The one and only
The 12th Sunday after Pentecost
Where are the gods
you have made for yourselves?
Let’s see if they will come through for you in your time of trouble. ~ Jeremiah 2:28a (CEB)
The Messiah is your only leader. ~ Matthew 23:10b (CEV)
You, Lord, are the only God. You are the only teacher and leader. Sometimes, in my quest for quick resolution of bad situations I mistakenly turn to interlopers. Help me to stay focused on you and the rescue that you provide. In spite of the hype, there is no real hope elsewhere. Amen
CHALLENGING WORDS:
- interlopers -- people who show up in places or situations where they don't really belong. They are not really qualified or they are fakes.
- hype -- publicity, promotion -- especially with a lot of enthusiasm
*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS
The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2015 I started posting these Bible verses for my spiritual formation students at Pacific Islands University. In the process of responding to the verses, I found the rhythm of looking for a common thread and writing a prayer based on that key idea to be helpful for my own soul. The prayers are more or less modeled on the TRIP method, which is what I ask my students to do in their journaling. ~ Brad Boydston
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase -- a freestyle biblical adaptation -- somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
