Oaks Parish

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-17 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection William Blaikie, 1 Samuel In the case of Jesus Christ, we have all the noble qualities of Jonathan in far higher excellence than his, and we have this further consideration, that for us He has laid down His life, and that none who receive His friendship can ever be separated from His love.” Jeremey Linneman, Why Do We Feel L...

The Oaks Parish Podcast Bryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:5-30 Bryan Buck Questions for Reflection Richard D. Phillips, 1 Samuel, The Reformed Expository Commentary The safest habit is for us to leave others’ opinions of us to themselves, concerning ourselves more deeply with what God thinks of our character and actions. Saul shows us what becomes true of anyone who craves personal praise: he loses the capacity for both joy an...

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 17:20-50 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Jeremiah 9:23-24 Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delig...

June 3, 2023 The Oaks Parish Podcast with Bryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 16 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Isaiah 53:2 (NRSV) He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Paul David Tripp Even if your struggles are your own making and your problems are caused by your foolishness, God still offers his forgiving and rescuing grace. Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You Samuel had to appoint...

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 15 Pat Roach

The Oaks Parish Podcast Bryan Buck and Martha Van Houten Notes: Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation “Why should I worry about losing a bodily life that I must inevitably lose anyway, as long as I possess a spiritual life and identity that cannot be lost against my desire? Why should I fear to cease to be what I am not when I have already become something of what I am? Why should I go to grea...

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 14 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Why should I fear anything that cannot rob me of God, and why should I desire anything that cannot give me possession of Him? Tim Keller, Prodigal God A person motivated by love rather than fear will not only obey the letter of the law, but will eagerly seek out new ways to carry out business wit...

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 12:1-23 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters You surely don’t mean feeling that we are not worthy to be forgiven? For of course we aren’t. Forgiveness by its nature is for the unworthy. You mean feeling that we are not forgiven. I have known that. I ‘believed’ theoretically in the divine forgiveness for years before it really came home to me. It i...

The Oaks Parish Podcast Bryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 10 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection C.S. Lewis, Three Kinds of Men The price of Christ is something, in a way, much easier than moral effort-it is to want Him. It is true that the wanting itself would be beyond our power but for one fact. The world is so built that, to help us desert our own satisfaction, they desert us. War and trouble and finally old age take from us one...

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 9 Quincy Robinson

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 8 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. God’s command is enough and your faith in him to sustain you....

Scripture Text: Psalm 133 ; Hebrews 12:1-2 Pat Roach Quotes for Reflection Mary Shelley, Frankenstein I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light,...

Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 ; Romans 6:9-11 ; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Quotes for Reflection N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Easter The church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make no mistake either way. The reason the early Christians were so joyful was because they knew themselves to be living not so much in th...

Scripture Text: Matthew 28:1-10 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Cornelius À Lapide, The Great Commentary The earth which trembled with horror at the death of Christ, as it were leaped with joy at the resurrection. 2Michale J. Wilkins, Matthew The stone that was sealed by the guards to assure that the body of Jesus would remain in the crypt now becomes the seat of triumph for the angel. The stone...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "Christ at Emmaus" © Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Drawn to the Light (2006) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revised Stand...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "Buried" © Josh Hill (2023) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (19...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "Forsaken" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2023) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of C...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "Dinner Before Death" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2022) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National C...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "The Pivot of Hope" © Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth (2002) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revise...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "Jesus Cleansing the Temple" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2024) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © Nat...

Scripture Text: Matthew 19:28-40 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection J.I. Packer, Rediscovering Holiness Just as there could be for Jesus no crown without the cross, so there can be for us no holiness without praise. Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander How absolutely central is the truth that we are first of all part of nature, though we are a very special part, that which is conscious o...

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer. Poetic Reflection: "The Anointing at Bethany" © Malcolm Guite (2012) Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections. All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National C...