Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to Manna for the Moment. Short devotionals from CCDA community to encourage you to meet with God today wherever you find yourself on your journey. My name is Marie Moy and I'll be leading us through the today's reading.
Speaker: This is a space where we can take a few minutes out of our day to recenter ourselves and meditate on the Bible together. Find a comfortable place to sit, silence your phone, limit distractions, and let's begin.
Speaker: Today we are looking at Jeremiah 6, 13 through 16b. 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.
Speaker: I'll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version.
Speaker: Let's breathe in breathe out. If you feel yourself settle down in your chair, just be present as I read Jeremiah 6, 13-16b.
Speaker: From the least to the greatest of them, every everyone is greedy for unjust gain. From prophet to priest, every everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
Speaker: They act shamefully. They committed abomination, yet they were not ashamed. They did not know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall, and at that time i will punish them.
Speaker: They shall be overthrown, says the Lord. Thus says the Lord, stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies, and walk in it, and find rest for your soul.
Speaker: What was the word or phrase that stood out to you in this passage? Take a moment to savor that word or phrase.
Speaker: In the second reading, ask the Holy Spirit to lift a word or phrase that is meaningful for you today. As we read again, attune your spirit to the nudge of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker: Jeremiah 6, 13-16b
Speaker: For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain. And from the prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
Speaker: They have acted shamefully. They have committed abomination, yet they were not ashamed. They did not know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall.
Speaker: At the time i will punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord. Thus says the Lord, stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
Speaker: What stands out for you in the 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.
Speaker: and 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.
Speaker: Jeremiah 6, 13-16b
Speaker: From the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain, and from the prophet to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
Speaker: They have acted shamefully. They committed abomination, yet they were not ashamed. They did not know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall.
Speaker: At the time that I will punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord. Thus says the Lord, stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths.
Speaker: Where the good way lies, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. What does this passage prompt in you, and what questions do you want to ask? What do you want to talk to God about?
Speaker: For me, personally, my salt longs for peace and shalom, where nothing is broken and nothing is missing. I look around and feel hard-pressed to find that place where I am able to rest my mind, body, and soul.
Speaker: What stands out in the passage to me is how similar the circumstances of Jeremiah's day are to our own. Everyone is greedy for unjust gain, and everyone deals falsely.
Speaker: And yet there's a message of peace, peace when there is no peace. However, Yahweh says, rest for your souls is in the ancient paths.
Speaker: And then we wonder, what is that? We have to go back to the text and its context. In the very next chapter of Jeremiah, it says, 7, 5 through 7. five through seven For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act just with one another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you.
Speaker: True peace may be elusive until Christ returns, but rest is promised for those who walk in God's ways. We will continue with our final reading, this time more slowly to allow space for the Holy Spirit to speak.
Speaker: Jeremiah 6, 13-16b
Speaker: For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain. And from the prophet to the priest, everyone deals falsely.
Speaker: They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. They acted shamefully. They committed abomination, yet they were not ashamed.
Speaker: They did not know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall. At that time i will punish them. They shall be overthrown, says the Lord.
Speaker: Thus says the Lord, stand at the crossroads and look and ask for the ancient paths. Where the good ways lie and walk in it. The rest for our souls.
Speaker: I pray that as you continue on with your day, you'll 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.
Speaker: Thank you for listening to Mana for the Movement and meditating with us. If you'd like to learn more about CCDA and how to get involved, visit ccda.org. And together, let's see our communities flourish.
