Episode 756
The Call to Watchfulness: Insights from the Christmas Tide | 756
The central theme of this podcast episode revolves around the imperative of remaining vigilant and present in our daily lives, as articulated in the Gospel of Mark. We delve into the profound significance of acknowledging our limitations regarding knowledge of the future, which serves as a humbling reminder of the shared human experience of uncertainty. Furthermore, we explore the concept of communal responsibility, emphasizing our active participation in fostering positive change within our communities rather than passively awaiting divine intervention. This episode also invites listeners to engage in mindfulness as a spiritual practice, encouraging a heightened awareness of the present moment and the needs of others. Ultimately, we conclude with an actionable step aimed at cultivating intentional presence in our daily routines, thereby enriching our engagement with the world around us.
Rev. Dr. Brad Miller delivers another insightful installment of our daily Podcast, "Daily Bible Refresh." This episode, titled "Staying Awake: Finding Meaning in the Present Moment," continues our journey through the Christmas tide season. Dr. Brad Miller's compelling mission is to make the daily New Testament readings understandable, relatable, and applicable to our day-to-day lives by using the Message version of the Bible.
This episode focuses on the Gospel of Mark, chapter 13, verses 32-37. The central theme revolves around the uncertainty of future events and the significance of staying alert and present. Dr. Brad emphasizes Jesus's message that even he doesn't know the exact day or hour of future events, underscoring the humility we should embrace when facing the unknown. By weaving this biblical teaching with modern-day applications, Dr. Brad brings timeless wisdom to light in a relatable manner.
Here are three key takeaways from today's episode:
- Embrace Humility and Uncertainty: Jesus acknowledges that even he doesn’t know the future’s exact timeline, which serves as a powerful reminder that uncertainty is a part of the human experience. In an age where information is readily available, Dr. Brad emphasizes the wisdom in embracing the unknown with humility and faith.
- Shared Responsibility in Community: The parable of the servants being assigned tasks speaks volumes about our interconnected roles in creating positive change. We are called to be active participants in building a just and compassionate world. Dr. Brad highlights the importance of everyone’s unique gifts and responsibilities, advocating for a collaborative approach to community and societal growth.
- The Power of Mindfulness: Keeping watch isn’t about anxiously waiting for a future event but about being fully present in the now. Dr. Brad encourages listeners to practice mindfulness as a spiritual discipline, staying alert to moments of injustice and opportunities for compassion in our daily lives.
Dr. Brad also introduces a practical action step for listeners: practicing intentional presence. He suggests setting aside a few moments each day to check in with yourself and assess how you are showing up for others and what needs in your community you might be uniquely positioned to address. This self-reflection aims to keep you grounded in the present moment, fostering a deeper connection with both your faith and your community.
Finally, Dr. Brad offers a heartfelt closing prayer asking for divine guidance in embracing the present moment, remaining mindful, and utilizing our gifts purposefully. He also highlights a resource for the Christmas season, “Unlikely Advent” by Rachel Billups, which delves into the extraordinary individuals surrounding the Christmas story.
Join us again tomorrow for another refreshing take on daily Bible readings. As always, remember that God's loyal love doesn’t run out, it’s freshly created every morning.
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The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
A companion resource to the Voice of God Daily Podcast is the “ABC Bible Study Guide” available by clicking HERE.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available every day at VoiceofGodDaily.com on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast directories.
You can help Dr. Brad attain his goal of getting a bit of the bible into two million ears by subscribing to "Daily Bible Refresh" on Apple Podcasts, leaving a five-star rating, and writing a review. More importantly please share with your network of family and friends about the "Daily Bible Refresh".
Please make listening to the "Daily Bible Refresh" a part of your daily life.
Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
A profound exploration of vigilance and present-mindedness emerges from the readings drawn from the Gospel of Mark, particularly focusing on the exhortation to stay alert and attentive. The speaker articulates the critical message that being awake to the present moment is essential, especially in an era characterized by incessant distractions and a propensity to dwell on the future. The acknowledgment that even Jesus was unaware of the timing of future events serves as a poignant reminder of the inherent uncertainty of life; it emphasizes the need for humility and acceptance in the face of the unknown. This aspect of the discussion resonates deeply within the context of contemporary society, where an overwhelming desire for certainty often leads to neglect of the present.
Furthermore, the speaker addresses the interconnected responsibilities within a community, invoking the imagery of servants assigned specific tasks. This metaphor underscores the necessity for individuals to engage actively in fostering justice and compassion rather than awaiting divine intervention. Each person is invited to recognize their unique gifts and contributions, reinforcing the idea that collective action is paramount in addressing the challenges faced by society. The speaker challenges listeners to transcend passivity and embrace their roles as active participants in creating positive change.
In concluding the session, the speaker offers actionable steps aimed at cultivating intentional presence through reflective practices. By encouraging moments of pause throughout the day, listeners are prompted to assess their engagement with others and their responsiveness to community needs. Such reflective practices not only enhance self-awareness but also facilitate a deeper connection with the divine and the sacred in everyday life. The session encapsulates a holistic approach to spirituality, inviting individuals to remain mindful, engaged, and responsive to the ever-present opportunities for compassion and justice that arise in their lives.
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding the daily Bible readings to enhance spiritual growth.
- We focus on making scripture relatable by posing questions that connect to everyday life experiences.
