Repent and Turn to God

God's People Worship
Worshiping in Jerusalem Again
(Nehemiah)

Community of Confession

Matthew 21:28-32

The Message

The Story of Two Sons

²⁸ “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.
³⁰ “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.
^31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.

For Reflection

Lip service.  I think that's what its called.  Lip service.  Sincere authentic responses is all that God asks of us.  Honest responses to God's call  and the choice to be obedient to His call is all that one can do.  God expects nothing less. 

Pray

that you even reluctantly answer God's call.  Pray that you will be obedient to His call and do all that you can do.  Pray, so that you can commit to God all of your being.

Responding to God's Word

God's People Worship
Worshiping in Jerusalem Again
(Nehemiah)

Festival of Booths

Nehemiah 8:13-18

The Message

^13-15 On the second day of the month the family heads of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scholar to get a deeper understanding of the words of The Revelation. They found written in The Revelation that God commanded through Moses that the People of Israel are to live in booths during the festival of the seventh month. So they published this decree and had it posted in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go into the hills and collect olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and any other leafy branches to make booths, as it is written.”

^16-17 So the people went out, brought in branches, and made themselves booths on their roofs, courtyards, the courtyards of The Temple of God, the Water Gate plaza, and the Ephraim Gate plaza. The entire congregation that had come back from exile made booths and lived in them. The People of Israel hadn’t done this from the time of Joshua son of Nun until that very day—a terrific day! Great joy!

¹⁸ Ezra read from the Book of The Revelation of God each day, from the first to the last day—they celebrated the feast for seven days. On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly in accordance with the decree.

For Reflection

Have you ever attended a revival?  Many churches conduct them regularly with their own congregations.  I imagine that the festival of booths was very much like that, a combining the intellectual responses with the emotional responses.  Many times we reject emotional responses to our faith because it is deemed unseemly to respond emotionally. When one denies emotional responses to the love of God, he or she misses the point. Love is emotional. Love is a counter-intuitive compassionate response to justice.  There are as many tools for problem-solving in the emotional tool box as in the rational one.  Discover love and learn how to respond effectively.

Pray

that you will learn to respond in emotional ways that will extend compassionate justice.  Pray that you will find in your emotions a new dimension of God's gift. 

Gathering to Hear God's Word

God's People Worship
Worshiping in Jerusalem Again
(Nehemiah)

Festival of Booths

Nehemiah 7:73-8:6

The Message (MSG)

⁷³ The priests, Levites, security guards, singers, and Temple support staff, along with some others, and the rest of the People of Israel, all found a place to live in their own towns.

Ezra and The Revelation

8 By the time the seventh month arrived, the People of Israel were settled in their towns. Then all the people gathered as one person in the town square in front of the Water Gate and asked the scholar Ezra to bring the Book of The Revelation of Moses that God had commanded for Israel.

^2-3 So Ezra the priest brought The Revelation to the congregation, which was made up of both men and women—everyone capable of understanding. It was the first day of the seventh month. He read it facing the town square at the Water Gate from early dawn until noon in the hearing of the men and women, all who could understand it. And all the people listened—they were all ears—to the Book of The Revelation.
⁴ The scholar Ezra stood on a wooden platform constructed for the occasion. He was flanked on the right by Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on the left by Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
^5-6 Ezra opened the book. Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood. Then Ezra praised God, the great God, and all the people responded, “Oh Yes! Yes!” with hands raised high. And then they fell to their knees in worship of God, their faces to the ground.

For Reflection

All the people gathered as one person!  They stood as we do in unity, citizens in the Kingdom of God.  How could one not respond in awe, wonder, excitement and praise in worship of God who delivers us from the chains of common place wisdom

Pray

that you will never cease to be awe struck by the power, justness and the grace of a compassionate God.  Pray in thanksgiving for the goodness that is God residing in you.