Today’s reading from Exodus speaks of Moses’ practice of communion with God in the tent of meeting. We hear the dialogue. God charges Moses to take the people into the promised land. But Moses seeks assurance that God will actually be with him and with the people. Moses seeks a more intimate knowledge of God.
The sons of Levi respond, and Moses has them take swords and set upon the camp. “Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.” The text says that about three thousand people died that day. (A comparison: Over 900 died in the Jonestown, Guyana, suicide-killings among the People’s Temple cult of Jim Jones.)
Notice the commercials and ads on TV, billboard, radio or online; in newspapers or magazines. How many appeal to our needs for power and control, greed and gluttony, money and sex? Monitor your own inner stimuli and motivation. How often do you have emotional reactions that are triggered by the desire for power and control, greed and gluttony, money and sex?
Psalm 63:1-8 (9-11) Psalm 98 (Morning) Psalm 103 (Evening) Exodus 28:1-4, 30-38 1 John 2:18-29 Mark 6:30-44 Then bring near to you your brother Aaron,
The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive
There are times when contemplative prayer goes especially deep. In those experiences, “I” disappear. Any sense of my self as separate from the all evaporates. There is no experience of time. There is only everything.
Genocide happens when the world averts its eyes and turns away.
But in the scripture, “righteous” and “righteousness” is a much bigger word. Usually it is an economic and political word.
Psalms 148, 149, 150 (Morning) Psalms 114, 115 (Evening) Exodus 18:1-12 1 John 2:7-17 Mark 16:9-20 Our Gospel reading today is from the end of
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was