THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURES

Monday, Jan 5: Psalm 72; Joshua 1:1-9; Hebrews 11:32-12:2;

Tuesday, Jan 6: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12

Wednesday, Jan 7: Psalm 72; 1 Kings 10:1-13; Ephesians 3:14-21;

Thursday, Jan 8: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 3:1-9; Acts 9:1-9;

Friday, Jan 9: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 3:10-4:1a; Acts 9:10-19a;

Saturday, Jan 10: Psalm 29; 1 Samuel 7:3-17; Acts 9:19b-31;

Epiphany

Choices to Make

There was a funeral in Charleston,

a funeral for nine people killed by one gun.

There was a funeral in Charleston because the world is a scary place.

A violent place, a place full of Herods with pistols and broken agendas.

People could have stayed home. They could have locked their doors,

closed the curtains, buried themselves the way fear invites us to do.

We would have understood.

But instead, people came to the funeral.

They unearthed their hearts.

They carried the tenderest parts of themselves out into the world

where the sun could reach them, along with their fear.

They crowded the pews with black hats and mourning cries.

They sang “Amazing Grace” when the worst had happened.

In a world full of fear, we have choices to make—

bury ourselves and close the curtains,

or fill the church and choose to sing.

I’m not saying it’ll be easy,

but if you want to carry the tenderest part of yourself out into the world,

I’ll begin to sing.