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…

February 10, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 50:1-6 1 Kings 16:1-7 Luke 19:41-44 This weekend’s reading: Daniel 6:10-24 FIELD NOTESThis morning I glanced through some headlines in the news. Far too many of them spoke of war, violence, and genocide. Many of the headlines were minor headlines, yet the stories recounted the killing of hundreds of…

February 9, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 50:1-6 1 Kings 14:1-18 1 Timothy 1:12-20 This weekend’s reading: Daniel 6:10-24 FIELD NOTESOftentimes, my mind and activity each day and week are consumed with work, family needs, and my own need to rest. While none of these are inherently bad ways to spend my time, I often find…

February 8, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 50:1-6 1 Kings 11:26-40 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 This weekend’s reading: Daniel 6:10-24 FIELD NOTES Have you ever roasted garlic or onions on the stove or cooked bacon or fish in your house? As these ingredients heat up, your whole house starts to smell of their pungent fragrance. It permeates…

February 7, 2018 DAILY READING Psalm 102:12-28 Job 6:1-13 Mark 3:7-12 This weekend’s reading: Daniel 6:10-24 FIELD NOTESAll of this talk about miracles raises some questions for me. Job is one of my favorite books of the Bible because in it, Job asks some of the deepest, most challenging questions of God. In the book,…