A Story to Embody - The Last One

Almost a year ago, I started a series called - A Story to Embody (for the reasoning behind it, click the link).  The series was simply a sharing of the weekly Lectionary readings.  As I reflect back on this, I am once again amazed by the journey God has taken me on this year. 

Without going into too much personal detail our family has been sailing the "What is the purpose of church and why should we even go?" ship for the last 3 years.  This past year has been a year of settling for our family, a year of coming to grips with some of these questions, a year of desiring to re-invest in church locally.  One of the tools used in this process has been A Story to Embody.

So with the close of an old year and in anticipation for the new year I am bringing this series to an end.  If you've enjoyed the Lectionary readings - you can continue to read them via the Internet.  If you use Apps on any of your devices you can just go to your app store and type in "Lectionary."  A Lectionary App will give you the same thing you've been getting here on a weekly basis.

So thank you for being a support system for me this past year by participating in these weekly readings.  Whether you knew it or not, you were providing a piece of "church" for me that was lacking.

Happy New Year!

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Isaiah 61:10-62:3

The Lord makes me very happy;

all that I am rejoices in my God.

He has covered me with clothes of salvation

and wrapped me with a coat of goodness,

like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding,

like a bride dressed in jewels.

11 The earth causes plants to grow,

and a garden causes the seeds planted in it to grow.

In the same way the Lord God will make goodness and praise

come from all the nations.

62 Because I love Jerusalem, I will continue to speak for her;

for Jerusalem’s sake I will not stop speaking

until her goodness shines like a bright light,

until her salvation burns bright like a flame.

2 Jerusalem, the nations will see your goodness,

and all kings will see your glory.

Then you will have a new name,

which the Lord himself will give you.

3 You will be like a beautiful crown in the Lord’s hand,

like a king’s crown in your God’s hand.

Psalm 147:13-21

He makes your city gates strong

and blesses your children inside.

14 He brings peace to your country

and fills you with the finest grain.

15 He gives a command to the earth,

and it quickly obeys him.

16 He spreads the snow like wool

and scatters the frost like ashes.

17 He throws down hail like rocks.

No one can stand the cold he sends.

18 Then he gives a command, and it melts.

He sends the breezes, and the waters flow.

19 He gave his word to Jacob,

his laws and demands to Israel.

20 He didn’t do this for any other nation.

They don’t know his laws.

Praise the Lord!

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

Before this faith came, we were all held prisoners by the law. We had no freedom until God showed us the way of faith that was coming. 24 In other words, the law was our guardian leading us to Christ so that we could be made right with God through faith. 25 Now the way of faith has come, and we no longer live under a guardian.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. 5 God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.

6 Since you are God’s children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, “Father.” 7 So now you are not a slave; you are God’s child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were made by him, and nothing was made without him. 4 In him there was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.

6 There was a man named John who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people the truth about the Light so that through him all people could hear about the Light and believe. 8 John was not the Light, but he came to tell people the truth about the Light. 9 The true Light that gives light to all was coming into the world!

10 The Word was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God.

14 The Word became a human and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father—and he was full of grace and truth. 15 John tells the truth about him and cries out, saying, “This is the One I told you about: ‘The One who comes after me is greater than I am, because he was living before me.’”

16 Because he was full of grace and truth, from him we all received one gift after another. 17 The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But God the only Son is very close to the Father, and he has shown us what God is like.

In Christ,  

Photo courtesy Melanie Guest Photography