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In the life of the faith community, there are moments of crisis, when a beloved pastor leaves, and the community looks for new leadership, even in the midst of grieving. The community, in its feelings of loss and being lost, understandably wants a clear signal that this one is The One and can be trusted.


If Elijah got discouraged and even gave up, it's not surprising that we might do so, too. It's a good thing that other voices intervene, however powerful, however small, and call us back to who we are, whose we are, and what we are about.


In the end, these stories can also be stories of hope. No matter what is happening around us or within us, deeper still is the reality of God at work in our lives, and the dream of God for the life of the world.


Because he is a poet, the images Isaiah uses are both beautiful and compelling. They evoke primal human experiences, like profound thirst. In fact, the most powerful image in this week's reading is water, and many commentators take note of the waters of creation, the waters of Red Sea, and, of course, waters in the desert--for the people wandering on the way to the Promised Land, the people on their way Back Home, and for all of us who thirst for justice and wholeness and peace.



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Meet Our Writers

Kate HueyKate Huey is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She is minister for covenantal stewardship in Local Church Ministries in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Did you know you can subscribe to Weekly Seeds? We'll deliver Kate Huey's thoughtful reflection on next Sunday's Bible reading to your email inbox every Monday morning.

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Free Bible Pagemarkers!

Download these PDF files for handy page markers you can insert in your Bible with a psalm and readings for each day of the week. These citations will enrich your exploration of the Bible with readings that correlate with the Sunday lectionary texts, and are ideal for daily meditation and prayer.

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Bible Study Forum

Do you want to continue the conversation about this week's Bible reading with Kate Huey and Kirk Moore? Our Bible Study Forum is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether you're a member of a Bible study group in your church, or reflecting on this text from scripture on your own, you'll find others around the country who're interested in what you think.

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Who Chooses the Reading?

The Bible reading we choose every week is the "focus scripture" selected from the Revised Common Lectionary, © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts, from the Seasons of the Spirit lectionary-based curriculum. The lectionary provides three readings—one from Hebrew Scripture and two from the New Testament, plus a psalm or song from the Bible. Many congregations use all three readings on Sundays and greater Holy Days. Others use only one reading like the focus text provided here. The Revised Common Lectionary is widely used in Protestant and Anglican churches, and is similar to the lectionary used in all Roman Catholic congregations. That means that every Sunday, Christians of many traditions throughout the world are literally on "the same page"—a powerful symbol of our unity in Christ.

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