Readings for the coming week: 4th Oct 2015

Old Testament - Job 1:1, 2:1-10

New Testament - Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

Gospel - Mark 10:2-16

Comments on James 5:13-20

"5:13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.

5:14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

5:15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

5:17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

5:18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

5:19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another,

5:20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."

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James reminds us to be confident in the power of prayer...not just something we do...

Prayer is not merely the work of individuals, done in solitary. We are currently an individualistic society, hence important that James reminds us that we are to pray "for one another" and pray "together", confess "to one another".....
when done communally, it is effective...

Verses 19-20 also reminds us that we are human, and we will tend to stray, and therefore we must always be there for one another, encouraging each other, and be there to pull each other back when we go the wrong way....

Do we care enough to do so?

Readings for the coming week: 27 Sept 2015

18th Sunday after Pentecost

Old Testament 1: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

Old Testament 2: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22

New Testament: James 5:13-20

Gospel: Mark 9:38-50

Proverbs 31:10-31

Taking a look at this reading from Proverbs 31, I realise a few things I never thought of in the past.
When I was a younger Christian reading this chapter, I always thought this is the chapter about the "Characteristics of a perfect wife", and when I started looking for a spouse, I thought this would be a good checklist to refer to.

Today, as I look into the chapter again, I realise that while it mentions a lot of things that this wife has / can do, there are also a few things it neglects to highlight, or chose not to talk about.

1.  It does not mention physical appearance. It does not describe how a good wife / a woman of God should look, should dress, etc. It doesn't talk about beautiful clothes, make up, fitness;

2. It does not mention much about her being a mother, only verse 28 says: Her children rise up and call her happy; other than that there was no mention about her and her children, parenting skills etc;

3. It also does not mention anything about being dependent on her husband, while there are some points about her husband trusts in her and praises her.

Seems that the gist of this passage can also be used to remind us that faithful living is being able to do the right things with your hands and not about position with husband, role as mother, or one's looks.

I guess that does not stop with women only but with men as well.

Readings for the coming week: 20 Sept 2015

17th Sunday after Pentecost

Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalm 54

James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9: 30-37

Embarking on a journey!

I am attempting to start on a journey of discovery and discipline. Taking the weekly readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, I will study them and then pen my thoughts down as I go along. 

I hope this will help me in a more consistent way to study the Word. 

Let's begin!