DAILY READING Psalm 22:23-31 Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18 FIELD NOTES Several years ago my husband and I vacationed in Maine. One cold, clear evening we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to look at the stars. From the pinnacle of the mountain we had a 360-degree view of the inky black…

DAILY READING Psalm 77 Proverbs 30:1-9 FIELD NOTES Do you remember fairy tales in which the main character would be granted “three wishes” by a genie and she would agonize over which wishes she should choose? It makes us think, if we had three wishes, what would WE choose? The wealth of Bill Gates? The…

DAILY READING Psalm 77 Ephesians 2:1-10 FIELD NOTES I am a sucker for a good “before and after” story. It doesn’t matter what it is. It might be photos of a run-down, dilapidated house which is turned into a show-house; or a person’s “extreme makeover” where they lose a lot of weight, get fit, and…

DAILY READING Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Exodus 16:22-30 Matthew 19:23-30 FIELD NOTES William Barclay writes regarding these verses in Matthew,  “Riches have three main effects on a [person’s] outlook: Riches encourage a false independence. Riches shackle a [person] to this earth. Riches tend to make a [person] selfish. … It is not that riches are a…

DAILY READING Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Exodus 16:1-21 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 FIELD NOTES In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul encourages the church to examine themselves to see if they truly are living according to faith in Christ. The church at Corinth had begun to doubt Paul’s authority as Christ’s apostle, causing a crisis of…

DAILY READING Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Exodus 15:22-27 2 Corinthians 13:1-4 FIELD NOTES As anyone with survival skills will tell you, one of the most important things to find when lost in the wilderness is drinkable water. You won’t last long without it! When God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt, their first and…

DAILY READING Psalm 77 2 Kings 2:1-18 Mark 11:20-25 FIELD NOTES This story in 2 Kings depicts Elisha sticking close to his mentor Elijah throughout a long journey so that he may witness Elijah’s being taken up to heaven. At the end of the journey, the mentor asks his student, “Tell me what I may…

DAILY READING Psalm 77 Nehemiah 9:9-15 Romans 14:13-15:2 FIELD NOTES The book of Nehemiah tells the story of the newly returned Israelites from exile. The fragile community suffers under the Greek occupation of their ancestral home, leading to internal strife and division. Governor Nehemiah seeks to restore cultural unity among the people by affirming their…

DAILY READING Psalm 77 Joshua 3:1-17 Hebrews 11:23-29 FIELD NOTES When I was a hospice chaplain, one of my patients was a 97-year-old woman from Jamaica named Betty. Talking with her was the highlight of my day. Though Betty was full of joy and laughter, she hadn’t had an easy life. Growing up in poverty…