- Active participation in our communities is crucial to creating positive change and fostering compassion.
- Mindfulness is highlighted as a spiritual practice, encouraging us to stay present in our daily lives.
- Embracing uncertainty is portrayed as a vital aspect of the human experience, even recognized by Jesus.
- The episode invites listeners to engage in intentional presence, reflecting on how they contribute to their communities.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Foreign Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller here with your Daily Bible Refresh, a fresh take on the everyday reading of the Bible.
Speaker A:We are reading from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year c.
Speaker A:It's day 30 of year C.
Speaker A:We're in the Christmas tide season, the season just right after Christmas Day.
Speaker A:And our whole point of Daily Bible Refresh is to make the daily reading of the Bible understandable.
Speaker A:So we read only from the New Testament and we read only from the message version of the Bible to make it as understandable as possible.
Speaker A:The second thing we want to do is make it relatable.
Speaker A:So we have a couple of questions, a couple of points to ponder regarding the Scripture which are relatable to your life.
Speaker A:And the third thing we want to do is make it applicable so we have an action step that you can take as well to apply the text to your life.
Speaker A:Then we have a prayer and send you on your way in 10 minutes or less.
Speaker A:This is our reading for the day.
Speaker A: m the Gospel of Mark, chapter: Speaker A:Reading from the message, but the exact day and hour, no one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son, only the Father.
Speaker A:So keep a sharp lookout for you don't know the timetable.
Speaker A:It's like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his service in charge.
Speaker A:Each assigned a task and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch.
Speaker A:So stay at your post watching.
Speaker A:You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cock, crow or morning.
Speaker A:You don't want him showing up unannounced with you asleep on the job.
Speaker A:I say it to you and I'm saying it to all.
Speaker A:Stay at your post, keep watch.
Speaker A:A powerful message there from the Gospel of Mark.
Speaker A:I think it's really about the underlying message of everything in this passage is stay awake and to find meaning in the present moment.
Speaker A:Where Jesus spokes about staying alert and being present in the moment and how this is interpreted in terms of a kind of through an apocalyptic lens because some people in his day and age were looking for the end of time and were looking forward to that in a way that was not always healthy in terms of how you lived in the present moment.
Speaker A:I think we have some of those same issues here today.
Speaker A:People are looking for something, some apocalyptic thing and they do not pay attention to what's going on right now.
Speaker A:A couple things to think about here, some points to ponder, if you will.
Speaker A:There's the humility of not knowing.
Speaker A:Jesus acknowledges that even he doesn't know the time of future events.
Speaker A:And this is a powerful reminder that uncertainty is a part of the human experience.
Speaker A:Even the divine, even Jesus himself had this limitation.
Speaker A:In our age, with information and all kinds of overload of information and people seeking instant answers, there's a profound wisdom in embracing the unknown and being humble about that.
Speaker A:Secondarily, there's a shared responsibility in community.
Speaker A:We have the metaphor here of servants being assigned tasks, which speaks to our interconnected role in creating positive change rather than kind of passively sitting back and waiting for something to happen, some divine intervention.
Speaker A:We are called to be active participants in building a just and compassionate world that we live in right now in our communities.
Speaker A:Each person has unique gifts and responsibilities and it is a shared work.
Speaker A:It's a shared responsibility.
Speaker A:We're also asked I believe in this passage to be mindful and to keep understand that being mindful is a spiritual practice.
Speaker A:It talks about keeping watch and keeping watch isn't about anxious waiting for a future event.
Speaker A:It's an invitation to be fully present in our present lives.
Speaker A:This means being alert and being aware and being staying awake, having our antenna up, as it were, for any signs of injustice or responding to the needs of other people as they come, as we become aware of them and remain open to moments of the divine, of the bit of the Holy which comes into our lives in our everyday experiences.
Speaker A:A few things to think about here's your action step this week I just invite you to practice intentional presence that is set aside today a couple of times, 2, 3 times during your day just to pause for one minute.
Speaker A:Set your timer on your watch or on your phone if you need to.
Speaker A:But during that minute ask yourself, how am I showing up for other people?
Speaker A:What needs in my community am I uniquely positioned to address?
Speaker A:And just give yourself a check in.
Speaker A:Give yourself a check up about what is really important in your life and how you are engaged in the world right now.
Speaker A:How is heaven and earth intersecting in your life?
Speaker A:Before we have a closing prayer, I just want to remind you that we are in this season called Christmastide, the season which is all about Christmas.
Speaker A:And there is a resource that you may want to have make use of called An Unlikely Advent.
Speaker A:It's about the extraordinary people around the Christmas Story by Rachel Billups.
Speaker A:We'll put links to that in our show notes.
Speaker A:You may want to take advantage of that.
Speaker A:Let's pray.
Speaker A:Loving God who moves through all times and seasons, help us embrace the gift of the present moment when we're tempted to escape into worry about the future or regret about the past grow in us now.
Speaker A:Make us mindful servants in our communities and to opportunities for compassion.
Speaker A:Help us be aware of chances to create justice and awake to the sacred in our everyday lives.
Speaker A:Guide us to use our gifts with purpose, to stay present with open hearts and to trust that even in uncertainty, your love holds us all.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Well, that's daily Bible refresh for this very day.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:I'll be with you again tomorrow.
Speaker A:So let's get together then.
Speaker A:Until then, remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up.
Speaker A:It's created new every morning.
