Snow Hill News Blog

Scriptures for the Week - Advent Begins

"Don't shoot the messenger!" Being the bearer of bad news is one thing but what of the bearer of good news? Our Scriptures this week are marked with the announcement of good news. One remarkable note in the Scriptures for the week, which you will find in the right sidebar, is a Dad gets excited about the promise of God when his son is born.

Another way of putting it is this, the one whom Zechariah exclaims will bring salvation to Israel is not his son who is just born. How many of you parents out there would get excited about someone not yet born as you are welcoming your own child into the world? Only if you had hoped for a long time the people with whom you share heritage and faith will be gifted with the fulfilled promise.

Zechariah is not less excited about his own son's birth, but what his son will do in announcing the Good News of God presses him to be hope-full all the more as he looks toward the accomplishment of God's good promise to the world.

What are your thoughts?

Advent Reflections from The Hill - Week 1, Monday

Not just "there, there" but real hope

Brad Berryhill

            The prophet Jeremiah writes during a time of extreme hardship for the Israelite community as they’re seeing their nation destroyed and their people deported from their home. The world as they know it is ending and a new one is beginning. A world that for them is not joyous or peaceful but depressing and violent. They are a people that seem hopeless, but Jeremiah offers hope. Not just a simple “there, there” pat on the back, he offers the hope of justice and righteousness. There is a hope and promise of one bringing hope, a Messiah, who will set things right for them.

Scriptures for the Week - Advent Begins Sunday

Sunday marks the beginning of the Season of Advent. My mentor and the first pastor I served with asked me to provide the weekly Children's Sermon. He handed me an article from one of his magazines with an outline for the four Sundays of Advent. It was my first introduction to the Season of Advent - that was 23 years ago. Ever since wherever I have served we have taken the time to celebrate the Season of Advent.

Waiting, expectation, anticipation are all themes for Advent. The Scriptures for Sunday share these themes in common. Some relate to the anticipation of the fulfillment of the promise of God. Others point to the expectation of the people of God anticipating time together as they share in love for one another.

Take some time this week and read through Psalm 25:1-10. "None who wait for you shall be put to shame." While we wait the Songwriter considers it important to learn from the LORD God - his ways, from his mercy, from his steadfast love, from his forgiveness, for his goodness.

What do you need to learn from the LORD God as you wait?

Shaping Us Toward Sunday

Pastor Todd posted a new podcast on a couple of the Scriptures for the upcoming week as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday.

You may listen here.

Scriptures for the Week

This week our Scripture readings include Psalm 93 and Psalm 132:1-12. What images of ruling and reigning emerge from these texts? What promises play a role in Psalm 132?

Our other texts this week include a picture from Revelation 1 (4-8). Lay the images in Revelation alongside the story in John 18 (33-37). What contrasts do you see when thinking of king in the narrative in John over against the depiction of Jesus on the throne in Revelation?

Maybe a good exercise this week would be to consider what notions does the word "king" bring to your mind?

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Scriptures for the Week

The Annual Meeting of the BGCO preempted a post on Monday about the Scriptures for the week.

Hannah could well have helped us with Psalm 16. The songwriter offers,

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

Read the texts from 1 Samuel. There is great anguish in Hannah's prayer and great praise in her song. Even more, if we followed the story on we would witness a great story line. A young man whose birth was improbable grows into a voice in the midst of absent words and declares the way of YHWH - even to disobedient kings.

What are your thoughts?

Shaping Us Toward Sunday

Pastor Todd offers some thoughts on our readings for Sunday. Click here to listen.

Wednesdays Are for Others - Community of Hope Free Medical Clinic

Today we will host our weekly community meal. Our Food Pantry will be open this evening.

The Community of Hope Free Medical Clinic will also be open.

Come share your life and faith with others in our community.

Psalm for the Week ... And More

We are a little late getting this post of for the week.

Consider reading Psalm 127 and Psalm 146. There seems to be a couple of themes that run through these songs as they are laid beside Ruth, 1 Kings, Mark and Hebrews. On the one had it appears the recurring theme is provision. Naomi's two sons were killed. Her husband died. There would be no continuation of her line. But through Ruth an heir would come. Not just an heir but the father of Jess, the father of David.

A widow gives to the prophet out of her poverty, the widow gave her two mites out of her poverty, and Jesus became poor that we might through him be rich in life. Now that does not mean financial wealth but that in Jesus what is profoundly wrong with us would be set right in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Paralleling provision we cannot escape the reference or description to poverty. Maybe one way to see the stark contrasts is to set the story of the Rich Young Man along side the widow giving in this week's Mark passage.

What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments.