Spiritual Sounding Board – This is your place to gather and share in an open format.
by Kathi
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Nehemiah 5:1-13
Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them – the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.” “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
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May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you from the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.
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Feel free to join the discussion.
You can share your church struggles and concerns.
Let’s also use it as a time to encourage one another spiritually.
What have you found spiritually encouraging lately?
Do you have any special Bible verses to share, any YouTube songs that you have found uplifting?
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photo credit: Kathi – Coffee love
Spiritual Sounding Board 
Though it’s of little to no comfort to those in Hispaniola today, I am grateful to God that Hurricane Erika is now a tropical depression that’s headed near me but not directly towards me. I’m not up for it, physically or mentally.
I pray that means that I’m going to remain dry and wont have to break out the plastic and sandbags. Prayers for those who are weathering wild conditions and their aftermath. I’ve been through three such disasters in the past, followed by more water than I’d ever wish to see again. And I’m praying that I don’t see it this week!
The only flood waters I want to see are those of God’s mercy and love. May those be abundant.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Off topic, but a wonderful Jazz piece played by the Wynton Marsalis Septet – “Happy Birthday” – for one of their friends (somebody just emailed it to me. Cool!)
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And a flash mob Happy Birthday concert in a beautiful old square in France:
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Thanks Kathi for putting together’s today Gathering.
Velour in California
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Here is a Blues video, 8-year old Quinn Sullivan (now a teenager) and his hero Buddy Guy. (After leaving my NeoCal, authoritarian church, I started to listening to all kinds of music that I loved…including The Blues, which I had to do in secret before.)
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Velour – You’re welcome! And, thanks for sharing all of this great music!
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Hey Kathi,
You are welcome. Thanks to you and Julie Anne for making this blog a safe place!
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Thank you Kathi and all who contributed to this. It is ALL GOOD!!!!!
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Velour, if the authorities in the authoritarian church had found out you were listening to the Blues like this, what would they have done? Impressive, BTW, especially the boy. Wow.
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“Velour, if the authorities in the authoritarian church had found out you were listening to the Blues like this, what would they have done? Impressive, BTW, especially the boy. Wow.” Thomas
Hi Thomas,
I am thinking that the pastors/elders at my former NeoCal church would have burned me at the stake if they found out I listened to The Blues. I listened to it in secret, infrequently, and I never told anyone at church for 8-years. I made a compromise for those years: I listened to Black Gospel from Mississippi (Gospel Legends, The Williams Brothers, Mississippi Mass Choir, Jackson Southernaires).
Since I am no longer at my former NeoCal church, I have listened to all kinds of music and danced a lot! It feels good!
Quinn Sullivan – at age 8 – playing with Buddy Guy…is fantastic.
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