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PCM+ Advent Devotional 2020
This is the sixth year that the students and young alumni of Duke PCM+ created an Advent devotional for the community, and this year it feels more important than ever. As many of you know, Advent is known to Christians as a time of waiting for both the birth of the Messiah and the second Read more about PCM+ Advent Devotional 2020[…]
A Prayer for Today
In these extraordinary times, Duke PCM+ is finding new ways to be a community of faith. One of those ways is through regular email reflections and group prayers. This morning, an adapted prayer from a bishop in the Church of Scotland was distributed to our students, and we hope it might be an encouragement for Read more about A Prayer for Today[…]
December 20, 2019 | 2 Samuel 7: 18-22
David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving is a classic Old Testament passage in that it is daunting in scope yet intensely relatable. David, a mighty king who wants neither wealth nor power, is reduced to the confused humility we all possess when basking in the glory of God. Despite benefiting firsthand from God’s love, David has difficulty Read more about December 20, 2019 | 2 Samuel 7: 18-22[…]
December 18, 2019 | Psalm 42
This passage reminds me of an excerpt of the poem Desire of God by Frederick W. Faber: “But none honors God like the thirst of desire, Nor possesses the heart so completely with Him; For it burns the world out with the swift ease of fire, And fills life with good works till it runs Read more about December 18, 2019 | Psalm 42[…]
December 17, 2019 | Zechariah 8: 1-17
In the text today, we see God in all His glory—from his anger and divine frustration to his unconditional love. To the people of Zion in the passage, Israel was just a barren land torn apart by strife and chaos, but when God looks upon the nation, he sees a bright future of children playing Read more about December 17, 2019 | Zechariah 8: 1-17[…]
December 16, 2019 | Isaiah 29: 17-24
I have always loved Advent. I love the season’s special promise, the sense of anticipation that there is something better coming. Even as a child, what I enjoyed about the Advent season was the excitement of looking forward to something, much more than the actual celebration on Christmas Day. And yet, over the last couple Read more about December 16, 2019 | Isaiah 29: 17-24[…]
December 15, 2019 | Luke 1:46b-55
Today’s scripture is Luke 1:46b-55, referred to as Mary’s Song of Praise, or in Latin, the Magnificat, taken from Mary’s refrain, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” To accompany this reading, I have included an excerpt from “Mary’s Song: A Poem” by Lisa Sharon Harper (Find the full poem here: https://sojo.net/articles/marys-song-poem). Lisa Sharon Harper, the author Read more about December 15, 2019 | Luke 1:46b-55[…]
December 14, 2019 | 1 Samuel 2: 1-8
1 Samuel 2:1-8 is a prayer of awe and wonder by Hannah after she gives birth to a son whom she had prayed for to God for many years. This prayer of rejoicing and thankfulness reminds me of a blessing from the book To Bless the Space Between Us called ‘In Praise of the Earth’. Read more about December 14, 2019 | 1 Samuel 2: 1-8[…]
December 12, 2019 | Ruth 1:6-18
In a scene from A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Winnie and Piglet check on their friend Eeyore, who confesses to feeling “really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All.” Eeyore says that to be near him would be a waste, that Winnie and Piglet should go on and Read more about December 12, 2019 | Ruth 1:6-18[…]
December 11, 2019 | Genesis 15: 1-18
Genesis 15 cuts deep and directly into a long-standing confusion in my faith. Namely, how does God involve himself in earthly affairs? It is all too easy for me to fall into thinking he’s not there because I can’t see his impact on the world. Reading Genesis 15 re-orients me towards this question by telling me a Read more about December 11, 2019 | Genesis 15: 1-18[…]
December 10, 2019 | Romans 15: 14-21
In this passage, Paul speaks of the goals of his ministry, namely, to preach to those who do not yet have a foundation in Christ. Though they may not have yet accepted Christ as their own, Paul keeps faith that members of his audience are filled with a fundamental goodness. This goodness underlies what may Read more about December 10, 2019 | Romans 15: 14-21[…]
December 9, 2019 | Isaiah 30: 19-26
Earlier in this chapter of Isaiah, God stated how his people had gone to Egypt for help without asking him if that was the right thing to do (verse 2), and he described them as a “children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord” (verse 9). Then the passage shifts to talking about the Read more about December 9, 2019 | Isaiah 30: 19-26[…]
December 8, 2019 | Romans 15:4-13
The words from this Scripture passage that compel me the most are 15:5-7 (please reread these). Paul expresses his wish for God to grant the Romans the ability to approach one another with the mindset with which Jesus approached his contemporaries. That mindset is one of gentleness, compassion, understanding, and, as Paul emphasizes, acceptance. Acceptance Read more about December 8, 2019 | Romans 15:4-13[…]
December 7, 2019 | John 1: 19-28
A Story of Worth I’m not a theologian, and I’ll be honest: I don’t know much about why the Pharisees were so interested in figuring out who John was or why it was a big deal that he was baptizing people. But the first time I read this passage, I was struck by the way Read more about December 7, 2019 | John 1: 19-28[…]
December 6, 2019 | Acts 13: 16-25
Paul’s speech in Acts 13 reminds us that God is faithful to God’s promises. Paul begins by offering a reminder of God’s work throughout Israel’s history: liberating them from Egypt, leading them through the wilderness, delivering them their promised land, and so on. The list culminates in the greatest act of God’s faithful provision: the Read more about December 6, 2019 | Acts 13: 16-25[…]