To Hear What the Spirit Is Saying--Dec. 10, 2015

Give us an ear, O God, to hear

what the Spirit is saying to us,

lest we find ourselves shaken

as one shakes with a sieve.

Take away our pleasure

in falsehood--with

our mouths blessing

while inwardly cursing.

May our obsession with

meaningless details never

lead us to neglect justice

and mercy and faith.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 18:1-20; 147:12-20; 126; 62

Amos 9:1-10

Rev. 2:8-17

Matt. 23:13-26

Selected Verses

Ps. 62:4

Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
          They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
          but inwardly they curse. Selah

Amos 9:9

For lo, I will command,

            and shake the house of Israel among all the nations

as one shakes with a sieve,

            but no pebble shall fall to the ground.

Rev. 2:17a

Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Matt. 23:23a

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.  …"  [Jesus]