Romans 15:13 Joy in the Lord is our secret power. In Him alone there is hope.

 Romans 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. NKJV

Christ within is our hope. If we glory, glory in this, that Jesus Christ gave up His life to redeem the world. He did not leave us alone here but He gave us Holy Spirit to guide us and defend us against the evil that is so prevalent in the world today. Carla

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. NKJV)

The root of Jesse In the original context of this quotation from Isaiah 11:10, the root of Jesse refers to an individual ruler from the Davidic line. Paul’s quotation comes from the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), which emphasizes that the root of Jesse will rule the nations and provide them with hope. For Paul, Jesus is the root of Jesse—the Messiah from David’s line—who rules over both Jewish and non-Jewish people (Jews and Gentiles). Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus Christ became a servant to the Jews for two purposes: (1) to confirm God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and (2) to demonstrate God’s mercy to the Gentiles so that they might glorify Him. 

Paul cites four passages from the Old Testament to prove that God intended the Gentiles as well as the Jews to glorify Him. Paul quotes from all three divisions of the Old Testament  (the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms or Writings), and from three great Jewish leaders (Moses, David, and Isaiah), to demonstrate that God’s purpose was always to bless the Gentiles through Israel. Although the nation of Israel has been set aside for the present (11:1–31), both Jews and Gentiles are being brought together in the church (3:1–12; Eph. 2:14–22). Root of Jesse is a title for the Messiah. Jesse was the father of David, and the Son of David was the promised Messiah. The NKJV Study Bible

1 Corinthians 2:4

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 

1 Thessalonians 1:5

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

Romans 15:19

in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 

1 Corinthians 4:20

For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

My confession is that there have been times in my life and ministry when neutrality (deliberately staying away from disagreements or conflicts) was applauded. Even revered. Somehow seen as a skill, and a strength.
I told myself to not speak up about any number of social moral issues—bullying, abuse, war, sexual orientation—because I didn’t want to offend. Or lose parishioners. Or readers.
And here’s the irony: to not choose, is to choose.
I said I was a follower of Jesus.
But here’s the deal.
Jesus wasn’t neutral. In his choices, or in the stories (parables) that he told.
Bottom line: As the Good Samaritan teaches us—when there is a wounded, or broken, or distressed, or even despised human being by the side of the road, you don’t walk by. You choose to stop. To care. To invest. To heal. To reconcile. To say no to intolerance.

As a young pastor, I remember saying often, “Let’s just agree to disagree.”
Which is all very well and good, but should be reserved for things like, “I don't like coffee.” Or, “Do we have to sing those hymns every Sunday?”
When it comes to honoring human dignity, it is not a difference of opinion. It is a difference in morality.
Jesus wasn’t neutral with regard to treating each and every human being with dignity.
My friends, let us choose to do the same: To honor dignity… regardless of race, religion, color, creed, sexual orientation or citizenship status. Today, I am so grateful for the sabbath moment community. And our reminder to say yes to sanctuary, inclusion, empathy, compassion and kindness. Sabbath Moments

Jeremiah 29:11-13 If we seek God we will find Him!

 Jeremiah 24:7

Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.

If we look for God He will reveal Himself to us. If we refuse to acknowledge Him even the rocks will cry out in worship. God wants us to choose to love Him as He loves us. He will never force His will on us. We choose who we will serve either the darkness of the world or the good that is inherent in  all of His creation. No greater love exists that He would give up His body and blood for our sins  that through Him the world could be saved. John 3:17. Carla

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 

The Lord here places considerable emphasis on His unchangeable plan to bring peace and not evil. God had not terminated His relationship with Judah; He remembered His covenant promises of restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–10).

