Mr. Scrooge vs Mr. Potter (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

The FBI felt Mr. Potter got a raw deal.

The FBI didn’t like It’s A Wonderful Life. I never knew that. I learned it from our Pastor at our Christmas Eve service. Perhaps you, like me, are not so much shocked that someone didn’t like the film —each person is entitled to their own opinion— but that the FBI had any kind of opinion about the film.

It turns out the FBI felt Mr. Potter should have been portrayed (at least, in their view) as the more realistic character. After all, the thinking went, he was just a local banker doing what he thought best under the laws and regulations of the State of New York. They went to bat, big time, for Mr. P. He had bank examiners to consider; and he knew his loans would be criticized by those worthies should he not require adequate collateral. Heaven forbid he should make a loan to a person who was a credit risk!

In fact, the FBI liked almost everything about Mr. Potter and almost nothing about George Bailey, viewing Bailey as the very opposite of a cautious banker. **

I think many of us, especially those of us who are fans of George Bailey, are scratching our heads. How could they not like It’s A Wonderful Life? And how could they ever champion someone like Mr. Potter? Still, whether you agree with the FBI or not, there is something on which I hope we can all agree: in every way, Scrooge got a better deal than Potter.

From almost the very beginning of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, people are reaching out to Mr. Scrooge, pleading, cajoling, inviting him to join them in all that is Christmas. There are those who care enough about his immortal soul to go out of their way to try to bring Mr. Scrooge into the fold. Why, the very first words spoken to him are, “A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!”

No one said anything even close to that to Mr. Potter.

We cheered for George Bailey because we liked him; and with good reason. George Bailey personified all that we cherish as good ... and all we aspire to be. Almost nobody cheers for the villains ... also with good reason.

But could we at least pray for them?

No one in It’s A Wonderful Life ever showed any interest in Mr. Potter’s soul. They (and we) were too caught up in saving George. The vast spiritual need of the other man just never registered with us. Yes, Mr. Potter was the villain, but so was Mr. Scrooge ... at the beginning. The difference between the two men is that others (including ghostly old Marley) cared enough about Mr. Scrooge to reach out, cared enough to even go to extraordinary lengths to bring him into the fold.

So, in this season that celebrates a love so great it left heaven for our benefit, can we pause to pray for the Mr. Potters in our lives? Wouldn’t it be great if, someday, we could greet them with the same joy as Mr. Scrooge’s nephew?

“A merry Christmas, Mr. Potter! God save you!”

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PHOTOS: IMDB.com

** Read all about why the FBI didn’t like It’s A Wonderful Life, here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/weird-story-fbi-and-its-wonderful-life-180967587/

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
First Sunday After Christmas
December 29, 2019
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=8

Isaiah 63:7-9
Psalm 148
Hebrews 2:10-18
Matthew 2:13-23

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Friday morning at 8:00 is our opportunity to be together at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. As always, we will gather at Our Breakfast Place (formerly named The Egg and I) for tasty food, filling scriptures, and nourishing discussions.

And the best laughter, anywhere.

Join us.

Blessings,
Steve

Joseph, Did You Know? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Have you heard the mega-hit, Mary Did You Know? Many individuals and groups have covered it. My favorite presentation is by the a capella group, Pentatonix. If, somehow, you’ve missed hearing it among the onslaught of Christmas and holiday tunes, take a couple minutes and do so, here.

That song always thrills me. I love both the lyrics and the music. And it offers such provocative questions. Just how much did Mary know?

New Testament readers know quite a bit about Mary. She keeps appearing in the narrative. She’s there, of course, both before and during the birth of Jesus. Later, she and Jesus meet the wise men. Then she flees with Joseph and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s infanticide. She’s there when Jesus, at age 12, stays behind in the Temple. Next, we see her turning to the adult Jesus to solve the wine problem at the Cana wedding party.

Mary and His brothers try to see Jesus later in His ministry, but are prevented by the crowds. She is present at His crucifixion. Finally, the Book of Acts reports she is with the Apostles and other believers after the ascension when a replacement is chosen for Judas. While there’s no later mention of her in Acts, there’s also no reason to believe she, alone among believers, skipped Pentecost, that she didn’t hear the preaching of the Apostles, or wasn’t part of the Jerusalem church.

