Lectionary Scriptures and Comments

Archive for March 5, 2013

Doomsday Preppers. What? 030513

Not a mennonite

Not a mennonite (Photo credit: atomicity)

This blog comes to you from the people at Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO

www.peacemennonitechurch.net

Today’s Scriptures Click the following links to read today’s scriptures or scroll to the very bottom of this blog post for those scriptures also. Lectionary Scriptures for the day selected by http://www.commontexts.org/

Psalm 1

Jeremiah 29:10-19

1 Corinthians 16:13-24

Doomsday Preppers. What? 030513

I’ve had a cold for several days. Nothing serious, but it did provide the ‘opportunity’ to watch TV repeats like a zombie, or a vampire (???)

The channel was stuck on a channel for several hours that was showing repeat episodes of a documentary type of show that review a group of people called ‘doomsday preppers’. They share a common belief that a catastrophe of some sort will strike their homeland, wherever that is,but they differ as to the exact catastrophe: economic collapse, nuclear accident or attack, terrorists, reversal of the magnetic poles, eruption of the Wyoming volcanic superdome, etc. It’s scary.

But what is most scary is the preppers themselves. Preppers share most often a love of guns: handguns, rifle, assault rifles, and so forth. I suppose people having a few guns around with which to hunt is reasonable, but if the entire population of a city of 250,000 is suddenly out in the country hunting for supper, and everyone is hungry, then there are likely to be more preppers taken as accidental trophies than many, many bunny rabbits for dinner.

But as disciples of Christ, we have something to consider. If we cannot depend on Jesus in a crisis or catastrophe, what good will a gun do us? But if we have to make a choice, the choice often seems to be between more community, or more guns. 1 Corithians 16 encourages us: ‘13 Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong. 14 Everything you do should be done in love.

Pray for peace,

pastor Bill

Prayer List: Peace Mennonite Church keeps a prayer list for those in need. If you need prayer, or want to e-mail our pastor, e-mail billd @ peacemennonitechurch.net (Take out the extra spaces to use this e-mail—the spaces confuse spam generators).

Pray with us!

We are praying as a church, and attempting to follow the centuries’ old tradition of praying with other Christians three times a day. We are following the prayer liturgy at www.commonprayer.net

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO Permission is granted for one-time non-commercial use with proper attribution.

Subscribe to our blog!Delivery daily by e-mail.Click the button on the right.

Psalm 1

1 ​​​​​​​How blessed2 is the one3 who does not follow4 the advice5 of the wicked,6
 or stand in the pathway7 with sinners,
or sit in the assembly8 of scoffers!9 Ps 26:4; Prov 1:10; Prov 1:15; Prov 4:14-15; 1Cor 15:33; Eph 5:11;
 2 ​​​​​​​Instead1 he finds pleasure in obeying the LORD’s commands;2
 he meditates on3 his commands4 day and night. Deut 6:6; Deut 17:19; Josh 1:8; Ps 119:1;
 3 ​​​​​​​He is like1 a tree planted by flowing streams;2
 it3 yields4 its fruit at the proper time,5
 and its leaves never fall off.6
 He succeeds in everything he attempts.7 Jer 17:8;
 4 ​​​​​​​Not so with the wicked!
Instead1 they are like wind-driven chaff.2 Job 21:18; Ps 35:5; Isa 17:13; Isa 29:5; Hos 13:3;
 5 ​​​​​​​For this reason1 the wicked cannot withstand2 judgment,3
 nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.4
 6 ​​​​​​​Certainly1 the LORD guards the way of the godly,2
 but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.3

Jeremiah 29:10-19

10 “For the LORD says, ‘Only when the seventy years of Babylonian rule are over will I again take up consideration for you. Then I will fulfill my gracious promise to you and restore you to your homeland. 11 For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. Dan 9:1-27; 13 When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, 14 I will make myself available to you,’ says the LORD. ‘Then I will reverse your plight and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,’ says the LORD. ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’ Jer 23:3;

15 “You say, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets of good news for us here in Babylon.’ 16 But just listen to what the LORD has to say about the king who occupies David’s throne and all your fellow countrymen who are still living in this city of Jerusalem and were not carried off into exile with you. 17 The LORD who rules over all says, ‘I will bring war, starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. Jer 24:8; Jer 24:10; 18 I will chase after them with war, starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them. Deut 28:25; Deut 28:37; Jer 15:4; Jer 24:9; 19 For they have not paid attention to what I said to them through my servants the prophets whom I sent to them over and over again,’ says the LORD. ‘And you exiles have not paid any attention to them either,’ says the LORD.

1 Corinthians 16:13-24

13 Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong. 14 Everything you do should be done in love.

15 Now, brothers and sisters, you know about the household of Stephanus, that as the first converts of Achaia, they devoted themselves to ministry for the saints. I urge you 16 also to submit to people like this, and to everyone who cooperates in the work and labors hard. 17 I was glad about the arrival of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus because they have supplied the fellowship with you that I lacked. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours. So then, recognize people like this.

19 The churches in the province of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, with the church that meets in their house. 20 All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. Rom 16:16; 2Cor 13:12; 1Thess 5:26; 1Pet 5:14;

21 I, Paul, send this greeting with my own hand.

22 Let anyone who has no love for the Lord be accursed. Our Lord, come!

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

Related articles

Category:

Daily Bible Reading

Tagged with: