Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:26-30 God created mankind in his own image. . . . God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. . . .”— Genesis 1:27Good news begins right at the beginning. The good news found at the beginni
Scripture Reading — Psalm 146 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.— Isaiah 61:1We all need good news, and the best news is that we are all children of the loving God, who calls us to trust and obey him s
Scripture Reading — Psalm 145 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you. . . .— Psalm 145:1-2In the hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” Charles Wesley describes our life in God’s coming kingdom: “Changed from
Scripture Reading — Revelation 21:1-5 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.— Revelation 21:2God doesn’t tell us exactly what his coming kingdom will be like. But God does give us som
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 52:7-10 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation. . . .— Isaiah 52:7When I watch or read the news, I sometimes feel sad because of all the pain and vi
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 25:6-9 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast. . . . The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. . . .— Isaiah 25:6-8As we reflect on the beauty of God, the beauty of his creation, and the beauty of living and serving
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.— Acts 2:42God has redeemed us in Jesus and called us to live beautiful lives of gratitude and joy.Each of us can do that alone in some
Scripture Reading — Psalm 133 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head. . . .— Psalm 133:1-2The unity of God’s people is a beautiful thing. The Bible calls it “good and pleasant.”“Good and pleasant” unity
Scripture Reading — Mark 14:3-9 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”— Mark 14:6After Jesus died, his body was supposed to be anointed. That was the custom with dead bodies, to honor the deceased and help keep away th
Scripture Reading — John 13:1-17 “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example. . . .”— John 13:14-15A few days ago (June 19) we reflected on 1 Corinthians 13, which gives a picture of the beautifu
Scripture Reading — Psalm 27:1-6 One thing I ask from the Lord . . . to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.— Psalm 27:4The word sanctuary can refer to two different things. It describes a place that is holy, set apart for worship. It also describes a
Scripture Reading — Romans 5:1-5 God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.— Romans 5:5In the film Tender Mercies, a man and a young boy are baptized. Afterward, the boy says, “Everybody said I was gonna feel like a change