“Pruning season occurs primarily during the winter months…The vinedresser typically pulls out his shears just before bud break…The branch is very much alive and never more poised for fruitfulness than in the wake of winter. We know how the grapevine feels…You can taste the breakthrough…But just before it comes to fruition – faith made sight – your breakthrough ends up looking suspiciously more like a breakdown.” Chasing Vines, Beth Moore, p. 148-149.

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 16, 2025:

• Jeremiah 17:5-10
• Psalm 1
• 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
• Luke 6:17-26

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

• “ ‘Two pressed flowers,’ beauty off the bloom, memories of past good days, remain in memory and heart long after the event has ended.”
• “ ‘letters from our friends,’ touch us so that we might eventually learn to touch others.”
• ” ‘Notes in the margins of our scriptures’ lift us above the mundane and make us look again at what we are, at what we are called to be.”

• which Bible? Good News? Life Application? Bible in a Year? Inspire? King James from confirmation?…  Each has meaning and writing in the margins depending on the time and purpose of use
• the note might be from a dear loved one, jail ministry participant, ministry partner, picture of a stranger on the street or ???
• pressed flowers might take the natural form or visual form like picture(s) – of people, places, creatures, of sky, …

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 2, 2025:

• Jeremiah 1:4-10
• Psalm 71:1-6
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• Luke 4:21-30

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 2, 2025:

• Jeremiah 1:4-10
• Psalm 71:1-6
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• Luke 4:21-30

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 26, 2025:

• Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
• Psalm 19
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
• Luke 4:14-21

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

This Advent and Christmastide season has been made even better by reading the book The Mood of Christmas & Other Celebrations by Howard Thurman. Powerful prose!

Thurman’s book includes commentary on the end of a year and the beginning of a new year. It’s well worth the read at some point, and while the title suggests Christmas-time reading, one need not wait until that time of year to appreciate the commentaries! 🙂

We’re further blessed that A Prayer for the New Year by Howard Thurman is available on the internet HERE. It brings with it a Spirit-led “make a suitable number of mistakes” approach which resonates for many Christ-followers, and it includes these lines:

let my spirit be free
so that You may take it
and redeem my moments
in all the ways my needs reveal.

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and those redeeming moments along the way…

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 12, 2025:

• Isaiah 43:1-7
• Psalm 29
• Acts 8:14-17
• Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

This explanation of Epiphany (link HERE) provides good context for our Christmastide and beyond, including these compelling sentences:

“But the joy of Christmas isn’t over yet because we can choose to recognize the mercy of God in the everyday stuff. With open hearts and expectant outlooks, believers can have epiphany moments any day.”

On this 2025 Epiphany and in future days,

may we find “aha” moments to energize our ways!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 12, 2025:

• Isaiah 43:1-7
• Psalm 29
• Acts 8:14-17
• Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

WOW – an inspirational and aspirational Henri Nouwen Society post from January 3 is HERE!

Now, to figure out how to TRULY make Jesus the Center of One’s Life… This line is heavy with opportunity:

The thousands of people, events, ideas, and plans that occupy my inner life must become all one in the one and only name: Jesus.

How to do this?

• Henri Nouwen provides some thought along these lines in his book Finding Our Sacred Center. Perhaps it’ll find its way on the reading list?
• Short of that, the summary HERE of Nouwen’s book In the Name of Jesus probably provides some key nuggets?

Thanks to Henri Nouwen Society for their continued sharing of inspiration!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and continuing the experiences of Christmastide season!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 5, 2025:

• Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12
• Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21
• Ephesians 1:3-14
• John 1:(1-9), 10-18

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

The poem by Howard Thurman HERE is a nice reminder that Christ-followers have plenty of activity available after Christmas including

“…To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.”

An upbeat song using these words is HERE.

POTENTIAL ACTION:  Does one or more of the possible actions resonate with you for focus in 2025?

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and music of the Christmas season!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 29, 2024:

• 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
• Psalm 148
• Colossians 3:12-17
• Luke 2:41-52

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

In case you’re looking for a daily practice in the last few days of Advent, the approach HERE written by Bob Hostetler and shared by Guideposts may be “just the ticket!” The posting includes this fact:

For centuries, followers of Jesus have “knelt” and prayed their way to the manger in the week before Christmas. They do it by means of a series of songs, or chants, called “The O Antiphons or Great Advent Antiphons.

Additionally, the posting shares that the verses of the Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” are these Advent Antiphons. In the article, Bob H. asks readers if they want to consider “kneeling themselves to Christmas Eve” by using the verses each day.

PROSPECTIVE ACTION: Want to take Bob Hostetler up on the practice for today? If so, perhaps pray and/or sing this or one of the other verses as we journey towards Christmas Eve…

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

If you enjoy today’s praying/singing effort, more verses are included in the Guideposts post…

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and music of the Christmas season!

P.S. Thanks to Bob Hostetler and Guideposts for their faithful efforts to share such wonderful materials during Advent and all year long! And thanks our DP friend, Toni, for sharing this link several years back!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 22, 2024:

• Micah 5:2-5a
• Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7
• Hebrews 10:5-10
• Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE

Mary Did You Know has become a Christmas favorite song. The lyrics share life activities of Jesus on this earth, a message that fits all year long (a little history of the song is HERE, including some theological controversy.)

Hundreds of artists have versions of this song in their catalog. The version HERE by Voctave, featuring the songwriter Mark Lowry, and this one HERE with Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd are in the Christian Playbook Youtube Christmas Playlist HERE. And a version from MWPC worship this past Sunday is HERE as an added bonus. Any/all version are worth a listen today should you be so inclined!

POTENTIAL ACTION: Think of a favorite Christmas song – maybe even another version of Mary Did You Know? – and spend a few minutes listening to a version of it

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and music of the Christmas season!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 22, 2024:

• Micah 5:2-5a
• Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7
• Hebrews 10:5-10
• Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Know someone who might like receiving messages like this?**  If so, forward this message to them and they can sign up HERE

POTENTIAL ACTIONS – FOOD INSECURITY: This season will likely find increasing numbers of folks looking for food, presenting opportunities to

• share financial and/or food offerings with a local food pantry
• check with your faith community about upcoming opportunities to feed community members
• volunteer to help with a local mobile food pantry or community dinner
• find a Little Pantry in your area and help stock it with shelf-stable food items
• accept a Call to Action item from Season of Peace devotional posting

NOTE: for those in the Cinci region, some food organizations are listed HERE

DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK HUMOR – click HERE for MORE humor, updated periodically. Included now is a grin-inducing New Bible Reading Plan (Pearls Before Swine)

STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES – Cincinnati, Bowling Green and more!

CLICK ON ICONS BELOW FOR LINKS TO DISCIPLE PLAYBOOK PAGES ON DEVOTIONALS, PRAYERS, MUSIC, STUDY AND LOVE