O Divine Presence,
At times the complexities of the faith journey numb us. We seek a spiritual connection with You, one that sustains, comforts and empowers us. We also seek to understand You using our ability to reason and reflect. There are dominant voices that suggest the spiritual life is strictly emotional and is apart from reason. There are others who affirm that faith is a matter of intellectual assent to a series of doctrines. Forgive us, Loving God, when we are reduced to an either/or position. Help us realize our relation to You is a matter of heart and mind. Emotional responses to Your grace, without reason and critical reflection, are merely fluff. Thinking, discussing and debating issues of faith without a “warming of the heart” lead us to a cold, lifeless certainty where there is no transforming sense of awe or mystery. May we stand before You, O God, as the complete ones we were created to be. May we allow moments of ecstasy and moments of reason as we praise and honor You. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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George Oller and Austin Wade are still hospitalized. Imogene has been dismissed. Please pray for these three.
There is a cabinet meeting tomorrow evening. It is currently scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Watch for an announcement (email or call) about a potential time change. Right now it is 7:30 p.m.
The scripture for today is 2 Samuel 6:1-15:
David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cartwith the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. The anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there because he reached out his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God. David was angry because the LORD had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah; so that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day. David was afraid of the LORD that day; he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come into my care?”So David was unwilling to take the ark of the LORD into his care in the city of David; instead David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
It was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
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