August 14, 2021 DAILY READING Genesis 50:15-26 FIELD NOTES I worked with inner-city youth for several years.  One day we were studying the story of Joseph.  When we arrived at this scene in Genesis, where Joseph forgives his brothers, several of the students were absolutely confounded.  Joseph’s brothers had betrayed him, imprisoned him, and sold him into slavery.  Several…

August 13, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 138 FIELD NOTES What a beautiful vision of prayer we find in Psalm 138!  The Psalmist writes, “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise…On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.”  Prayer is a gift…

August 12, 2021 DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 6 FIELD NOTES For me, the passage today from I Corinthians is in many ways about forgiveness.  Paul is challenging the early church on their practice of taking lawsuits to the state instead of settling matters within the church community.  While some scholars will focus on how Paul understands the…

August 11, 2021 DAILY READING Matthew 8:1-13 FIELD NOTES This passage in Matthew is a riveting story of power dynamics at play.  The Centurion is a powerful leader in the Roman government.  He points out that people do whatever he says whenever he says it.  His presence to Jesus’ followers would have been threatening and most likely fear-inducing.  Jesus…

August 10, 2021 DAILY READING Romans 11:13-29 FIELD NOTES In today’s passage in chapter 11, Paul is asking the Gentile Christians in Rome not to “boast” over the Jews.  He says to remember that salvation comes not from a certain congregation or church, but from Christ.  I love that Paul juxtaposes the idea of boasting with pride…

August 9, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 130 FIELD NOTES I was having coffee this morning with a pastor from the Korean United Methodist Church.  We were discussing our beliefs and experiences of the Holy Spirit when our conversation led to a discussion on styles of worship.  He explained that in the Korean protestant tradition, there is a…

August 7, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 85:8-13 Matthew 16:1-4 FIELD NOTES Today’s reading shows us an unlikely collaboration between the conservative Pharisees and the liberal Sadducees united in their attempt to discredit Jesus by asking for a sign from heaven. They weren’t interested in a sign to help them discover and follow God’s will. Rather,…

August 6, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 85:8-13 1 Kings 18:17-19, 30-40 FIELD NOTES Today’s reading tells the story of an epic contest between the false god Baal and the one and only true God of Israel, Yahweh. Here’s a little backstory…Elijah was a prophet of Yahweh. He was despised by Jezebel, the non-Jewish wife of…

August 5, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 85:8-13 Acts 17:10-15 FIELD NOTES Our scripture reading today tells of a congregation of Jewish people living in Berea, a city in Macedonia about 50 miles southwest of Thessalonica. Paul and his colleague Silas were sent there to share the good news of Jesus, and the scripture says, “…they…