October 1

OT -- Isaiah 62:6-65:25
Definitely Revelation echoes Isaiah. Look at vs. 65:17
"Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered."
Revelation 21:1
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea."
So, even John, the author of Revelation was an Isaiah scholar. Makes me think we should spend quite a bit more time on Isaiah than we do in the Christian church with our glancing blow about the lion and the lamb, the young woman bearing the child, and the light of the world.

NT -- Philippians 2:19-3:4a
Today, Cole and I gave blood. While we were there, the phlebotomists were busily discussing their Sunday traditions when they were growing up. (This was in response to the vampire movie Van Helsing (more apocalypse????) that was showing.) All of them had been raised by their grandmothers and all the grandmothers were strict church folk. No TV except for BET Gospel channel. Church all day Sunday including dinner and singing time. And almost always, there was the 'sending'. Whenever the choir was traveling for competition (did you know there was such a thing? None of my choirs have ever traveled or competed...), whenever there were missionaries or traveling VBSs or whatever, the church would have a 'sending'. It always involved food - "Lord, yes, such food", and almost always a raising of money 'to speed you on God's path'.
And then, I come home to the Philippians scripture and there is the genesis of that tradition.
The Philippians, worried about Paul and his condition, had outfitted Epaphroditus with love offerings, money for safe transport, and goodies for the journey. Unfortunately, along the way, E had contracted a disease that nearly killed him. But he recovered and Paul was returning E back to the Philippians with this letter, his love offering to them.
What surprises me most about this is how joyful both the Red Cross folks and Paul were about the travelers. Either as the one traveling or the ones 'sending'.
I admit, I am pretty stoic about leaving taking. I don't do much crying and precious little hand wringing even if my stomach is in knots over it. But I also don't get all excited about it either. Seems like I am missing a lot here.
I do want to report that during the children's sermon, there was some arm waving and I participated. Stodgy and staid, I am not.