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Christian Conscience

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This meditation is going to be heavy on Bible verses. Often, I read the lectionary scriptures and simply go from there, maybe quoting a scripture or two in the process. But this meditation will be quoting scripture a lot. The reason this is true is that we’re looking at a very important topic, and the scripture has a lot to say about it.  The topic is this – Conscience.  In researching this topic last week, I came upon something that’s been going on since 1811 that I’ve only just heard about. The IRS has a fund that folks can donate to. It is called the Conscience fund. It’s meant for those who’ve defrauded the government in some way and because of their guilty conscience want to make it right. Clergy have often been mediators of monies given to the fund. Deathbed confessions to clergy led to donations to the Conscience fund. That said, it isn’t just religious people who are endowed with human conscience. Everyone is endowed with conscience. Yes, that conscience can become broken, but
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Confirmation Class Playlist #1

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Link to Lyrics below 1. Meditation #3: Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) 2. The Beginning (Genesis 1-3) 3. They Called Him Laughter   (Genesis 21:1-7) 4. God Will Provide a Lamb   (Genesis 22:1-19) 5. Asleep On Holy Ground (Genesis 32:22-32) 6. Jubilee   (Exodus 13;Leviticus 25–26) 7. A Face That Shone (Moses’ Story) (Exodus 34:29-35) 8. In the Wilderness (Numbers 13-36, etc.) 9. Barocha (Numbers 6:24-26) 10. Lift Up the Suffering Symbol (Numbers 21:4-9) 11. The Word Is So Near (Deuteronomy 30:14) 12. Then They Will Know (Jeremiah 31:33) 13. The Prophet (2 Chronicles 24:19-25) 14. Through the Eye / And a Little Child Shall Lead Them (Isaiah 11:3-6) 21. The Kingdom (Isaiah, Chronicles 28:5; 2 Chronicles 13:8; Daniel 2:44) 15. Will You Not Listen? (Jeremiah 7:13; 16:12; 17:23, etc.) 16. Recapture Me (Ezekial 14:5) 17. Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekial 37:1-14) 18. Song of Gomer (Hosea) 19. I Will Bring You Home (Zephaniah 3:20; Psalm 90:1) 20. Malakai (Malachi) 22. Meditation #4
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Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 21-22)

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We come to the story of Isaac. Isaac has been promised for sometime to Abraham and Isaac. But it took awhile. A lot of sojourning. A lot of doubts. A lot of hardship and suffering. A lot of conflict and division. But finally some hope.  The name Isaac literally means "laughter." An interesting name for one who will give way to a nation's birth. But a 100 year-old and 90 year-old having a baby is really funny!  On a side note, the link between laughter and the nation of Israel brought to mind this reel featuring Jerry Seinfeld, maybe the most famous Jewish comedians.  So, the birth of Isaac is a big deal! In keeping with creativity helping with this week's blog, here's a wonderful and joyful song that tells the story of Isaac's birth in a creative and meaningful way. Please note the lyrics as you listen. Isaac being born to adoring and proud parents, we turn to the horrifying story that comes in Genesis 22. As the story goes, God, as a test of Abraham's fai
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No Mediation Needed

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The Jerusalem temple was segmented into three spaces. There was the:  Porch:  Also known as the vestibule. This is where sacrifices and the preparation of those sacrifices took place. There, people would give their sacrifices to the priests who prepared them as burnt offerings to present to God inside the temple. We might imagine the porch as our narthex, but one where sacred BBQ’s took place! Holy Place/Sanctuary: This is the main room for religious ritual where priests, and only priest, presented to God their own prayers and sacrifices and the people’s prayers and sacrifices given to them in the narthex. Priests, and only priests, interceded for the people here with prayers, burnt offerings and did so twice a day. Holy of Holies: This is the most sacred space. This space is where God abides. Only the high priest can enter this holiest of spaces and only on one day. The high priest on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, enters the holy holies and presents burnt offerings for atone
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