by pdavid@stvictoria.org | Dec 27, 2024 | Pondering With Prompts
Lead in: In Jesus’ day, the practice of baptism had many meanings in Jewish culture. It was seen as a kind of cleansing ritual that prepared one for worship. But with John the Baptist, baptism became a way of demonstrating one’s willingness to undergo a total life...
by pdavid@stvictoria.org | Dec 27, 2024 | Pondering With Prompts
Lead in: Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jewish community. The Magi were foreigners from another land. By including them as worshippers of Christ, Matthew hoped to convince his fellow Christians that God intended to call all people to worship the one true God...
by pdavid@stvictoria.org | Dec 6, 2024 | Pondering With Prompts
Lead in: Jesus’ parents find their twelve year old son conversing with the scholars of the law in the temple, who are quite taken with the boy and the answers he was giving them. His parents, however, weren’t quite as impressed. For three days they’ve been half out...
by pdavid@stvictoria.org | Dec 6, 2024 | Pondering With Prompts
Luke 1:39-45 Lead in: Young Mary, expectant with child, decides to visit Elizabeth who also is with child. Elizabeth lives in the hill country of Judea. It’s a dangerous trek, about one hundred miles over rough terrain. Not knowing who she might encounter on the way,...
by pdavid@stvictoria.org | Dec 6, 2024 | Pondering With Prompts
Luke 3:10-18 Lead in: People from various walks of life came to John the Baptist, common folks, corporate professionals and military personal. After hearing him preach a baptism of repentance, they all asked the same question, “What should we do?” As we walk with...
by pdavid@stvictoria.org | Dec 6, 2024 | Pondering With Prompts
Luke 3:1-6 Lead in: In the opening line of Luke 3:1, we hear the names of no less than eight different kings and governors along with exact dates that they ruled including the regions they ruled.These seemingly random facts seem extraneous to the core message of the...
