ANDREW'S AFFIRMATION

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Proverbs 27:1-6,10-12 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what today may bring. Let others praise you, and not your own mouth-- a stranger, and not your own lips. A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both. Yet, do not let the opinions or statements get under your skin and rile you up. The wrath of others towards us is cruel. The anger others express towards us is overwhelming. When others are jealous of us, are we able to stand strong? While the wrath, anger and jealousy of others may not be what we want, we must realize that open rebuke is better than hidden love. A true friend will inflict wounds on you for a greater purpose but an enemy will lavish you with kisses. Therefore, do not reject a friend when they are brutally honest with you. Better is a stranger who is nearby than family or friends who are far away. Be wise and let joy rule your heart so that you may answer whoever ju...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Proverbs 8:1-21 Wisdom calls and understanding raises her voice. At the height of war, at the crossroads of hate and love, she takes her stand and cries. She cries all to all who live and beckons us to be prudent, to acquire intelligence, and to utter truth. The evil of war is an abomination. At this crucial time in history, our thoughts, words and deeds must be righteous with nothing twisted or crooked in them. We must walk the straight and narrow and choose to do what is right before God. The instruction of the Lord is to be desired much more than silver and gold for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that we might desire cannot compare with her. If we fear the Lord, then we must hate evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech are the cause of unnecessary and unprovoked bloodshed. Now is the time for good advice and sound wisdom; now is the time for insight and strength. Let us pray that our world leaders reig...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Proverbs 6:1-19 Sin can occur at any moment and in any circumstance. Therefore, give  your eyes no sleep and give  your eyelids no slumber. Always be ready to recognize and resist temptation. Like a gazelle from the hunter be ready to run. Like a bird from the hand of the fowler be ready to fly. Do not wait until temptation has come upon you before you prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically to overcome temptation for then it will be too late. Instead, look at the ant and be wise. Without having anyone watching over it’s shoulder, it prepares its food in summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest. Do not be lazy and just lie around waiting for temptation. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber and an armed warrior. If you are not alert and ready, calamity will descend suddenly upon you; in a moment, damage beyond repair will befall y...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Proverbs 4:1-27 Do we listen to instruction? Are we attentive so that we might gain insight? Are we open to receiving healthy criticism? Do we welcome the idea of others teaching us what we are doing wrong so that we might do things right? The Bible encourages us to let our heart hold fast to God’s words; keep God’s commandments, and live life in abundance. We must seek God every day because it is only through a life of righteousness that we will reach a place of wisdom and insight. We must do our best to avoid entering the path of the wicked. To voice of evil tempts us with worldly pleasure but we must turn away from evil and focus on the holy voice of God. Unfortunately, there are people who cannot sleep unless they have done wrong or made someone stumble. Those who abide in such darkness eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. Do not get caught up in such things. Instead, travel the path of the righteous which is li...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 32:3-21 After years of brokenness in their relationship, Jacob and Esau prepare to meet each other. Years back, Jacob had deceived Esau. Now Jacob wanted to find favor in Esau’s sight. Jacob knew how much he had hurt Esau, and Jacob was filled with fear and distress as Esau made his way to see Jacob. Jacob was so unsure about how Esau would react when the two saw each other after so many years that Jacob divided his own people into groups hoping that if Esau attacked one of the groups, then the other groups could escape. Jacob spends time in prayer - “I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children.” After prayer, Jacob took presents f...

  A REFLECTION ON THE DAILY OFFICE READINGS Genesis 31:25-50 Laban felt strongly that someone had robbed him, and he accused Jacob of doing so. However, Jacob vehemently denied stealing anything. Little did Laban and Jacob know, Rachel, Laban’s own daughter and the wife of Jacob, had stolen property from Laban without the knowledge of Laban or Jacob. Laban knew it was within his power to do Jacob harm but Laban chose not to do so. Their loving relationship of twenty years could have easily gone by the wayside if they had let their egos dictate their behavior but both Laban and Jacob found a way to reconcile their differences. What misunderstandings have led to a breakdown in relationship between us and someone we care about? How might the reconciliation model of Laban and Jacob guide us in moving past our egos and into a healthier way of relating with one another? 1 John 2:12-17 From the beginning of time, the name of Jesus has conquered evil. In the name of Jesus our sins our forg...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 31:1-24 What are we supposed to do when the world disregards us? The answer to this question might be found in reflecting on what Jacob did when he perceived that Laban did not regard him as favorably as he once did. Jacob reminded himself of God’s unchanging faithfulness, and Jacob returned to the roots of his faith in God. This act of spiritual centering brought Jacob great strength in a time of extreme distress. In what ways do we center ourselves spiritually? What spiritual practices do we incorporate into our busy life that help us return to the roots of our faith in God and remind us of God’s unwavering faithfulness. God did not permit Laban to be harmed; God will not forsake us. 1 John 2:1-11 The laws of God are given to us not to control or diminish us in any way but to guide us in living a life of abundance. In Jesus Christ, we have someone who will advocate for us, lead us down the path of righteousness, and redeem us fr...

