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Isaiah 65:17-25
Steven Curtis Chapman is an award-winning Christian recording artist whose career spans twenty-plus years. Songs like "Heart's Cry," "More to This Life," and "Cinderella" have touched hearts and lives worldwide. In 2008, his adopted daughter, Maria Sue, was killed in a tragic accident. His journey of grief and sorrow led to his album, Beauty Will Rise, an album I would highly recommend for anyone dealing with loss. In songs like "God Is it True" and "Heaven Is the Face," he chronicles his grief and questioning with brutal honesty, reflecting not only on his pain, but also on heaven, the place where he will eventually reunite with his little girl.
Perhaps this passage came into his mind as he recorded this album. It is a beautiful picture of heaven, a place where, "no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days" (vv. 19-20).
Craig K.
Isaiah 65:17-25
Charity Bell is a graduate student who is also a foster parent. When she began volunteering at a local hospital she met a two-year-old girl, who she says, "clung to me for four nights in a row." Charity was shocked to discover that the girl was a foster child stuck at the hospital because there were not enough homes to meet the need. It was then that Charity decided to become a foster parent, which involved a ten-week training program.
In the last four years Charity has been a foster mother to 38 children. Typically she cares for a child anywhere from a few days to a couple of months before permanent placement. Most of the babies are either abandoned or abused. "They cry, you pick them up," Charity reflects, "you lock eyes with them, and you fall in love. It's incredible," she adds. She learned that being loved during the first months of life make a huge difference to the children.
Charity attends classes often while taking care of a baby. One of her professors commented, "She's a kind of Mother Teresa figure with a sense of humor." One of her friends says, "I always feel that the kids who get Charity as a foster mom are lucky. They're suffering, and she changes them completely in a relatively short period of time. And she makes it look easy."
After graduation Charity hopes to start a nonprofit organization to recruit and support foster parents. "I know that every baby I take care of has the potential to be amazing," she says.
The prophet Isaiah told of God's plan to "to create new heavens and a new earth." This new creation will produce a profound sense of joy. There shall be no more tears or distress the prophet proclaimed in God's perfect creation.
Tim S.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Ginger is one of those students who hates group projects. When teachers assign her to be a part of a group, she groans and complains. Ginger works hard to get good grades, but her group partners don't always pull their fair share. It frustrates Ginger to see the others in her group get a good grade on a group assignment even though Ginger herself did almost all of the work. Group meetings are painful: Ginger does all the planning, while everyone else in her group gossips about their classmates or talks about the latest movie. Group projects are only effective when each member of the group does his or her work and participates in an effort to achieve the common goal.
Leah T.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Dr. Charles Drew, the head of the surgical department at Howard University recognized for his pioneering work on blood-plasma storage techniques and transfusions, died in an automobile accident on his way to a conference in Alabama. His death left an irreplaceable void in the medical school at the university. In the seven years after his death, three chairmen have come and gone.
Burke "Mickey" Syphax was a student at Howard at the time of Dr. Drew's untimely death. After achieving his medical degree and working as a practicing surgeon, in 1957 he was selected as the chairman of the Howard University's medical school. He remained in that position for 13 years and continued as a member of the faculty until his retirement in 1978. It is estimated that Dr. Syphax trained 90% of the African-American surgeons in the Washington DC area. This only bolstered the respect the citizens of the city had for a family that resided there since the early 1800s. In fact the Syphaxes trace their roots to matriarch Maria Syphax. She was the daughter of George Washington Parke Custis -- the adopted grandson of George Washington -- and an enslaved woman.
Years later, when asked to reflect on assuming the position as head of the medical department following the esteemed leadership of Dr. Drew, the humble Dr. Syphax replied, "We just picked up and went on. More or less, you do what you've got to do. You don't think of it as insurmountable. You just think about what you need to do and keep going."
Paul in our lesson for this day offers invaluable advice, "never tire of doing what is right." If we follow Paul's advice and Dr. Syphax' example of "keep going," then a tremendous amount of good will be bestowed upon countless individuals.