Like the song, we can all speculate about what Mary knew when Jesus was a newborn. In the long run, though, I would have to believe that Mary could eventually say “Yes!” to all those questions.

But what about Joseph?

As a parent, and especially as a father, I have great curiosity about Joseph. We all know that biology, alone, does not make a person a parent. You have to be present and do the job of raising a child; that’s the true test. I find myself wondering what kind of father Joseph was to Jesus.

There’s a lot less known about Joseph. Once the Bible finishes with Jesus’ childhood, Joseph disappears from the story. We know he had his own Angelic communications; three of them. He was assured Mary’s pregnancy was of God and told Jesus was the savior. Next, he was warned to flee to Egypt ahead of Herod’s infanticide. Finally, he was advised to return to Israel once it was safe.

Everything else is supposition.

From his actions, we can infer some good things about his character (for example: we know Joseph searched for 12-year old Jesus when He stayed behind at the Temple). We can confidently assume Jesus followed Joseph into the trade of Carpentry. It seems to me that there’s enough written or implied about Joseph to conclude he was a good person and likely a good father to Jesus.

Parents —at least, those who are paying attention— develop a sense of what their children may become; an awareness of their children’s strengths and potential challenges.

But what of the fundamental questions of that song? Did Joseph know that Jesus could perform miracles? An angel had told him Jesus was sent by God to save His people. But did he understand the fuller implications of it all? That Jesus was to be “the ruler of the nations,” was “Heaven’s perfect lamb,” was the “Lord of all creation,” was, in fact, “the great I Am?”

And did knowing impact his actions and words as a man raising a son? If so, in what ways? I wish I could ask him.

Joseph, did you know?


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PHOTO: Adobe Spark Post and Adobe Photoshop Express
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 22, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=4

Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25

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We’re deep into Advent, less than a week until Christmas Day. It is the perfect time for you to join us at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We gather at 8:00 Friday morning at Our Breakfast Place (formerly named The Egg and I), corner of Franklin and New Road in Waco.

Our scriptures are moving into the Christmas story. Our discussions, as always, are thought-provoking and our conversations are laced with laughter.

Join us for an hour like no other.

Blessings,
Steve

Laughing All the Way! (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

“Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh.
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way!”

There’s something about that song. It’s just a lot of fun to sing ... and you actually laugh when you sing it! Because I used to live in New England, I have actually dashed through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh (true story). And, yes, even though it was freezing out, there was plenty of laughter on that ride.

But long before I ever left my old West Kentucky home, long before I had ever laid eyes on a one-horse open sleigh, my thoughts would dash to Jingle Bells as soon as the Christmas season began. It makes me laugh and smile. And if ever there was a season for laughter, it’s Christmas.

There are those, however, who disagree.

You’ve, no doubt, met these folk: they don’t dislike celebrations, per se. It’s just they don’t like having all that Fa La La La La associated with Jesus. These Humbugs don’t seem to understand why Scrooge has to change in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (or what any of it has to do with the true meaning of Christmas, anyway). They are a lot like the dwarfs in C. S. Lewis’ The Last Battle: too grumpy to see that joy is the perfect response to “the reason for the season.”

In Robert Darden’s wonderful little book, Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor, he touches on this situation, noting that “...there are people who claim that laughter, or humor of any kind, isn’t Christian.” He then proceeds to lead us into an exploration of all the joy, mirth, humor, and laughter in the Bible! (Great read. Recommended).

If you know Bob, then you likely know he was for 20 years the Senior Editor of The Wittenberg Door (“the world’s oldest, largest —and pretty much only— religious humor and satire magazine”). And if you have ever been blessed to peruse a copy of it, then you know just how serious he is about humor; that it is one of the keys to a joy-filled spiritual journey.

I’ll grant you: not every part of scripture is joyful, and rightfully so. But there are four in this week’s scripture selections that are: Isaiah, Psalms, Luke, and Matthew. They all address the “reason for the season.” Some people call this season, Advent; anticipating the coming of Jesus. And having a “countdown” to Christmas Day provides a joyful way to do that.

If you are not engaging in the fun parts of this season, let me encourage you to jump in. It’s the perfect time to recognize the joy and happiness we should have in knowing that God chose to come into our world and reconcile with us. Now is the perfect time to celebrate with joy, humor, mirth, and, yes, laughing ... all the way.

