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Manna for the Movement: Isaiah 65:17-25
71 Plays2 days ago
Welcome to Manna for the Movement, short devotionals from the CCDA community to encourage you to meet with God today, wherever you find yourself on your journey. For the next two weeks, every Thursday, this series will focus on the theme of Shalom—a concept encompassing wholeness, well-being, justice, development, and harmony. It speaks to a state of right relationship with God, with one another, and with creation, where nothing is missing and nothing is broken.
In this episode, Gabrielle Piceno leads us in meditating on Isaiah 65:17-25 through the practice of Lectio Divina.
Gabrielle Piceno was born in Fresno, California, grew up and went to college in Southern California, and moved back to Fresno in 2014. She has since made Fresno her home alongside her husband, Jordan, and their son. She is the Executive Assistant for Every Neighborhood Partnership, a Fresno-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming underserved neighborhoods through school support, leadership development, and community empowerment.
Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org. Connect with CCDA on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Follow CCDA on YouTube.
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Transcript
00:00:04
Speaker
Bye.
Introduction & Meditation Preparation
00:00:10
Speaker
to manna for the Movement, short devotionals from the CCDA community to encourage you to meet with God today, wherever you find yourself on your journey. My name is Gabrielle Piceno and I'm one of the network connectors for the Fresno, California local network and a part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Affinity Network.
00:00:32
Speaker
And I will be leading us through today's reading. This is a space where we take a few minutes out of our day to recenter ourselves and meditate on the Bible together.
00:00:44
Speaker
Find a comfortable place to sit, silence your phone, limit distractions, and let's begin.
Scripture Reading
00:00:52
Speaker
Today we will be looking at Isaiah 65, 17-25 through the practice of Lectio Divina, which means divine reading in Latin. It's a meditative way of reading the Bible in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is trying to say to us.
00:01:11
Speaker
I will be reading from the NIV. Together, let's breathe in and breathe out.
00:01:24
Speaker
Isaiah 65, 17-25 See, i will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
00:01:37
Speaker
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. For I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take to delight in my people.
00:01:50
Speaker
The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not without his years.
00:02:01
Speaker
The one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child.
Reflecting on the Passage
00:02:06
Speaker
The one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them.
00:02:13
Speaker
They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people.
00:02:26
Speaker
My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor are will they bear children doomed to misfortune, for they will be a people blessed by the Lord.
00:02:38
Speaker
They and their descendants will be Before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food.
00:02:54
Speaker
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountaintops, says the Lord. Was there a word or phrase that stood out to you in this passage? Take a moment to savor that word or phrase.
00:03:10
Speaker
In the second reading, ask the Holy Spirit to lift a word or phrase that is meaningful for us today. As we read again, attune your spirit to the nudge of the Holy Spirit.
00:03:23
Speaker
Isaiah 65, See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
00:03:36
Speaker
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. For I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people.
00:03:50
Speaker
The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years.
00:04:02
Speaker
The one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child. The one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered a curse. They will build houses and dwell in them.
00:04:13
Speaker
They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people.
00:04:27
Speaker
My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune, for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.
Discussion on Shalom and Peace
00:04:42
Speaker
Before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, i will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food.
00:04:57
Speaker
They will neither harm nor destroy all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
00:05:04
Speaker
What stands out to you in this passage? If you are able, whisper it to yourself. Speak it out loud, or write it down and carry it with you throughout the day.
00:05:17
Speaker
In the third reading, imagine God sitting in the room with you, inviting you into a conversation about this passage. We are invited to respond in prayer.
00:05:30
Speaker
Isaiah 65, See, i will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
00:05:44
Speaker
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. For I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people.
00:05:59
Speaker
The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years.
00:06:13
Speaker
The one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child. The one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered a curse. They will build houses and dwell in them.
00:06:25
Speaker
They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live enough, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people.
00:06:40
Speaker
My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain. nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune, for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.
00:06:55
Speaker
Before they call, I will answer. While they're still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food.
00:07:10
Speaker
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
00:07:17
Speaker
What does this passage prompt in you? What questions do you want to ask? What do you want to talk to God about? For me, I feel invited to participate in moving towards this vision of Shalom, where the community will not labor in vain, but instead experience delight, harmony, full lives, and the fruit of one's own labor.
Reflection and Closing Prayer
00:07:42
Speaker
I'm struck by these very tangible descriptions. No infant mortality, people living to an old age, living in homes and enjoying the benefits of one's own work, living alongside former enemies without strife, these are things that we can pursue and advocate for in our work today.
00:08:04
Speaker
And as we do so, I am reminded that it is God who ultimately brings these things to pass, and we will rejoice together forever with him.
00:08:16
Speaker
We will continue with our final reading, this time more slowly to allow space for the Holy Spirit to speak.
00:08:27
Speaker
Isaiah 65, 17-25 See, I will create new heavens and new earth. i will see yeah new heavens and a new earth The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
00:08:42
Speaker
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. For I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people.
00:08:59
Speaker
The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again. Will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days or an old man who does not live out his years?
00:09:16
Speaker
The one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child. The one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered a curse. They will build houses and dwell in them.
00:09:29
Speaker
They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people.
00:09:45
Speaker
My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune.
00:09:57
Speaker
For they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call, i will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear.
00:10:11
Speaker
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
00:10:29
Speaker
I pray that as you continue on with your day, you will be reminded of this passage, God's presence and God's love for you. May you experience the peace of God and move in that peace today.
00:10:44
Speaker
Thank you for listening to Manna for the Movement and meditating with us. If you would like to learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved, visit CCDA.org.
00:10:55
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And together, let's see our communities flourish.