For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God’s command.For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light…
Read more
Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide…
Read more
On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll,and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the neediest people shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. From Isaiah 29:17-24, NRSV In previous chapters from the book of Isaiah,…
Read more
Trust in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.For he has brought low the inhabitants of the height; the lofty city he lays low.He lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. From Isaiah 26:1-6, NRSV These words form part of what is entitled “Judah’s Song of Victory”. Such…
Read more
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear.And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;he will swallow…
Read more
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ From Romans 10:9-18, NRSV For Paul, a devout Jew, it was difficult to come to terms with…
Read more
He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples;they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks;nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. From Isaiah 2:1-5, NRSV As Advent begins and our attention turns to the coming of Christ, we are…
Read more
The kingship and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High;their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’ From Daniel 7:15-27, NRSV At the beginning of today’s reading we hear the prophet Daniel…
Read more
‘I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:For he is the living God, enduring for ever.His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end.He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;for he has saved…
Read more
‘So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; peres, your kingdom is divided and…
Read more
