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- Holy Week Wednesday - Jesus on Wednesday: The Bible doesn't say what the Lord did on this Wednesday of Holy Week. Scholars speculate that after two exhausting days in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of the remaining days of the Passover festivities. However, we know that in the evening, Jesus was attending a celebration dinner at the home of Simon the Leper, along with Lazarus and his sisters. Toward the end of the meal, Mary lovingly anointed the feet of Jesus with oil of spikenard, an expensive perfume. Continue reading
- Holy Week Tuesday - On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples, having spent the night in Bethany, returned to Jerusalem. They passed the withered fig tree on their way, and Jesus used the tree as an example as he spoke to his companions about the importance of faith fed on the Word. Back at the Temple, religious leaders are upset at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. Jesus turns around and pronounces harsh judgment on them, calling them blind guides ... Continue reading
- Holy Week Monday - Jesus on Monday: Jesus and his disciples spent the night in Bethany, but, in the morning, returned to Jerusalem. They entered the temple through Solomon’s Porch that was crowded with tables of moneychangers and sellers of pigeons and cattle. He picked up a small piece of rope, using it as a whip, he ran around knocking over the tables and spilling coins on the ground. Barabbas’ encounter with Jesus never quite left his mind, as the Zealots gathered to finalize the details of the planned raid on the Roman supply depot, obtaining food and other supplies for the hurting families in their community. Early afternoon they heard the report of Jesus in the temple and were encouraged by that disruption. Continue reading
- Palm Sunday - Palm Sunday: Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims from all over Judea and Galilee, coming for all of the activities and services of Passover. Already the baptismal pools that ringed the temple were busy, and a large marketplace had been created right there on the main thorough fare, with pens of animals and cages of birds and chickens. Everything was ready for the full week of Passover, Holy Week. Families of pilgrims looked forward to all of the activities during this blessed week. The long procession, led by Jesus seated on a donkey, had started early for the short distance to the Damascus Gate. The large crowd was waving palm fronds, singing and praising Jesus, making such a racket. Will this be the year that we relive the Crucifixion and understand the personal nature of that sacrifice and forgiveness? Continue reading
- 10 Days to Calvary - Contentment: Contentment is an interesting word. The Urban Dictionary defines contentment this way: “Contentment is true peace of mind." The Psalm of David, Psalm 131, is one of fifteen songs of ascents. They are called songs of ascents because they reminded the people of God’s grace, mercy, protection and salvation, a formula for contentment. Another formula for contentment can be found in Philippians 4, where Paul reminds us that contentment is something to be learned, a discipline of quietness and calming your mind. Continue reading
- 17 Days to Calvary - David Struggled, Too: The season of Lent is a spiritually dark time and the weather during this time, doesn’t always help our mood. February is behind us and in ten days we will be out of March. I think we all look forward to April with hope and thoughts of crocuses and daffodils, and the greening of our lawns. What gives us hope? Foremost, God is our God, whether things are going well or not. Whether the sun is out or we’re in the midst of a rain shower, he is still God. As Christians, we are challenged to remember who God is in our lives and to stand firm in our faith, no matter the sun, the rain, or difficult circumstances that we may experience. Continue reading
- You Had to be There - You Had to Be There: My Bible study group has just completed Exodus. I don’t know how much time we spent trying to figure out how the Hebrews could possibly smelt gold there in the desert for the temple as God required, or how long they traveled before they set up camp, or where they found all the material and all the talent to create all the finely detailed material and items to be contained within the Tabernacle. They did and God was pleased. I think you had to be there to understand. What Scripture doesn’t say, God gave us imagination to fill in some of those blanks, to bring deeper meaning out of a hanging sentence or connecting two ideas, or the order in which miracles occurred. Continue reading