  A REFLECTION ON SAINT VALENTINE History of Saint Valentine Most Gracious Heavenly Father, You gave Saint Valentine the courage to witness to the gospel of Christ, even to the point of giving his life for it. Help us to endure all suffering for love of you, and to seek you with all our hearts; for you alone are the source of life and love. Grant that we may have the courage and love to be strong witnesses of your truth to our friends and family and to the whole world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Twice As Sweet On Valentines Day, we show our love; We express our deep affections. Those who are important to us Get cards and sweet confections. But Christian love is not just for The ones we hold most dear; Jesus said "love everyone;" He made that very clear. For Christians, it is every day We should care and love and serve Everyone we meet in life, Whether they do or don...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 27:1-29 Switcheroo. Isaac intends to bless Esau but ends up blessing Jacob. The fact that Rebekah not only plays a role in this deceptive scheme but probably is the mastermind behind it makes us wonder about the impact parents can have on their children. How has your life been influenced by the experiences of  your childhood? What childhood experiences do you appreciate or reject and why? Where is God in all that you have experienced? How can blessings flow out of past difficult experiences? Romans 12:1-8 We must present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. This means that our thoughts, words and deeds must be holy and enriching the lives of those around us. This is our spiritual worship. Therefore, do not be conformed to the ways of the world, but instead transform the world for the better. In everything, discern the will of God, and choose to do only what is good and acceptable and perfect. Let us practice humility so th...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 26:1-6,12-33 God had promised to bless Abraham and Isaac, yet they both experienced trials, tribulations, and temptations. In this passage, we find Isaac living in the midst of a famine not to different from the one that had occurred in the days of Abraham. Even in the abundance of God’s promises, we may still experience a scarcity of worldly pleasures. Just like the Lord had appeared to Abraham, the Lord appeared to Isaac. The Bible tells us that because Abraham and Isaac listened to and obeyed the Lord, the Lord blessed them, and they became rich. Both Abraham (Genesis 20:2) and Isaac (Genesis 26:7) had their own unique encounters with the men of Gerar, and they both caved under pressure from the men of Gerar to do something that God had not commanded them to do. Abraham and Isaac were so fearful for their own lives that they both lied to the men of Gerar and said that their wives were their sisters. Abraham told Abimelech (the King o...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 25:19-34 My wife and I are blessed with three children. Our children have asked on occasion which child we love the most. Our reply is always - “We love you all the same.” However, each of the children have unique personalities, and, as parents, we engage with our children differently. Does this mean that we love them differently? In different moments and in different seasons of their life, our children might feel like we love one more than the other. In this passage, Rebekah receives an answer to prayer and conceives. The children, who were twins - Esau and Jacob - wrestled with each other even within Rebekah’s womb. As the children grew, the Bible tells us that Isaac loved Esau but Rebekah loved Jacob. Have you ever felt more loved or less loved in comparison to another person? How might such a feeling have affected you emotionally, mentally, and physically? What do you think led Esau to sell his birthright to Jacob - might this...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 24:1-27 Abraham entrusts his servant with the responsibility of finding a wife for Isaac. Abraham assured his servant that the Lord, the God of heaven, would guide him. In faith, the servant sets out on this task of finding Isaac a wife, and the servant prays, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today …”. The Lord led the servant to the daughter of Bethuel. Upon realizing that God had helped him find Isaac’s wife, the servant rejoiced, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the way …”. What major life decisions are we faced with making? In what ways is God guiding us by faith to making the right decisions. How deeply do we believe that the Lord will not forsake his steadfast love for us and his faithfulness in our life’s journey? Hebrews 12:3-11 Some of you might recall Pink Flo...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Genesis 23:1-20 In this passage we see sacrificial love and a sense of community expressed in the transferring of land from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place for Sarah. Throughout the Bible land plays an integral role in a community’s identity and legacy. God grants land as a promise of faithfulness and a bestowal of blessings. In this passage, the transfer of land symbolizes the coming together of diverse peoples to honor one another and the gifts that they bring to the table. What gifts have we been blessed with? How do we share our gifts with one another? How might working together bring about a better world for all of us? Hebrews 11:32-12:2 Through faith, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, and ...

  A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Collect: Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Malachi 3:1-4 The prophesied messenger in this passage in none other than John the Baptist. Like John the Baptist, we are called to prepare the way for God to work in our life and in our community. In what ways is God refining us and purifying us so that we might have a transformative impact on outreach and evangelism in our neighborhood? Hebrews 2:14-18 Jesus shared in our humanity in every respect so that through his own death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free us all who were held in slavery by the fear of death. Because Christ himself was tested by what he suffered and because he endured to the end, he n...