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PHOTO: Steve Orr


Link to interview with Bob Darden about humor, satire, The Babylon Bee, and The Wittenburg Door: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/august-web-only/babylon-bee-wittenburg-door-christian-satire.html

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Third Sunday of Advent (December 15, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=3

Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146:5-10
Luke 1:46b-55
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11

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Friday mornings during Advent are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the companionship of like-minded folk at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We gather at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place (corner of New Road and Franklin in Waco) to eat, read, discuss, and laugh. We laugh a lot. You should join us.

Blessings,
Steve

A Blast From the Past (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

It is simply amazing the amount of stuff we believe to be true that is, in fact, not true.

Do you remember "98.6" from the late 1960s? It still plays on the Oldies stations. It was originally recorded by Keith; his version sold over a million copies and climbed to #7 on the Billboard chart. Or maybe you heard the Lesley Gore cover when she sang it as a medley with "Lazy Day."

Its catchy tune and easy lyrics make for a very singable experience. It's essentially a love song about a person who’s very happy to have his/her love (the 98.6 in the lyrics) back.

But, what does it mean?

The 98.6 references what is universally considered to be the normal body temperature of a healthy human. Everyone who originally heard the song understood that particular reference.

There's just one problem: it's not true.

We are taught from our youth that 98.6° Fahrenheit is the "normal" body temperature; that one degree higher suggests illness; two degrees higher and we're looking at a real fever. Get out the meds. But, the truth is that 98.6° is just a number representing an average "normal" temperature.

Humans are unique; no one of us is exactly like any other of us.

My normal body temp is 97.0°. In my case, a temperature reading of 98.6 might be cause for some alarm ... if not for that pesky and persistent belief —even among the medically trained— that it is normal.**

But that's just one example. One of the other supposed truths is that, in the Bible, the Old Testament (OT) is not as important as the New Testament (NT).

Now, that's not a crazy thought. If you are a christian, the NT is rich in value; ranging from how to become a christian, to how to live as one, to how to get along with other people who are trying to do the same thing, to how to live among people who do not believe as you do. With all that crammed into the NT, some might downplay the value of the books that preceded it.

That, however, would be a mistake. As William Faulkner famously wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

When I was a young adult, I heard a preacher say, "If you don't see Jesus on every page of the Bible, you're reading it wrong." This was completely counter to what I had been raised to believe: that the OT was useful, primarily, as a place we could go to understand Jewish history. I'm not sure I completely agree with that preacher's statement, but at the time it was a galvanizing charge for me. I found myself reading through the OT with fresh eyes.

Pretty quickly, I saw what that preacher was getting at; there is a massive amount of OT scripture that relates to Jesus and the purpose of His incarnation. Did you know that in His teachings, Jesus quoted the OT book of Deuteronomy more than any other scripture? And Jesus quoted a lot of Old Testament when he spoke.

I know: it surprised me, too.

You see just that kind of OT/NT linkage in this week's Lectionary passage from Romans. I recommend you read those 10 verses and consider what Paul is saying to the believers in Rome. Remember, they only had what we call the OT; the NT was yet to be assembled, and much of it had not even been written at that point. Paul's message is for us, too.

So, whatever your "normal" body temperature, you can spend time reading all of scripture, with the expectation that God has something for you there. If they’ve been missing from your life, it’ll be good to have them back, again.


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A version of this reflection originally appeared during Advent in 2016.

**There are several books written about the uniqueness of each and every human. My favorite is "You are Extraordinary" by Roger J. Williams. In it he states, "If we continue to try to solve problems on the basis of the average man, we will be continuously in a muddle, because the concept of 'the average man’ is a muddle. Such a man does not exist."

Photo: http://www.45cat.com/record/72639

For a blast from the past, listen to Keith sing 98.6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzytFCqYit4&list=RDmzytFCqYit4&start_radio=1

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Second Sunday of Advent (December 8, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=2

Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12

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I hope you can join us at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast Friday morning. We meet at 8:00 for an exceptional hour. We visit, eat, read scripture, and engage in a robust exchange of ideas.

Nothing "normal" about it.