Ron L.
Luke 21:5-19
Harold remembers the time when he was serving in the Navy almost fifty years ago. His ship was circling between Bermuda and Azores, waiting for American astronaut John Glenn to be launched into orbit. His ship was trained to rescue Glenn if a problem occurred within the first ten minutes of the flight.
It was just after midnight when Harold entered into a discussion with a junior officer about faith. John grew up in the south, attended church, but when he entered the university he had lost his "faith." That night on board a ship in the Atlantic Ocean he asked Harold if he believed that Jesus actually walked on water.
"Looking out over the calm Atlantic waters in the moonlight," Harold told his friend that yes he did believe that Jesus walked on water. Later that night when he was in his bunk he began thinking about what he believed and why. Harold remembers that night because it was then that he was able to claim that he believed without any question or doubt.
Jesus and the disciples were in Jerusalem. The disciples marveled at the beauty of the temple. They seem like country people going to the big city for the first time being impressed with skyscrapers. Jesus noticed that the disciples were losing their focus. He must have shocked them when he told them that the day would come when "not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."
He certainly had their attention at that moment. Jesus reminds us to keep our focus as modern-day disciples. "Beware that you are not led astray," Jesus implores, "for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them."
Tim S.
Luke 21:5-19
It has been said, "It's always darkest before the dawn." Often in life, we have to go through some dark situations before we see resolution. That is simply life. All we have to do is watch an evening newscast to know that life is filled with strife and conflict.
This passage, coupled with the Old Testament lesson, offer an interesting dichotomy: We see a picture of heaven in Isaiah, and then we are brought "down to earth" in Luke. This passage, written almost 2,000 years ago, reads like a typical list of modern headlines. These two passages, coupled together, show us that life is hard but what waits for us on the other side will make the troubles of this life seem like a distant memory, a bad dream that dispels into forgetfulness when we wake up.
Craig K.
Steven Curtis Chapman is an award-winning Christian recording artist whose career spans twenty-plus years. Songs like "Heart's Cry," "More to This Life," and "Cinderella" have touched hearts and lives worldwide. In 2008, his adopted daughter, Maria Sue, was killed in a tragic accident. His journey of grief and sorrow led to his album, Beauty Will Rise, an album I would highly recommend for anyone dealing with loss. In songs like "God Is it True" and "Heaven Is the Face," he chronicles his grief and questioning with brutal honesty, reflecting not only on his pain, but also on heaven, the place where he will eventually reunite with his little girl.
Perhaps this passage came into his mind as he recorded this album. It is a beautiful picture of heaven, a place where, "no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days" (vv. 19-20).
Craig K.
Isaiah 65:17-25
Charity Bell is a graduate student who is also a foster parent. When she began volunteering at a local hospital she met a two-year-old girl, who she says, "clung to me for four nights in a row." Charity was shocked to discover that the girl was a foster child stuck at the hospital because there were not enough homes to meet the need. It was then that Charity decided to become a foster parent, which involved a ten-week training program.
In the last four years Charity has been a foster mother to 38 children. Typically she cares for a child anywhere from a few days to a couple of months before permanent placement. Most of the babies are either abandoned or abused. "They cry, you pick them up," Charity reflects, "you lock eyes with them, and you fall in love. It's incredible," she adds. She learned that being loved during the first months of life make a huge difference to the children.
Charity attends classes often while taking care of a baby. One of her professors commented, "She's a kind of Mother Teresa figure with a sense of humor." One of her friends says, "I always feel that the kids who get Charity as a foster mom are lucky. They're suffering, and she changes them completely in a relatively short period of time. And she makes it look easy."
After graduation Charity hopes to start a nonprofit organization to recruit and support foster parents. "I know that every baby I take care of has the potential to be amazing," she says.
