Ruth 1:1-22 This week’s text we meet two women, Naomi and Ruth. We are told they are both widowed, and Naomi has also lost her two sons. There are no children or grandchildren to bring them comfort. Naomi’s family were environmental refugees in the land of Moab. There she witnessed her sons marrying local women, …
Tag: First Congregational Church
Oct 05
No Commandment Without a Commander
Deuteronomy 5:1-21; 6:4-9 Where do our laws come from? Some may read this passage from Deuteronomy and say Moses is the commander. Some have the idea that all law comes from the King or the State, so whatever it says is legal is right. But an honest reading of the Bible, we clearly see …
Sep 28
What’s in a Name?
Exodus 3:1-15 As Moses interacts with the Burning Bush, he asks, “What is your name?’ The voice of God answers, “I am who I am”. Many have translated this various ways such as “ I am what I am or I will be what I will be (NRSV footnote.) This is the God that does not allow description. A name defines something, such as Adam naming …
Sep 21
Jacob’s Crisis of Faith
Genesis 32 Genesis 32 is one of those chapters that I would enjoy having a four-week long discussion group take up. This is a very revealing passage on how each of us can struggle in our spiritual life. The story of Jacob includes miracles and visions. He saw the stairway between heaven and earth, he …
