Category: Wisdom Along the Way -Sacred Writings
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Listen for the Shepherd’s Voice
The Daily Office Readings for Monday, September 7, 2026: Psalm 41, 52, 44; Job 32:1-10, 19, 33:1, 19-28; Acts 13:44-52; and John 10:19-30. The world is filled with voices. Some voices encourage us. Some accuse us. Some tell us they know exactly what God is doing. Some are so convinced they are right that they…
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From Worms to Light: What Grace Does
The Daily Office Readings for Sunday, September 6, 2026: Psalm 63:1-11, 98, 103; Job 25:1-6, 27:1-6; Revelation 14:1-7, 13; and Matthew 5:13-20. I grew up hearing a lot about sin. Some of the preaching I heard as a child—not from my dad, but from others—left me with the impression that human beings were dirty, rotten…
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The Shepherd Knows the Way to the Water
Daily Office Readings for Today, Saturday, September 5, 2026: Psalm 30, 32, 42, 43; Job 22:1-4, 21-23:7; Acts 13:26-43, John 10:1-8. “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.” — Psalm 42:1–2 Some days we dance. Some days we mourn. Some…
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But This I Know
Reflections on Psalm 31 & 35; Job 19:1–7, 14–27; Acts 13:13–25; and John 9:18–41 If the Psalms are the Jewish hymnbook, I think David could have made a pretty good country-and-western singer. Many of his Psalms have all the ingredients of an old country song—trouble, enemies, loneliness, regret, sorrow, and more than a few tears.…
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How Will We Respond to Grace?
Daily Office Readings for Thursday, September 3, 2026: Psalm 37, Job 16:16-22, 17:1,13-16. Acts 13: 1-12, John 9:1-17. There is an old hymn that says: “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” That kept coming to my mind as I read today’s Daily Office readings. They take us from David, to Job,…
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Are We Still Listening?
Daily Office Reflection — Wednesday, September 2, 2026Psalm 38; Psalm 119:25–48; Job 12:1, 14:1–22; Acts 12:18–25; John 8:47–59 Sometimes when I read the Daily Office, the readings seem unrelated at first. One passage speaks of suffering. Another speaks about God’s commandments. Job is lamenting the frailty of human life. Herod is sitting on his throne…
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Maybe We Find Freedom When We Stop Talking and Start Listening
Daily Office Reflection — John 8:33–47 Jesus says some harsh words in today’s Gospel reading. He is continuing a conversation with people who question who he is and where he comes from. They appeal to their heritage: “We are descendants of Abraham.” Jesus doesn’t deny their ancestry. He knows they are descendants of Abraham. But…
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When We Don’t Understand
Daily Office Reflection — Acts 12:1–17 Sometimes Sacred Writings leave me with an answer. Sometimes they leave me with a question. Acts 12 leaves me with a very big question. King Herod begins persecuting believers in the church. He has James, the brother of John and one of the Sons of Thunder, killed with the…
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Ask the Animals, and They Will Teach You
Daily Office Reflection — Job 12:1–6, 13–25 Sometimes a few words in Sacred Writings stop me, and I know I need to stay with them awhile. That happened today while reading Job. Job is responding to Zophar and the other friends who have been trying to explain his suffering. They have answers. They believe they…