Yahweh assures the exiles that His long-term plan is good and that He has not abandoned them. Their national calamity would have precipitated feelings of hopelessness and abandonment. Faithlife Study Bible

The promised response of the Lord to the people’s prayers stands in contrast to His refusal to hear in 7:16. The picture here differs greatly from the usual depiction of the heart of the people of Judah as stubborn and wicked. God would search the people’s heart and reveal its true character (11:20). Those who seek God with a whole heart will find Him and experience His renewal. I will bring you back … gather you … bring you to the place. God was the captor, and He would restore His people from captivity. The NKJV Study Bible

Deuteronomy 4:29

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 

Jeremiah 33:3

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Psalm 145:19

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he tells the boy. “It is a relentless fight that takes a toll, and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is a mixture of rage, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continues, “The other wolf is good. He is a mixture of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. And this same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thinks about what his grandfather tells him for a minute, and then asks, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee replies, “The one you feed the most.” 

So. Let us pause. And take this invitation to heart: “Don’t tell me what you believe, show me how you behave, and then I will know what you believe.” Even in a world of cacophony, and what feels like heartlessness, we are still connected to one another. We still can and do, make a difference.

A human world of helping.

No one of us is on this journey alone.

And maybe today, the armor can come down. Sabbath Moments

John 7:37-39 We are baptized with Holy Spirit to shine God’s light in the world.

 John 1:32–33

And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 

The most important person of the Trinity that Jesus brought into this world is the gift of Holy Spirit. With His birth, death and resurrection believers in Christ would baptize us in Holy Spirt. He is within us to comfort, guide and protect us from the evil that seeks to kill, steal and destroy us. He is always within our reach we just need to allow more of Him in our lives. Carla

John 7:37-39

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. NKJV)

On each day of the feast, the people came with palm branches and marched around the great altar. A priest took a golden pitcher filled with water from the Pool of Siloam, carried it to the temple, and poured it on the altar as an offering to God. This dramatic ceremony was a memorial of the water that flowed from the rock when the Israelites traveled through the wilderness. On the last day of the feast, the people marched seven times around the altar in memory of the seven circuits around the walls of Jericho. Perhaps at the very moment that the priest was pouring water on the altar, Jesus’ voice rang out: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

As the Scripture has said: The reference is not to a single passage, but to the general emphasis of such passages as Deuteronomy 18:15; Is. 58:11; Zechariah 14:8. In contrast to the small amount of water poured out each day during the feast, there will be a river of water coming out of those who believe in Christ. Not only will they be satisfied themselves, but they will also become a river so that others may drink and be satisfied (verse 39). 

John explains that Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would satisfy personal thirst and produce a perennial fountain for the satisfaction of others. The Holy Spirit would come after Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension. Jesus prepared His disciples for this in the Upper Room. The NKJV Study Bible

On the last day of the feast Jewish tradition prescribes additional rituals for the final day of the festival—the culmination of their weeklong prayers for deliverance (according to the Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 53a).

If anyone is thirsty is a subtle appeal to imagery of messianic deliverance associated with the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus makes the point that He is the source of life—a claim that only God could make. This would have provoked His opponents, but it brought comfort to His followers.

The festival came to be a celebration of God’s future restoration of Israel and the extension of salvation to the nations. Jesus’ invitation draws on those expectations of future ideal reality under the rule of the Messiah.

Numerous Old Testament passages represent salvation metaphorically as a life-giving source of water. The closest source for this quote is Zechariah 14:8. Jewish tradition viewed Jerusalem as the center of the world and referred to it as the “navel of the earth,” so Jesus’ words about the source of this water may parallel “Jerusalem” as the source of the water. Old Testament visions of God’s future salvation for His people included the image of the Spirit being poured out on all believers. Faithlife Study Bible

Isaiah 55:1

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without  money and without price.

John 4:10–14

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water…

Acts 2:33

Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear

“However mean your life is,” wrote Thoreau, “meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names.” Mean, or unexpected, or confusing, or exasperating.
Well, I’m glad to say that life’s meanness does not have to be disheartening to me. On the contrary. I can lift my head, open my eyes, and see an invitation.
And yes, I have a voice.
With that voice, I can hate. Or I can build.
Yes. Inside every one of us—in our DNA—we have the tools that we need, to navigate these unpredictable times. Yes, the “tools” to be builders—the empowerment to draw upon mercy and compassion—to create (“build”) places of sanctuary, and healing, and grace, even where cruelty and callousness are real.
Yes. I can set up chairs for inclusion and reconciliation.
Chairs for community and hope and courage.

