Mostly We Prefer Old Wines--Sept. 30, 2020

[From Oct. 3, 2012 archive]

 

Our desire is for the old wines, O God.

How difficult to break familiar ways of doing, 

to discard old dogmas, relinquish established habits! 

 

It is only your ways from which we quickly turn away;

every day we do.  Why is this so easy, other change so hard?

Because we know how ready you always are to receive us back?

 

However that may be, broken-hearted we return to you, 

and you bind up our wounds.

 

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 96; 147:1-11; 132; 134

Hosea 3:1-5

Acts 21:15-26

Luke 5:27-39

 

Selected Verses 

Ps. 147:3

[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted, 
          and binds up their wounds.

 

Hosea 3:1

The LORD said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

 

Acts 21:21

“…[The believers among the Jews] have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs.  …”  [James and the Jerusalem brothers to Paul]

 

Luke 5:39

“…And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’”  [[Jesus]]