WATCHWORD:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace
and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep,
a time to throw away, and
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
17 I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,17
Meditation:
TIME
Graham Groombridge
Early last Saturday morning I was sitting at a picnic table on our porch at Webster Lake having a little quiet TIME. The sight of the tranquil waters of the lake had a noticeable, peaceful, and calming effect on my thoughts and emotions.
With TIME on my hands, I decided to browse through Romano Guardini’s The Lord and settled on a chapter, “The Will of the Father”.
It begins with 12-year-old Jesus after his first pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he remained behind in the Temple. Mary, after a long search, chides him. He quietly counter-questions, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49-50
For Mary, following the panic and stress of the search, comes this statement from Jesus that is later clarified! “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work.” John 4:34
At the wedding feast at Cana when Mary confronts Jesus with a favor, he responds, “My TIME has not yet come!” John 2:1-4
The Father’s Will dictates the HOUR for all things. It guides Jesus to the desert, to the Jordan and back among the people, to his public ministry—teaching, helping, healing, and struggling to convey, to pagan and Jew alike, and the Kingdom of God is here—NOW!
So, do we reflect on TIME (with McKinley’s encouragement).
Past— “Remember the time when________________.”
Present— “These dark times are sorrowful and I have rarely felt _______.”
Future—When will things be back to normal—return to worship, travel, visiting family and friends, enjoying the live arts, return to a normal work place.
The Will of God guides the Son down the dark way of the Passion. He sets his face to Jerusalem, knowing what is ahead. Jesus obeys the Will of the Father, knowing that the TIME has come.
Jesus says, “I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is accomplished.” Luke 12:50.
With this acceptance, He begins His journey to the agony of the Cross from which springs Jesus’s glory and OUR SALVATION! Thank you, Brother Graham
Bulletin Board:
Rx Humor for the day — As soon as she had finished parochial school in Ireland, Molly made her way to New York, where before long she became a successful performer in show business. Eventually she returned to her home town for a visit and went to confession in the church which she had always attended as a child. In the confessional Father Sullivan recognized her and began asking her about her work. Molly explained that she was an acrobatic dancer, and he wanted to know what that meant. She said she would be happy to show him the kind of thing she did on stage. She stepped out of the confessional and within sight of Father Sullivan, she went into a series of cartwheels, leaping splits, handsprings and back flips. Kneeling near the confessional, waiting their turn, were old Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. O’Malley. They witnessed Molly’s acrobatics with wide eyes, and one exclaimed to the other, “Will you just look at the penance Father Sullivan is givin’ out this night, and me without me bloomers on!”
Morning Prayer:
Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me walk by the Word and not my feelings. Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words, and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, MY desires, MY thoughts on how things should be. Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity… rather than a personal inconvenience. And finally, help me to rest in the truth of Psalm 86:13, ‘Great is your love toward me.’ You already see the ways I will fall short and mess up. But right now, I consciously tuck Your whisper of absolute love for me into the deepest part of my heart. I recognize Your love for me is not based on my performance. You love me warts and all. That’s amazing. But what’s most amazing is that the Savior of the world would desire a few minutes with me this morning. Lord, help me to forever remember what a gift it is to sit with You like this. Amen.
