Good afternoon, and welcome to Sacred Reading with Weekly Lectio, where we practice a prayerful reading of scripture.   Today we will be doing our exercise on Matthew 4:1-11 – the temptation of Christ, which is the Gospel for this coming Sunday.   As usual, I will be leading you through the four steps of reading, reflecting, responding, and resting – and observing some silence in between each step. The first step is reading.   I will read the passage slowly twice.   Notice what captures your attention – it could be a phrase or even a single word.   Afterwards we will observe a minute of silence. ”I will read the passage again.   This time reflect on the Word of God.   Ponder what you have just heard and think about what this may mean for your life.   Afterwards we will observe another minute of silence. I will read the passage another time.   Now respond spontaneously to the Word of God.   What has your reading and reflecting stirred up in you?   Share these with God e

This is an exercise in Sacred Reading, or Lectio Divina on Matthew 17:1-9.   It is an excellent preparation for Eucharist on Sunday, February 23, 2020 Instructions on Lectio Divina http://www.congregationaldevelopment.com/means-of-grace-hope-of-glory/2019/10/8/lectio-divina.html Readings for Sunday http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Epiphany/AEpiLast_RCL.html Join our Facebook Page to keep up with the latest videos Sacred Reading. https://www.facebook.com/WeeklyLectio Join our sister site for regular videos featuring the Way of Prayer https://www.facebook.com/The-Way-of-Prayer-109508320461235

Exegetical Notes: Matthew 17:1-9 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until aft

Exegetical Notes on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (NRSV) Brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are G

Good evening, and welcome to Sacred Reading with Weekly Lectio, where we practice a prayerful reading of scripture.   Today we will be doing our exercise on Matthew 5:21-37, which is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, and the Gospel for this coming Sunday.   As usual, I will be leading you through the four steps of reading, reflecting, responding, and resting – and observing some silence in between each step. The first step is reading.   I will read the passage slowly twice.   Notice what captures your attention – it could be a phrase or even a single word.   Afterwards we will observe a minute of silence. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable t

Exegetical Notes on 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,  nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love h

This is an exercise in Sacred Reading, or Lectio Divina on Matthew 5:13-20. It is an excellent preparation for Eucharist on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Instructions on Lectio Divina http://www.congregationaldevelopment.co… Readings for Sunday http://www.lectionarypage.net/…/AEpi5_R… Join our Facebook Page to keep up with the latest videos Sacred Reading. https://www.facebook.com/WeeklyLectio Join our sister site for regular videos featuring the Way of Prayer https://www.facebook.com/The-Way-of-Prayer-109508320461235