Readings for the week of September 28th
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National Hispanic Heritage Month is annually observed from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation's achievements, culture, and history.
Miguel A. De la Torre is a professor of Social Ethics and Latino Studies at Iliff School of Theology, he is author, and an ordained Southern Baptist minister. He was born in Cuba and his parents were a priest and priestess of Santería. After immigrating to the United States he attended Catholic schools and says he was born-again in his twenties, and he enrolled in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. During his seminary training, he served as pastor to a rural congregation in Kentucky. This varied background has informed the work he does, which is focused on social ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. He was the co-founder of the Society of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion and the founding editor of the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion.
The quote today is from his book, Reading the Bible from the Margins:
“God's self-revelation to humanity does not occur from the centers of world power but in the margins of society.”― Miguel A. de la Torre
To read or watch some of Dr. de la Torre’s work, click here for his website: https://drmigueldelatorre.com
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Jeremiah buys a field
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.
At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah,
where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him.
Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me:
Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.'"
Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, "Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself." Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out the silver to him, seventeen shekels of silver.
I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the silver on scales.
Then I took the sealed deed of purchase containing the terms and conditions and the open copy,
and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard.
In their presence I charged Baruch, saying,
"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time.
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land."
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God, my refuge
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
For he will deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and defense.
You will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow that flies by day
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them and show them my salvation.
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Warnings to the wealthy
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.
Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the stall,
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David improvise on instruments of music,
who drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
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Help and hope come from God
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
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Pursuing God's justice
Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment,
for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it,
but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you
to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he will bring about at the right time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,
thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
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Poor Lazarus and the rich man
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.'
But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house--
for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.'
Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.'
He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