Blessings,
Steve

A Very Terry (Pratchett) Thanksgiving (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In his novel, Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett references a fictional philosopher called “Wen the Eternally Surprised.” It is explained that those who seek understanding often ask: “'Why was he eternally surprised?” It’s an odd little moment, but if you read the novel (recommended) you will fully get the context, and that will help make sense of it.

For our purposes, it is the answer to that question which serves us this Thanksgiving season:

“'Wen considered the nature of time and understood that the universe is, instant by instant, recreated anew. Therefore, he understood, there is in truth no past, only a memory of the past. Blink your eyes, and the world you see next did not exist when you closed them. Therefore, he said, the only appropriate state of the mind is surprise. The only appropriate state of the heart is joy. The sky you see now, you have never seen before. The perfect moment is now. Be glad of it.”

We know this … or we should. Scripture teaches us to be thankful, not least because of the transitory nature of our lives as they exist in time. For now, we live in the moment. But our orientation is to what is permanent. This week’s selection from Psalm 100 reminds us that only God provides us with what is eternal and permanent: God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

So, yes, we should treasure every moment with surprise and joy. That moment will not come our way again. Yet, we should also hold in our hearts the truth that God’s steadfast love is renewed every morning.

Be glad of it.


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PHOTO: “Harvest Bonfire” by Steve Orr
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READINGS FOR THANKSGIVING DAY
THANKSGIVING DAY, USA (NOVEMBER 28, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=291

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 100
Philippians 4:4-9
John 6:25-35
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
First Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=1

Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44

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Our usual “Our Breakfast Place” Lectionary group will NOT meet. Have a blessed Thanksgiving. See you in December!

Steve

Full Price for Late Pizza (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Among my favorite events of the 1980’s was the arrival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Later —in some cases, much later— would come the films, the cartoon series, the video games, the toys, and all the various forms of TMNT merch. What we got in the 80’s was a comic book.

The title was both arresting and amusing at the same time (the teenage ... whats?!) But that was just the beginning. It got weirder. They were turtles in shells ... mutated in such a way that they could talk and walk on two legs. The other two appendages had become arms with human-like hands.

These four “teenagers” were named for renaissance artists; Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello. And they were ninjas (complete with a mutated-rat-Sensei who trained them to use their marshall arts skills for good). So, there’s that. They lived in the New York City sewers, wore masks (why?!), fought crime, and celebrated victories with delivery pizza.

Does all of that sound ludicrous to you?

I think it did, then, too. At least it did to me. And yet, against all rational analysis, the comics were popular from the get go. Somehow, people were drawn to these wise-cracking, adolescent, street-warrior, amphibians. The TMNT are still around and still going strong. These days they buddy up with such stars as Batman to fight crime in NYC.

But, it’s not crime-fighting we’re going to zero in on; it’s that delivery pizza. My favorite TMNT quote comes from an early film in which the Turtles only pay the Domino Pizza delivery guy $10 for a $13 pizza. When he complains about being shorted, Michelangelo replies, “Wise man say: Forgiveness is divine ... but never pay full price for late pizza.”

From the moment I heard those words, I knew I could put them to work in my own life. Never again was I going to reward someone for delinquency. At that point in my career, I had people who reported to me, people to whom I assigned work projects. I reasoned that if someone thought that work was important, they would make the effort, and the arrangements, to ensure their deliverables were on time ... maybe even early.

Please understand: it’s not that I punished my staff if they were late with their deliverables. I just didn’t reward tardiness. And, at that time, in that setting, the philosophy worked pretty well. Those who needed that lesson, learned it. We did our work, well, and did it in a timely manner ... both key to successful performance and the rewards that went with it.

But, it doesn’t always work.

And I, for one, am really glad it doesn’t. What if Jesus followed that approach in this week’s selection from Luke? I am happy to report that Jesus, when face to face with a real latecomer, soundly rejected that philosophy.

The latecomer was the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. He was, in effect, saying, “I’m very, very late to this, but I am hoping you will reward me, anyway.” And Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Can you imagine two people, soon to be dead, having such a conversation? Ridiculous. Crazy. Completely irrational.

But it only gets wilder. Yes, he was very, very late, but Jesus didn’t penalize him for his tardiness. Jesus isn’t watching the clock. Instead, Jesus paid the full price for that thief. Same for us.

Ridiculous. Crazy. Completely irrational.

