Seedbed's Daily Text delivered to your inbox each morning. When Heaven Meets Earth: Prophets & Preachers LISTEN NOW! LUKE 2:36-40 (NIV) There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. CONSIDER THIS You have to wonder if bystanders in the temple that day recognized what was unfolding as the crowd bustled around them. As Simeon held Jesus in his arms, delighting in this child, the consolation and hope of Israel, some may have turned their heads in wonder, others may have busied themselves with the business that brought them to the temple that day. We don't know what caught Anna's attention. We don't know if she overheard Simeon. If a crowd had gathered around him. Or, if something stirred in her spirit to send her searching for something significant that day. Regardless, she was caught up in worship as heaven met earth. An earthly house of worship, in that moment, held within it living, breathing holiness. By the declaration of Simeon's revelation, or her own spirit-filled insight, Anna recognized the gift, wrapped in cloth before her. Much like Simeon, Anna had pursued a lifetime of devotion. But unlike Simeon, her devotion was wrapped in deep grief. She carried the weight of grief when her husband died and left her to survive for a lifetime alone. In her loneliness, Anna turned to a life of worship. The text says, "she never left the temple, but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying". When life fell in around her, she worshiped. And her life of worship empowered her gift of prophecy. It is no insignificant matter that Anna is named in this holy account as prophet and preacher. Luke gives Anna value and voice by including her in the story, naming her heritage, and identifying her call. (As a side note, do not underestimate the power of a righteous man lifting women up as called and credible bearers of the gospel.) A handful of female prophets shared places of influence in the Old Testament. But for hundreds of years, words of prophecy had been silent as the Hebrew nation waited in exile and expectation. 500 years would pass between the last prophecy of Malachi and the first prophecies of John the Baptist. In-between would stand Anna herself, among the first to experience the Messiah, see his worth, and declare his significance to those who would hear. Together, Simeon and Anna act as convincing witnesses to fulfilled prophecies. Much like Simeon, Anna's life of deep devotion prepared her for divine opportunity. A life of worship has a way of doing that. The energy, clarity, and reality of God showing up becomes much more recognizable when we've pursued God's presence daily, in worship. Because of her devotion, Anna was able to recognize God's presence among them. And Anna's response, though different from Simeon's, is to tell everyone. Her response to meeting Jesus, to watching the Divine take on the frailty of the human condition, and enter a world of suffering, was to tell those who were waiting of his worth. Simeon's life of devotion gave him the capacity to recognize the Messiah in his midst and revel in a promise fulfilled. Anna's life of worship gave her the capacity to rejoice in the Messiah and reveal his worth to the world. Truly experiencing God in a life of worship, always leads to the response of proclamation, of telling and testimony. After all, how do we keep the goodness of God to ourselves? How can we possibly taste the goodness of God and stay silent? Anna experienced overwhelming joy when she laid eyes on the Messiah; an experience that could not be contained, it had to be shared. And . . . she found healing in it. Sometimes healing comes when we tell others where we've met God, when we speak of the hope that has carried us through, the promises that were fulfilled after longing, and the redemption that comes when our healing can begin healing in someone else. Part of why Gabe and I share our story, lay our wounds before the world, is when we share God at work in our pain, we're reminded of God's presence in every trial, and then—our declaration of that becomes possibility for someone else. Anna's grief turned to worship, her worship made way for divine revelation, the revelation made way for her prophecy, and prophecy turned her grief into redemption as she shared with the whole world the coming of the one who can heal any pain; even the pain of a people. I imagine that's why Anna was able to declare Christ's arrival so boldly. But I know that declaration makes redemption possible because I've experienced it. When God shows up to turn pain to peace, and despair to delight, you can't help but join the chorus of prophets and preachers. THE PRAYER Almighty God, we join the historic chorus of prophets and preachers to declare your praise. We recognize that you, only you, can turn grief into great joy. Help us to embrace the patient pursuit of worship that will lead us to more of you, more experience of your presence; so that our life of worship will overflow to our public praise. In that offering, redeem our grief by using it for your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. THE QUESTION Do you consider the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and devotion as acts of worship? If so, are you in pursuit of a life of worship, in such a way, that prepares you for recognizing heaven at work around you? Where may you need to invest your grief for transformation in worship? It may be, that as heaven meets you in worship, your grief just may find healing for joyful proclamation. For the Awakening, Sarah Wanck The post When Heaven Meets Earth: Prophets & Preachers appeared first on Seedbed. Share Tweet Forward Copyright © 2021 Seedbed, All rights reserved. You signed up to receive Daily Text posts via email at dailytext.seedbed.com. Our mailing address is: Seedbed 415 Bridge St. Franklin, TN 37064 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list.  Subscription Information This message was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally

