"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." -- John 1:1-2

While John is our fourth Gospel, it begins with an echo of Genesis: In the Beginning...  This is the phrase that establishes Christ's spiritual place as being with God... and being God.  He was the Word ... this is the creative force that calls things into being, that establishes earth, sky, sun, and moon.  The one to arrange life and give it breath.  The Word is God.  How strange to read this in our day and understand the language.  The word "word" brings about ideas of writing, speaking, and what we use to convey ideas.  But to leave John's meaning now, even as we consider words as we know them, consider the power they carry.  They can inspire people to do amazingly good and creative things or bring whole nations to act in unspeakably evil ways.  They can form relationships, and they can destroy them.  The old phrase our mothers taught us when we were young: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me..." is a lie.  A broken bone heals much quicker sometimes than a broken relationship.  We must understand the power of a word.  Use them wisely.

Readings:  Judges 11:1-12:5; John 1:1-28; Psalms 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." -- Psalms 100:1-5

There's something about worship that is renewing, lifting, and even transforming... it's that time when we put ourselves aside and give ourselves over to the task of focusing on God, thanking God, praising God, speaking to God, and listening to God.  Some think worship is a one-hour per week event, but truly, it's something that we can do anywhere, anytime.  When you remember that you stand in the presence of God...  when you relate to him even as you do the mundane in day-to-day living... when you seek him, speak to him, thank him, praise him... when you listen to him... and when you act in his name for his glory... you worship God.  A life filled with worship is so much richer than the weekly (if that) obligatory "God nod".  Enter a new way of living and worship God with all you have and all you are.

Readings:  Judges 9:22-10:18; Luke 24:13-53; Psalms 100:1-5; Proverbs 14:11-12

"In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?'"-- Luke 24:5

Expecting to see Jesus in the tomb, the women are stunned to find the tomb empty.  And the question put to them was profound: why do you look for the living among the dead?  We can ask the same question in a different way to so many:  why do you look for life in death?  Why give your life over to addiction and dangerous behavior?  Why destroy every relationship you have, thinking that by leaving this one too, you'll find a better life out there?  Patterns repeat themselves.  Patterns of following a path that leads to nowhere.  When you're looking for life, don't look in the places where fear, hate, and death reside.  Find it instead in the places where faith, hope, and love reside.   Where are you going to experience life?

Readings:  Judges 8:18-9:21; Luke 23:44-24:12; Psalms 99:1-9; Proverbs 14:9-10

"Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception." -- Proverbs 14:7-8

When I was in high school, the smart, intelligent kids were known as "nerds"and "geeks".  Today, these very same are the most successful from our class.  In our culture, there still seems to be this discounting of intelligence.  In religious circles, some feel very uncomfortable when raising questions about the Bible, or about the faith.  And yet, God gave us minds with which to think.  And he gave us questions to ask, and thoughts to share.  So ask away.  Challenge, question, and seek understanding with everything you have.  Turn from anyone who won't tolerate that sort of questioning.  Fill your circle with wise people-- not foolish ones.  Grow in mind, body, and spirit.

Readings: Judges 7:1-8:17; Luke 23:13-43; Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 14:7-8

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy..." -- Psalms 96:11-12

As our land becomes more covered by concrete road and parking lot, let's not lose sight that this is God's creation.  The earth breathes and it gives us air to breath.  It drinks, and gives us water to drink.  The earth is alive and we are its caretakers.  If someone came and poured gasoline on your yard, I trust you'd be a bit upset. If someone came and tore out your flowers and shrubs, the same.  If someone cut your shade trees down, you'd probably sue.  We do this all the time without guilt because we don't see it as vandalism.  But we forget that the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it.

Readings: Judges 6:1-40; Luke 22:544-23:12; Psalms 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 14:5-6

"Then Jesus asked them (his disciples), 'When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?' 'Nothing,' they answered. He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.'" -- Luke 22:35-36

Jesus is referring to an earlier mission he sent the disciples on where he instructed them to take nothing with them, but to depend on others to host them and care for their needs.  Now the tide has changed.  It's time for them to care for themselves.  It's a fine line we walk as Christians when trying to follow Jesus' instruction for living.  "Don't worry about tomorrow..." He tells us.  But here we find instruction to be prepared.  Is that a contradiction?  I would say no, it's not.  You can prepare without worrying.  You can save money and still live for today.  You can have peace in understanding your own mortality and taste the sweetness of life while you have it.  While we are to be interdependent with one another, we aren't called to be completely dependent on others.  You will have weaknesses, and you will draw upon the strength of others.  At the same time, it's important to build your own strength in order that others can draw from you.  You do not live this life alone.  You are connected whether you like it or not.  It's better that way anyway.  Live life prepared.

Readings:  Judges 4:1-5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalms 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." -- Judges 2:10

This will become a bit of a recurring theme in the Old Testament-- later generations of Israel forgetting who they are and whose they are.  When things go bad for them, the writers reflect and say it's because they drifted away.  The prophets will speak doom, the people won't listen, and destruction and captivity will follow.  There are tough times ahead.  What we must remember is that we can't do better than God.  When we think we can, when we begin to doubt God, when we begin to even question God's existence, we need to get back to basics and remember who and what God is.  Then there will be no question.  Then we will remember.  Then we will be aligned again.  From generation to generation, we must teach well so that our children and their children's children will know who and whose they are.

Readings:  Judges 2:10-3:31; Luke 22:14-34; Psalms 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 14:1-2