- 24 Days to Calvary - 25 Days to Calvary: It’s the rainy season in Judah, early winter, Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey. For some it is their favorite time of year, temperatures are moderate, very pleasant during the day, a little chilly at night. It can be windy and a bit of rain almost daily. Travel is a might difficult, the way is muddy underfoot and a little treacherous, especially on the hills. Despite the weather conditions, crowds continue to follow Jesus as we journey on. He seems to welcome all and spends time in conversations, blessing the children, encouraging all, even the Gentiles.We travel on, undeterred by the rain and the mud under our feet, through these dark days of Lent, knowing what’s coming and comforted by the knowledge of the Glorious Sunday that awaits us. Continue reading
- Love with Legs - Love with Legs: As we spend time in the Word, we become more and more aware that there are reoccurring themes that seem to play out through all of the teachings and commands of our Lord. Themes, like; love others, or judge not, or I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Is there one theme that is foundational to our Christian beliefs, our walk with Christ? What Jesus said when he appeared following his Resurrection. We know what scripture tells us: Peace be with you. But, look what follows: As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Jesus is sending us? To do what? Then it dawns on us – forgive! Continue reading
- 31 Days to Calvary - Easter? Are We There Yet? Yes, and no. The days of Lent have just begun. We have traveled with Jesus, soaking up His ministry, reveling in the mighty works we have witnessed and, yet, we are not sure who He is, this Carpenter we have known and followed for two years. Some marker events are behind us. We heard about that turning water into wine, was it true? That was before we met him. We were amazed when he healed lepers, and what a performance on the hillside there near Bethesda. I can still taste the fish and the bread. What have we learned in these travels? I wonder about that. I’m not sure we fully understand where were going and what Jesus is going to accomplish. Most of us are convinced that Jesus is going to overthrow the domination of Rome and free us. I don’t know how that’s going to happen. So, we walk on. 39 Days to Jerusalem. Continue reading
- Determined Faith - Determined Faith: When we read Hebrews chapter 11 we find ourselves in a history lesson, but more than that. As we read through the chapter we encounter nearly 20 references to “It was by faith…”, and we understand that faith in God, trust in God, is key to understanding God’s lesson. Question: Do you trust God with your tomorrow? Question: Does our belief or faith inform our understanding of the truth? Or, does our understanding of the truth, inform our belief or faith? Question: Does Satan talk to you? Do you even believe in the existence of a devil? God, give me grace. Continue reading
- 38 Days to Calvary - The Least of These: Yesterday, I received a flag in the mail, just a little 3x5 piece of cloth, blue and yellow, the flag of Ukraine. A ‘thank you’ gift for a small gesture. I didn’t need a thank you gift, but there it is, now in my window. Perhaps it was a little reminder of something important? Yes! A nudge from the Lord, saying ‘Keep remembering My lessons’.(Which one, Lord? “All of them!”) You do something for someone, maybe out of the urging of the Holy Spirit within, or out of your kindness or generosity, whatever you want to call it, and you hear: “You didn’t need to do that.” Need? No, not at all. Caring, love, compassion, friendship, etc., pick one. I love random, anonymous acts of kindness, and I have seen it work wonders. The least of these? Don’t you recognize them? Each one is Jesus, you know, the one you say you love. Continue reading
- Ash Wednesday - Lectio Divina: Lectio Divina? What is that? First of all, the phrase is Latin. You can probably figure this out. Divina would be divine or Holy. Lectio looks like the word lectionary, or reading of the Word. So, Lectio Divina means “divine reading”, or Holy Reading in Latin. It is actually more than a simple reading, it’s a meditative way of reading the Bible in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is trying to say to us. We often get down on ourselves, don’t we? Maybe even wondering if God can love us. Haunted by moments in the past that weren’t exactly times to be proud of. I love the movie, Sound of Music. There is a song, “Something Good”, in the sound track. He sees the “something good” we have done along the roads of our lives. Those “not very goods” will not be held against us. I may be reaching to get my point across, but the truth is that God love us, His Son died for us to cleanse us. Our gratitude for this amazing gift should repeatedly lead us back to His Word. Continue reading
- By Our Love - By Our Love: Years ago, when I was living in Cincinnati, I had a friend and colleague who told me, much to my surprise, that she wasn’t a believer in Christ. She actually said, “I think I’m an atheist.” There was doubt in her voice, but that is what she thought. I found that hard to believe, knowing what I knew about her and her work in the community and in the city. People who live their lives acting out love for others, looking for all the world like Christians, and yet disavow that label, Christians, what are they? What did Christ say? "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me". So, I ask you, is my friend a Christian, even though she denies that label? Continue reading