How to measure all the world’s fresh water

Our favorite photographs from 2021 

Sponsored by Morgan Stanley The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Weighing water 12.22.21 Hello! Today: inside an ambitious drive to measure the world's fresh water, a crucial task for combating climate change. Also: our favorite photos of 2021. Spread the joy and get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. This is the last edition of The Download this year so all that remains is for me to say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, a Happy New Year and I can't wait to see you all on the other side! The newsletter will be back in business from January 3rd. Have a restful break until then. 🎄🎁 How to measure all the world’s fresh water   The Congo River is the world’s second-largest river system after the Amazon. More than 75 million people depend on it for food and water, as do thousands of species of plants and animals that live in the swamps and peatlands it supports. The massive tropical rainforest sprawled across its middle helps regulate the entire Earth’s climate system. The amount of water in the system, however, is something of a mystery.  Measuring water is crucial to helping people prepare for natural disasters and adapt to climate change, experts say. Rising global temperatures are projected to increase the risk of storms and flash floods in certain areas and severe drought in others. This need to know is driving a series of ambitious research initiatives using remote sensing tools. As the technology for gathering and analyzing data from space evolves, scientists are gaining a clearer picture of how water flows across Earth and circulates in the atmosphere. And researchers around the world are increasingly filling data gaps on the ground, too. Read the full story. —Maria Gallucci This story is from the upcoming water-themed issue of MIT Technology Review, set to go live tomorrow. If you want to read the whole thing you can subscribe for as little as $50 a year. Our favorite photographs from 2021 In 2021 we saw images from the deep reaches of geologic time, to visionaries working on today's pressing issues, to a glimpse into a transhuman future. The photo below is one of my personal favorites, but check out the full, stunning range of all the best photos we published in 2021 for yourself. —Stephanie Arnett We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + Holiday lights around the world.   + I want to live in this lighthouse.    + The ultimate Christmas playlist.   + This poem feels especially pertinent at this time of year.   + One of the funniest Christmas trees I’ve ever seen.   + Spain’s ham sniffers are working overtime right now.    + Artist Christopher Schmitt’s Convergence collection is cool—he photographed circuit boards then altered them to look like futuristic cities.   + A panettone made by prisoners was voted one of Italy’s best.   + Struggling to fully grasp the fact Elijah Wood is 40 years old.   + Learn about forams, a contender for 2021’s species of the year.   + The best movies of 2021.   + A beautifully-preserved dinosaur embryo.    + Check out this community of floating houses in Amsterdam.    + The most popular breakfast recipes this year. Are you intellectually curious? Tech-obsessed? We are too.   Get an insightful look into the technology of the future without getting bogged down by the jargon. Subscribe to MIT Technology Review today (subscriptions start at just $50 per year). Sponsor Message Building Equity Along the Blockchain | Access & Opportunity Podcast On this episode, we delve into the world of NFTs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology. We hear from artist Lauren Washington, a senior at Northwestern University, who is using NFTs to help connect with a new community of collectors and artists of color. Then, host Carla Harris sits down with Erikan Obotetukudo, founder of the Audacity Fund. Erikan discusses the potential for cryptocurrency to change the narrative for entrepreneurs of color and others left behind around the world. Learn more The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 How omicron broke covid testing in the US The slowness to evaluate and approve rapid tests is looking more foolish by the day. (Recode)   + The US reported its first death caused by omicron. (WP $)   + Omicron increases your likelihood of catching covid on a plane. (Bloomberg $)   + Biden announced new measures to fight omicron, including free at-home tests. (CNET)   + Omicron is set to surge in the US anyway. (NYT $)   + Londoners have been playing an exhausting game of “try to avoid getting omicron before the holidays” these past few weeks. (New Yorker $)  + It’s hard to say whether stricter measures are needed or not in the UK. (BBC)   + But restrictions are coming in across Europe. (Axios)   + Israel has become the first country to give out fourth doses. (NYT $)  2 A Harvard professor was found guilty of hiding ties to a Chinese program Charles Lieber’s case is the highest profile to emerge from the US China Initiative. (The Guardian)   + The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it. (TR)  3 The world’s biggest offshore wind farm produced its first power It’s about 89 kilometers off the UK’s coast, and should power over a million homes when finished. (CNBC)   + Joe Manchin has a long history of opposing climate measures. (NYT $)   + Even coal miners are losing patience with him. (Gizmodo)  4 CES is starting to fall apart  Plans to proceed with the giant tech conference always looked optimistic. With omicron, they look positively dangerous. (WSJ $)   5 Facial recognition is being banned, yet it’s still everywhere This is why you need federal, not just state, laws. (Wired $)   6 The US car rental market is crying out for disruption 🚘 It’s mostly just such a grim experience. Enough. (The Atlantic $)   7 TikTok got more traffic than Google this year Nuts. (Gizmodo)   + Americans do not trust Big Tech, and are generally crying out for regulations. (WP $)  8 Boeing and Airbus are urging a delay to 5G ✈️ There’s increasing alarm that interference from an upgrade next month could pose a danger to vital aircraft systems. (NPR)   9 The year in ludicrous internet trends Remember sea shanties?! (Vox)   10 The world’s first SMS was sold as an NFT Sigh. At least the money is going to go to charity. (Deutsche Welle)   + Ubisoft seems to have made an NFT that even people who like NFTs don’t want to buy. (Engadget) Quote of the day “You don’t own “web3.” The VCs [venture capitalists] and their LPs [limited partners] do. It will never escape their incentives. It’s ultimately a centralized entity with a different label.” —Jack Dorsey, cofounder of Twitter and crypto fan, tweets a scathing criticism of the idea that “Web3” will democratize the internet. Top image credit: European Space Agency Second image credit: DAVID VINTINER Please send anything and everything Christmassy to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today Becoming an AI-Driven Business Join us | March 29–30, 2022 For a limited time, get early bird savings when you register by December 31 Register now Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list.  Subscription Information This message was sent to  Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally    Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142