February 20, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 77 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:43 FIELD NOTESPain always seems worst in the middle of the night — when the house is silent; when darkness shrouds our vision and the outside world seems to have disappeared; when we feel alone — so very alone. It’s during the middle of…

February 17, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 32 Matthew 9:2-13 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:34 FIELD NOTESHenri Nouwen in The Way of the Heart reminds us that prayer is not merely talking to or at God; it is learning to listen, to “dwell with God.” Our deepest prayers come from our hearts. From a biblical perspective,…

February 16, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 25:1-10 Daniel 9:15-25a 2 Timothy 4:1-5 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:34 FIELD NOTESLent began as a time to teach adult converts about the faith before Easter baptisms. This practice was crucial in the early church when most converts came from other religions. In the Wesleyan tradition, we emphasize God’s…

February 15, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 25:1-10 Daniel 9:1-14 1 John 1:3-10 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:34 FIELD NOTESIn the past weeks Davis’s sermons on the Book of Daniel have enriched our lives. Now as we enter the season of Lent, we continue to find ways that Daniel speaks to our discipleship. First, we remember…

February 14, 2018 DAILY READING Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Psalm 51:1-17 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:34 FIELD NOTESSomeone joked that God’s sense of humor is showing because in 2018 Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day, and Easter comes on April Fools’. This accidental confluence of dates does at least provoke…

February 13, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 110:1-4 Job 19:23-27 1 Timothy 3:14-16 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:34 FIELD NOTESA few weeks ago, we heard a sermon in which King Nebuchadnezzar encounters the mystery of the God of Israel, the God of those exiles he had captured and taken off to Babylon. He wanted someone to…

February 12, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 110:1-4 Exodus 19:7-25 Hebrews 2:1-4 This weekend’s reading: Luke 23:34 FIELD NOTESFebruary is American Heart Month, intended to raise awareness of heart disease and its prevention. Cardiologists encourage healthy eating and regular exercise, but they also know there is more to a healthy heart than “dos and don’ts.” Sometimes…