Heard

"Because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy," Psalm 116:1.

Yes! That's why I love you, Jehovah God. You listened to me! I'll call on you as long as I live - I'll depend on you, you alone! Death's traps circled me. The grave's suffering locked me in. I anguished. Then I called on you, Deliver me, O Lord! And you did. You show your grace. You show your righteousness. You show your mercy. You saved me when I was at my lowest. My soul, my very self, rests, quieted by you. In you. Praise you, O my God!

We meet a brother or sister today hearing our God's tender mercies. And, together, we praise God for all his goodness, now and for always. Thank you, Lord!

Executioner

"We have a friend who defends us before the Father," 1 John 2:1.

Who's on our side advocating for us? Jesus Christ the righteous. What's he advocating about? Sin. That is, he's defending anyone who does sin. How does Jesus advocate for us? The blood of his cross cleanses us from all sin. (What if we say we have no sin? Well, we're self-deceived, there's no truth in us, we make God a liar, his word's not in us.) When we confess our sins, he's sure to forgive us. Through what means? Jesus yielded his very self, his real body, his true life over to sate the wolf, the executioner. Why? To account fully for our own sins. And for those of the whole world. Yes. He died to defend us. And lives to intercede.

As we meet with a brother or sister today, we encourage one another not to sin. It incurs a terrible price. And, together, we praise God who receives Jesus' counsel and redeems us.

Dashed

"We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel," Luke 24:21.

Who's We in that verse? Two men walking along the road. Who was the he they hoped was the one? Jesus of Nazareth. Why did they hope he was the one? because he was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. Why was their hope dashed down? because three days ago their chief priests, and their rulers, condemned him to death and killed him on a cross. So who's the unrecognized man these two were explaining to? A travelling fellow that had joined their journey. Who's the fellow? Jesus of Nazareth. Very much alive. (Again!) Who, breaking bread with them, they finally recognized beyond joy.

We break bread with a brother or sister today invited by Christ dwelling among us. And, together, in thanksgiving, we celebrate our Redeemer, the hope not only of Israel, but of the whole world!

Impartially

"Through Christ you are believers in God, who raised him from the dead," 1 Peter 1:21.

Yes, God did. So our faith and hope are in that same (one and only) God. So we call God father. And we know God judges each person impartially in keeping with their deeds. And we know we have been ransomed from pointless lives. Ransomed by Jesus' priceless blood. In obedience to God's truth we purified ourselves. That is, God's living and abiding word birthed us anew. So now what? Ransomed and purified, we yield deep love toward one another. Because our holy God calls us to live holy.

We meet with a brother or sister today and speak of Jesus' ransom. And, together, we express thankful faith and hope in God's eternal promise. Sky kingdom.

Throne

"God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified," Acts 2:36.

You crucified? You, who? Those whom Peter, a Jew, addressed. Who? Mainly Jews. Those who had, a few weeks earlier, screamed chants to the Roman governor: Crucify him! Yes, indeed. And. Peter also addresses us. Us? Yes, indeed. Us, who confess Jesus' death as our sacrifice for sin. This Jesus whom we crucified, God made both Lord and Christ. God raised Jesus to life. Jesus reigns in his kingdom from God's own right hand!

We see a brother or sister today and remind each other of our mutual life in the cross of Christ. And, together, we praise God from whose throne Jesus reigns alive in glory.

Time

"Praise the Lord from the earth," Psalm 148:7.

Great sea creatures. The depths. Fire. Hail. Snow. Mist. Stormy wind. Mountains and hills. Fruit trees. Cedars. Beasts. Livestock. Creeping things. Flying birds. Kings. All peoples. Princes. Rulers. Young men. Maidens. Old men. Children. Oh! And priase God from the skies! Angels. Armies. Sun. Moon. Shining stars. Highest heavens. Waters above the skies. Why? Why praise God? because he spoke and they were created. Why praise God? because salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. The Risen Christ!

We spend time with a brother or sister today to recognize God worthy of all praise and thanksgiving. And, together with the living Christ, we say, Thank you! Thank you, awesome God!

Deliberately

"By his resurrection from the dead, in keeping with the Spirit of holiness, he was appointed son of God in power, Jesus Christ our Lord," Romans 1:4.

Yes, God did. In ages long gone, God had promised his Good News for all peoples. God's prophets had written down those promises in special writings, the holy scriptures. And, God ensured that a man, Jesus, descended from a particular king, David, from a millennium earlier. And, God marked this man, Jesus, unequivocally as his divine son by raising him from the dead by the power of his holy Spirit. God did it. And, Good News! For his name's sake, God proclaims grace and peace among all the nations to those exercising faith's obedience, thus receiving Jesus' invitation.

As we get together with a brother or sister today, we deliberately renew our intent to follow Jesus. And, together, we thank God for the grace and peace secured in the Good News.

Reign

"You were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God," Revelation 5:9.

You, O Lord Jesus, are the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, now alive for ever more! You are worthy! You are worthy to unlock the seals to the scroll of life! You bought castaways back from the rubbish heap! You bought them to present them precious to God! You bought them from every tribe, from every language, from every people, from every nation. You made them a kingdom. You made them priests to our God. You made them ready to reign on earth.

We visit with a brother or sister today, each of us ransomed by the blood of the Lamb. And, together, we offer thanksgivings to the One who alone renders us worthy to reign. Sky kingdom.

Settle

"Peace be with you," John 20:19.

On the eve of the just ended weekend, Jesus had already told them: I'm leaving peace with you - I'm giving you my peace. He had said: I'm going away, but I'm coming back. And, sure enough, he went away. He died. He left to join the place where all the dead end up. But God did! He resurrected Jesus to life again! And, now, sure enough, on that Sunday evening, here he shows up, nail scars and all, to say: Peace be with you. Don't be troubled in this world. Don't be afraid. Don't worry, be happy! Your God has overcome disease, calamity, and death. Jesus' peace bears us through this world into forever joy. Sky kingdom.

So we contact a brother or sister today to share resurrection hope. And, together, joyful, thankful to God, we let Jesus' peace settle on our troubled hearts, now calmed.

Beginnings

"God gave us a new birth to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3.

What prompted God to give a new birth? His mercy. Yes! His great mercy has brought us to something imperishable, to something undefiled, to something that never fades away. So, what is that imperishable, undefiled, unfading thing? God's inheritance. Where is it? It's in the skies. Who's it for? Us. How could we ever hope for that inheritance? God's power. God's power guards us. How? Through faith (in Jesus' resurrection). To what end? Salvation! When do we see it? At the end. So what do we do? Hang in there. And, be happy! No matter what! That's living hope.

We get to share with a brother or sister today the living hope we have, protected by God's own power. And, together, we give joyful thanksgivings, even in trials, for new beginnings in Christ.

Leader

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you violated by hanging him on a tree," Acts 5:30.

That word came right after: We must obey God rather than men. The God-obeyers told the authorities and any who would listen: God lifted up Jesus to his own right hand, making him Leader and Savior. God make Jesus Leader and Savior? Yes, so as to give Israel repentance and forgiveness. Says who? The God-obeyers who had seen Jesus skewered, dead, and buried. Who then saw him alive and better than ever - days after they saw him dead and buried. Well, sure, with scars here and there. And, too, the Holy Spirit witnessed to the same resurrection ... whom God gives to God-obeyers.

When we meet today with a brother or sister, we recognize in each other our common Leader and Savior. And, together, we give thanks to God for the witness who gives hope of a common resurrection.