Approaching the 13th sunday in ordinary time (parts and 3)

Where we are heading (readings for Sunday  30th June)

1 Kings 19.15-16, 19-21

Psalm 16

Galatians 5.1, 13-25

Luke 9.51-62

Readings for yesterday !Psalm 16

2 Kings 1.1-16

Galatians 4.8-20

Readings for today

Psalm 16

Deuteronomy 32.15-27, 39-43

Luke 9.21-27

thought for today

More stories of God and fire, yesterday and today. God says 'I put to death and I bring to life.' We find this hard to deal with because it seems to edge towards arbitrary retribution. But perhaps that is because we are not able to see things from God's angle. Because we do not know all of God's purposes then following God in Jesus Christ may take us to surprising places, even through fire.

If you are following the letter to Galatians you might like to read all of chapter 4 today in ready to hear chapter 5 tomorrow. This contains Paul's breathtaking analagy that Mount Sinai, or even the earthly Jerusalem are in slavery, like a child of Hagar, and those who are free (in Christ), are children of Sarah, are children of the Jerusalem that is above.

Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission