Ninth Day

Amos 9.1, 7-8, 11

9

I saw God standing at the side of the altar.

"Strike the top of the pillars," God ordered,

"and let the roof come tumbling down

on the heads of all assembled there.

If anyone is left, I will slay them with a sword.

No one will escape! No one will survive!

7 "Aren't the children of Ethiopia the same to me

as you are, children of Israel?

-It is YHWH who speaks.

True, I brought Israel out of the land of Egypt.

But I also led the Philistines in their own exodus

from Caphtor,

and brought the Aramaeans out of Kir.

8 Now, I turn my eyes onto this sinful nation,

and I will wipe it off the face of the earth.

But I will not destroy the House of Jacob

completely -

it is YHWH who speaks.

11 On that day, I will set up again

the fallen tent of David.

I will mend its tears,

restore its ruins,

and rebuild it strong

as it was in the days of old[."]

“How To Shear a Sheep”

by Barbara Kingslover (b. 1955)

from How to Fly (in Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) (HarperCollins, 2020)

Walk to the barn

before dawn.

Take off your clothes.

Cast everything

on the ground:

your nylon jacket,

wool socks and all.

Throw away

the cutting tools,

the shears that bite

like teeth at the skin

when hooves flail

and your elbow

comes up hard

under a panting throat:

no more of that.

Sing to them instead.

Stand naked

in the morning

with your entreaty.

Ask them to come,

lay down their wool

for love.

That should work.

It doesn't.

Today’s Art Practice

What You’ll Need

From Your Home:

• Crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, or similar

• a space where you can work freely

From Your Envelope:

• Adult coloring sheet

Directions: Spend about 20 minutes coloring this page however you like.

If you like, this playlist can help you keep track of time. Once it stops playing, 20 minutes will be over.

Let’s Pray…

Prayer

from Presbyterian Worship

Gracious and loving God, as Jesus our Lord took up the cross of suffering and death for our redemption, grant that we in obedience to his command may take up the cross of self-denial and service, and by your grace in each day die more and more to sin and rise to newer and fuller life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.