I notice something different. Verse 11 particularly stands out to me: “God 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…

DAILY READING Psalm 8 FIELD NOTES This psalm of celebration reminds us of God’s ultimate power and authority over all Creation. And yet as I read through the verses, I am reminded yet again of God’s propensity to flip power on its head. “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a…

DAILY READING Matthew 25:31-46 FIELD NOTES “Thank God I didn’t give her any money.” The words were full of anger as a Christian member of my family recounted the story of encountering a woman panhandler and her children one day outside of a grocery store. The woman had begged for money to buy some groceries,…

DAILY READING Luke 2:15-21 FIELD NOTES In our reading today from Luke’s gospel, we see a familiar scene. After receiving the good news, the shepherds “went with haste” to find the holy family and share with them what had happened in the fields.  According to the Wesley Study Bible, “Shepherding was a despised occupation in…

DAILY READING Matthew 12:9-14 FIELD NOTES In this passage, the Pharisees are trying to set a trap for Jesus. He has entered the Pharisees home turf—the synagogue—and they confront him (a staged scene, I suspect) with a man who has a “withered hand.” Since most of the people of Israel of that day were farmers…

DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 9:1-16 FIELD NOTES From this passage, we learn that some apostles felt the freedom to take advantage of their status and rights. They married and received financial payment for their ministry work. They were afforded certain privileges and they took them. Paul doesn’t see anything wrong with this, but he also…

DAILY READING Galatians 5:2-15 FIELD NOTES “Jesus, United by Thy Grace” Jesus, united by thy grace And each to each endeared, With confidence we seek thy face And know our prayer is heard. Up unto thee, our living Head Let us in all things grow; Till thou hast made us free indeed And spotless here…

DAILY READING Mark 5:1-20 FIELD NOTES We often use language of being “sent” in the Church to talk about the ways that God calls us out into the world to proclaim the message of Christ. And this is undoubtedly a vital and crucial part of being a disciple for many who are called. But notice…

DAILY READING Psalm 35:1-10 FIELD NOTES In Biblical literature, Psalm 35 is what’s called a “complaint” Psalm. There is great danger all around the psalmist. There is distress and trouble, and when you read the first ten verses of Psalm 35, you can rightly guess that the psalmist has reached a moment of panic. Walter…