The prophet Isaiah told of God's plan to "to create new heavens and a new earth." This new creation will produce a profound sense of joy. There shall be no more tears or distress the prophet proclaimed in God's perfect creation.
Tim S.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Ginger is one of those students who hates group projects. When teachers assign her to be a part of a group, she groans and complains. Ginger works hard to get good grades, but her group partners don't always pull their fair share. It frustrates Ginger to see the others in her group get a good grade on a group assignment even though Ginger herself did almost all of the work. Group meetings are painful: Ginger does all the planning, while everyone else in her group gossips about their classmates or talks about the latest movie. Group projects are only effective when each member of the group does his or her work and participates in an effort to achieve the common goal.
Leah T.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Dr. Charles Drew, the head of the surgical department at Howard University recognized for his pioneering work on blood-plasma storage techniques and transfusions, died in an automobile accident on his way to a conference in Alabama. His death left an irreplaceable void in the medical school at the university. In the seven years after his death, three chairmen have come and gone.
Burke "Mickey" Syphax was a student at Howard at the time of Dr. Drew's untimely death. After achieving his medical degree and working as a practicing surgeon, in 1957 he was selected as the chairman of the Howard University's medical school. He remained in that position for 13 years and continued as a member of the faculty until his retirement in 1978. It is estimated that Dr. Syphax trained 90% of the African-American surgeons in the Washington DC area. This only bolstered the respect the citizens of the city had for a family that resided there since the early 1800s. In fact the Syphaxes trace their roots to matriarch Maria Syphax. She was the daughter of George Washington Parke Custis -- the adopted grandson of George Washington -- and an enslaved woman.
Years later, when asked to reflect on assuming the position as head of the medical department following the esteemed leadership of Dr. Drew, the humble Dr. Syphax replied, "We just picked up and went on. More or less, you do what you've got to do. You don't think of it as insurmountable. You just think about what you need to do and keep going."
Paul in our lesson for this day offers invaluable advice, "never tire of doing what is right." If we follow Paul's advice and Dr. Syphax' example of "keep going," then a tremendous amount of good will be bestowed upon countless individuals.
Ron L.
Luke 21:5-19
Harold remembers the time when he was serving in the Navy almost fifty years ago. His ship was circling between Bermuda and Azores, waiting for American astronaut John Glenn to be launched into orbit. His ship was trained to rescue Glenn if a problem occurred within the first ten minutes of the flight.
It was just after midnight when Harold entered into a discussion with a junior officer about faith. John grew up in the south, attended church, but when he entered the university he had lost his "faith." That night on board a ship in the Atlantic Ocean he asked Harold if he believed that Jesus actually walked on water.
"Looking out over the calm Atlantic waters in the moonlight," Harold told his friend that yes he did believe that Jesus walked on water. Later that night when he was in his bunk he began thinking about what he believed and why. Harold remembers that night because it was then that he was able to claim that he believed without any question or doubt.
Jesus and the disciples were in Jerusalem. The disciples marveled at the beauty of the temple. They seem like country people going to the big city for the first time being impressed with skyscrapers. Jesus noticed that the disciples were losing their focus. He must have shocked them when he told them that the day would come when "not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."
He certainly had their attention at that moment. Jesus reminds us to keep our focus as modern-day disciples. "Beware that you are not led astray," Jesus implores, "for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them."
Tim S.
Luke 21:5-19
It has been said, "It's always darkest before the dawn." Often in life, we have to go through some dark situations before we see resolution. That is simply life. All we have to do is watch an evening newscast to know that life is filled with strife and conflict.
This passage, coupled with the Old Testament lesson, offer an interesting dichotomy: We see a picture of heaven in Isaiah, and then we are brought "down to earth" in Luke. This passage, written almost 2,000 years ago, reads like a typical list of modern headlines. These two passages, coupled together, show us that life is hard but what waits for us on the other side will make the troubles of this life seem like a distant memory, a bad dream that dispels into forgetfulness when we wake up.
Craig K.
