"I have come to bring fire on the earth"

                     

Monday musical meditations on God's good news






















An opening prayer:

    Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
    O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
    Let all who hear now to his temple draw near,
    Joining in glad adoration!

    Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning
    And, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining.
    Have you not seen All that is needful has been
    Sent by his gracious ordaining?

    Praise to the Lord, who has fearfully, wondrously made you,
    Health has bestowed and, when heedlessly falling, has stayed you.
    What need or grief Ever has failed of relief?
    Wings of his mercy did shade you. 

    Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
    Surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
    Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
    As with his love he befriends you.

    Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
    All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
    Let the Amen Sound from his people again;
    Gladly forever adore him! Amen.

Luke 12:49–53

  • “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!

  •  51 “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Good news questions

  • Jesus says he has come to divide the whole world into those who love and follow him and those who don't.
  • What a colossal claim! Who does he think he is?
  • But first he has to die on the cross. Has to. He calls it his "baptism."
  • How could God in the flesh have to do anything?
  • What difference does that make to you, if someone in your family doesn't love Jesus?

For others pray

  • That God spreads the good news of the kingdom of the Son he loves in Egypt

J.S. Bach's beautiful music for today

  • BWV 146 (YouTube, "We must through much trouble")
  • In this cantata, we defy evil powers and we are weary of this world.
  • We admit that Paul and Barnabas were right in Acts 14: 
  • "We must through much trouble enter the kingdom of God."
  • Finally, as so often in cantatas, we talk to ourselves:
  • "Rejoice, my soul!"

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