- Making Love - Making Love: Maybe I’m old-fashioned or perhaps I’m stuck in a time warp, but I associate the phrase “making love” with freshening the quality of a relationship between two people. Think of it this way, if you have an iPhone do you ever plug it in? Of course, you do, probably every day. You have to recharge the battery in order to refresh the purpose of the phone. I view “making love” with your special person precisely this way. We refresh the purpose and dedication of our relationship. Sometimes lyrics of a song tell a story better. In 1954 Kitty Callan wrote and recorded a song entitled Little Things Mean a Lot. These lyrics tell a beautiful and practical story of how love is made and refreshed in every day little things we do Continue reading
- Compassion - Compassion: As a psychologist, I know there are different meanings to terms like pity, sympathy, mercy, and empathy, these are all part and parcel of compassion. We seek to find compassion and love in our daily lives, in much of what we do. Sometimes we are disappointed. I suppose we can look upon pity and sympathy as common everyday words that express how we feel when we observe another person’s pain in body, mind or heart. When the person suffering pain, is a close friend or loved one, we call it empathy. As a psychologist, I know there are different meanings to terms like pity, sympathy, mercy, and empathy, these are all part and parcel of compassion. We seek to find compassion and love in our daily lives, in much of what we do. Sometimes we are disappointed. When the person suffering pain, is a close friend or loved one, we call it empathy. When we respond to another, for whatever reason: Happy events, sad events, loss, promotions, tragedy, etc., we are actively loving that person. We are truly following the commandment that Jesus gave us to love others as he has loved us, as personified by Christ on the Cross of Calvary. Amen. Continue reading
- God, Where are You? - God, Where are You? Ever wonder why God doesn’t seem to act on your behalf when you pray? Is it possible we have been misled into thinking that, through prayer, God can smooth our paths when adversity sours our lives? I think we have all had those times when we wonder where God is in our darkness. Do think it’s easy for us to think that problems should go away just because we are Christians and just because we pray to God? Is that our mindset? Now that I’m a Christian, my faith will solve every problem, relieve every doubt. I sincerely doubt that is your mindset, besides, that thinking can only lead to more doubt. Continue reading
- Reality of the Miraculous - Reality of the Miraculous: Imagine that you’re a time traveler and while you have all the modern-day knowledge and you are well-versed in Biblical scripture, you find yourself in a crowd on a hillside north of Bethesda in Galilee listening to a teacher/preacher. You had just settled yourself on to the grassy hill when you realized who that the man down there speaking was. Jesus the Christ, Emmanuel, God Almighty. What would we do in the face of a miracle, unfolding before us? How would we react? Continue reading
- Yesterday’s History, Tomorrow’s a Mystery - Today's a Gift: God has gifted us with memory to keep His Joy fresh within us, but not for us to dwell in the past. He reminds us that He is doing a new thing. My dear friend remarked, “So many of my friends and loved one are experiencing illness and loss. It is so sad.” I wasn’t much help, I said something like, “At our age and stage in life, that is going to happen. Sarah Young, Jesus calling for Christmas, tells us - “Do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! As you begin the fresh year, rejoice that I am continually working newness into your life. Don’t let recent disappointments and sadness define you or dampen your expectations. This is the time to make a fresh start! Continue reading
- The Distance… - The Distance...: I stood at the pulpit and looked out over the sanctuary at the twenty souls gathered for worship and my mind skipped back many years when we had two services to accommodate all. In my prayers I asked, Lord, what do you have in mind for us? We precious few are yours. The pandemic has wrecked havoc on our church attendance, but, you could argue, it was drifting down anyway, which is true. However, the pandemic has put the imperative to the need for streaming services of our churches, and the call of the comfort couch, pajamas and a cup of coffee is strong. So we drifted. I firmly believe that we need to rest on spiritual/practical facts that our Lord has given us: His time is not our time, have patience. Continue to live justly, and to love others has He loves us. Be merciful. And in all things, walk humbly with God Continue reading
