eDevotions from The Rev. Bob Dannals

The Rev. Dr. Robert (Bob) Dannals is currently Interim Rector of  All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, CA.  I became aware of his daily devotional pieces (based, for the most part, on the lectionary readings for each following Sunday) while he was Interim Rector at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City.

ENJOY!!!!

 

Tuesday, August 21

... choose this day whom you will serve ... but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

To this day there is an enormous rock which sits at the edge of the valley at Shechem. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to see Joshua standing before the 12 Tribes of Israel speaking from that rock. Their forty years of wandering in the wilderness were over. They had successfully entered the Promised Land, and they are now forgetting what it means to live in a covenant with God. Thus, he is biding them to renew their commitment and to rediscover their allegiance.

Challenge and Opportunity:

In America we take choices for granted. One reason is that in our consumer culture, "Madison Avenue" has saturated our buying environment with options. Last month while shopping at a CVS I counted 30 different kinds of toothpaste. Really, do we need that many choices!? But to choose is a privilege from God called Free Will. God wants us to choose to be in relationship with the Living, Redeeming, and Merciful One, not out of compulsion, but in freedom, with joy. Every time we have a Baptism we all stand and we're given the choice to renew our Baptismal Covenant ... I can hear Joshua now: "choose you this day whom you will serve." By the way, we don't have to wait for the liturgy at church. You can renew your commitment by your bedside each morning.

 

Daily Devotionals - Based on RCL Proper 16, Year B:

Joshua 24:1-2, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69