Epiphany Daybook +3: Walking & Proclaiming
Look: Self Portrait: The Lord's Prayer (Letters cut from the Tibetan Book of the Dead), Meg Hitchcock - Source
Listen*: Sometimes By Step, Rich Mullins - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube
Read**: Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9 ; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23
"While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people."
Monday: Psalm 41, 52; Genesis 14; Hebrews 8:1-13; John 4:43-54
Tuesday: Psalm 45; Genesis 15:1-11,17-21; Hebrews 9:1-14; John 5:1-18
Wednesday: Psalm 119:49-72; Genesis 16:1-14; Hebrews 9:15-28; John 5:19-29
Thursday: Psalm 50; Genesis 16:15-17:14; Hebrews 10:1-10; John 5:30-47
Friday: Psalm 40, 54; Genesis 17:15-27; Hebrews 10:11-25; John 6:1-15
Saturday: Psalm 55; Genesis 18:1-16; Hebrews 10:26-39; John 6:16-27
Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Third Sunday After Epiphany
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Do: What is your cultural footprint? How does your weekly schedule proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom?
It’s embarrassingly easy to make cultural decisions (gestures) motivated by individual lifestyle preferences rather than by our call to steward the kingdom of Jesus. Left unchecked, we begin to live as if culture is a list of options like picking our favorite restaurant, rather than a calling to live like Jesus in the specific place and time—the culture—in which he’s placed us.
This week practice prayerful attention as you come and go throughout your days. Consider praying the Lord's Prayer or a favorite Scripture as you enter each place you visit - grocery stores, carpool lanes, office cubicles, walking the dog, doctor's appointments, and traffic jams. What does it mean, God, for your kingdom to come and your will to be done here as it is in heaven?
You might also enjoy:
A two-part article I wrote for the Telos Collective last year:
*Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify: Epiphany - Come, Follow . Add it to your account by clicking ‘Follow.’
** Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year A). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 2).