Like paying full price for late pizza.


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Graphic: Adobe Spark Post

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Reign of Christ - Proper 29 (34) (November 24, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=290

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Psalm 46
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

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DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets Friday morning at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place (corner of New Road and Franklin). Good food, good friends, and interesting stuff to talk about.

Join us!
Steve

Frozen (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

We left home feeling confident, believing our little camper-van could handle the approaching weather.

We are not what you would call hardy campers. We prefer all the amenities; beds, electrical and water hookups, sewer dumping, TV, WiFi. This softer, more glamorous version of camping is often termed ”glampimg.”

Our little RV is a well-equipped pod of comforts. We have a galley with sink, cooktop, microwave/convection oven; refrigerator and freezer; onboard water tanks. The comfortable beds give a great night‘s sleep. And, perhaps most importantly, there’s a fully functioning bathroom.

One of the best features is a series of three lithium batteries that store enough power to keep all of that going when no other electricity is available. We actually spent one cold, wet night in Memphis using only onboard resources. So, sure, we could dry-camp at some remote, off-road location ... but that’s just not how we roll.

For this trip, we had packed sleeping bags in addition to our usual bedding. We brought warmer sleep attire and thick socks. Our daytime clothing had extra layers, GoreTex exteriors, and head protection. All of that should have given us weather confidence, and it did ... right up until we came face-to-face with 20°F and 50 MPH, heat-sucking winds. We had expected cold, but not that much cold. That icy plunge was the end of our confidence, and the end of our glamping fun.

Suddenly, we were freezing!

We cranked our heater up to full blast; we could feel the hot air pouring in through the vents. But the inside temp just kept falling. Even with our extra layers, we were feeling quite chilly. Where was the heat going?! Were we losing heat through the doors? Did we have inadequate insulation? Every window and vent was suspect.

How was this possible? Hadn’t we properly prepared?

Interestingly, preparation is one of the themes in this week’s scriptures. Or should I say, the lack of preparation? When you read them, you will note they all reference actions God will take (or allow); some that seem very positive and some that seem very negative. In one instance, Jesus tells of a time when believers will be persecuted. He explains that, while these are negative events, they provide the opportunity for believers to testify. And then He addresses preparation, instructing us to “...make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance....”

It seems a strange instruction; to not prepare, especially since Jesus has just revealed a piece of the future. Once we know what is coming, or think we do, it is usual to prepare for it. As with the weather, we only have a good guess about what is coming. Yet, not only do we prepare based on an educated guess, we train up our children to prepare in much the same way. It’s kind of a main thing for us. In fact, we are puzzled by folks who don’t prepare, especially when what is coming could impact them negatively.

And yet, scripture is clear: God will do as God intends, regardless of our preparations. They cannot change what is going to happen; they can only limit the impact. In the case of our camping trip, we had done all we could have done to prepare. It just turned out that the actual events were beyond the reach of our preparations. No, we didn’t freeze ... but we were very, very cold. What we did ... was get through it.

If things like this can happen to us in our day-to-day living, it should be no stretch to believe larger, spiritual events are well beyond our preparations.

So, should we just sit down, fold our hands, and wait to see what happens? No. That’s another thing covered in this week’s scriptures. We can’t just remain passive in the events that impact our lives. Idleness is not the answer. Neither is giving up. We can’t just stop because we face what seem to be insurmountable odds.

So, what are we, God’s people, to do?

Live in imitation of believers who have gone before. Trust that God will provide what is needed, and ask for the wisdom to recognize that provision when it comes. Know that when we need to speak, God will provide the words we need. Go about our lives. Work and “do not be weary in doing what is right.”

There is something bigger going on here, and we are to be active participants. No matter what comes our way, we cannot allow ourselves to be frozen.


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PHOTO: Steve Orr

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 28 (33) (November 17, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=289

Isaiah 65:17-25
Isaiah 12
Malachi 4:1-2a
Psalm 98
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Luke 21:5-19

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Friday mornings are pleasant breaks for those of us who attend DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We gather at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Egg and I restaurant) for good food and a Bible feast. We learn from each other as we discuss the scriptures that will form the basis of the coming Sunday’s sermon. It’s like nothing else.

There’s no need to prepare. Just come as you are.

Blessings,
Steve