So. Let’s begin with Clarissa Pinkola Estes' reminder; "Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely." Sabbath Moments

Matthew 7:7-11 All good gifts come from God! Faith, hope and love and the greatest of these gifts is love

 Matthew 7:12

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 

With a loving Father in our lives nothing is impossible…absolutely nothing. In all that we do include Him and He will direct our path. In unison with Father, Son and Holy Spirit we are promised redemption and inclusion in His plans to redeem the world. Go out and shine His light into the darkness that we now live in. Pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in His Kingdom. Carla

Matthew 7:7-11

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

Ask is the  first of three commands in this verse. Jesus’ followers are to ask for what they need.  In each of the three statements here, Jesus’ point is the same: When God’s people pursue something—by asking, seeking, knocking—He responds in faithfulness and generosity. This verse emphasizes the need for an authentic relationship with God. The Greek verb used here for seek, zēteō, indicates looking for something or trying to find something. God is still the one who allows for this action to take place. Will give him a snake is the rhetorical questions in Matthew 7:9–10 and sets up the comparison in verse 11 between earthly fathers and the heavenly Father.

Jesus compares sinful humanity with a holy God. Jesus argues from a lesser principle to a greater one. Human parents know how to give their children good things; by comparison, the heavenly Father can do abundantly more for His children. Faithlife Study Bible

The phrase the Law and the Prophets echoes 5:17. This so-called “Golden Rule” is the practical application of Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The NKJV Study Bible

John 15:7

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 

James  1:5–8

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…

1 John 3:22

And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 

Matthew 18:19

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 

Matthew 21:22

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

In my memory I’m back in southern Michigan, the son of a brick mason. I’ve been on countless constructions sites. Most of them as a hod carrier (mixing mortar, lugging bricks). So many days eager to quit. And hearing my father’s words, “Son, build this one like you’re building your own.” (Twenty-six years ago, my father helped me build my house on Vashon Island.)
Here's the deal: We forget, or we do not see, that we make a difference, with every nail we hammer, each board we choose, each brick we mortar, each window we put in place.
And here’s the deal: because we live in a culture of bluster and ado, we forget that we can make a difference. So. More often than not, the wrong people get all the attention. (Okay, my confession, I forget that I can make a difference, one nail at a time.)

I’m with David Orr here, “The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind.”

Here’s to the restorative power of small gestures… one nail at a time.

We are, all of us, builders.
We are, all of us, about the business of building places and spaces for human dignity and inclusion.
Building spaces for kindness and compassion and mercy.
Building spaces for justice and hope.
Building spaces for resilience and confidence, and courage and safety and wellbeing. But this is important. This parable is not meant to scold us into making a difference. It’s a recognition that we have been created and are able to do so. This is not about bootstraps and will power and consternation. This is about letting the language of our (replenished and not overwhelmed) heart speak. Letting the light inside—the Imago Dei—spill.
Yes. Inside every one of us—in our DNA—we have the tools that we need, to navigate these unpredictable times. Yes, the “tools” to be builders—the empowerment to draw upon mercy and compassion—to create (“build”) places of sanctuary, and healing, and grace, even where cruelty and callousness are real.

When I live from overwhelmed, I react, I live fearful, and I give in to cynicism. No wonder the first to go are my courage, and my ability to laugh. Which is not good considering that they both come from the same muscle in our heart. As builders, this is abundantly clear: We are connected. Every single one of us.

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality,” Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us.

Receiving his induction into TV’s Hall of Fame, Fred Rogers tells the audience, “We are chosen to be servants, it doesn’t matter what our particular job.” SABBATH MOMENTS

Love God.

Love a neighbor.

Be a neighbor,

and let us not complicate things

by arguing about the specifics.

You know what it means to do love

because some time or another

you have been on the receiving end of love...

If you want the world to look different

next time you go outside,

do some love.

Do a little or do a lot,

but do some,

and do not forget to get some for yourself...

Just do it,

and find out that when you do,

you do live and live abundantly,

just like the man said.

Barbara Brown Taylor