I love the creativity. This is Happy Monday #373. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: April 2020
Satur-deja Vu
Silver linings – None of us would have chosen to live through a global pandemic at this time but there are some positive aspects to it. I wrote weeks ago that a little bit of struggle is good for us and managed to avoid using the cliche what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Families are not only spending time together some family members may have gotten to know each other for the first time. People are buying groceries and cooking at home. The slowdown of our economy is uncomfortable for some and extremely difficult for others but many have stepped up their levels of giving. Economic hardship has become an equalizing force that makes people realize we are more alike than we are different. Small companies that faced shutdown switched to make hand sanitizer or paper masks, many giving the product away and workers donating their time and labor. How many people, from politicians to celebrities, from corporate officials to health care workers, have you heard say we’re all in this together? Continue reading
Happy Monday
Satur-deja Vu
Easily the funniest thing I have seen all week. If you don’t get the reference to The Princess Bride you need to watch that entire movie, right now, then come back and finish reading this blog post. It’s Saturday, everything’s shutdown, you’ve got time. Continue reading
Different Sort of Easter
Every adult Christian probably has memories of Easter outfits and eggs hunts from when they were kids, and a list of traditions they carry on with their kids and grandkids. Easter probably involves sunrise service, some special breakfast, new suits or dresses, pictures with family, Easter egg hunts, and so forth. Church choirs perform cantatas and perhaps put on passion plays. We used to go to one in London, KY that was very well done.
This year was different. Continue reading
Happy Monday
Satur-deja Vu
Yesterday was Good Friday. Tomorrow is Easter. Most Christians are familiar with those days. Depending on your faith tradition you may not know about the other days of Holy Week. Today is Holy Saturday, also known as the Great Sabbath, Easter Eve or Black Saturday. It is a time to reflect on the marks left on Jesus’s body. This is the day the disciples spent after Jesus was buried and before they were able to fully understand what he had said about resurrection. Continue reading
A Seed Must Fall
And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. –John 12:23-26
Wednesday April 8th was the first day of Passover for observant Jews. The event we know as the Triumphal Entry occurred when Jesus came into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover for the last time. Ethnic Jews and those practicing Judaism gathered at Jerusalem from all around the Mediterranean world. John 12 records that “some Greeks” came looking for Jesus. The very well known statement “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” is found in verse 21. Philip told Andrew, Andrew and Philip went together and told Jesus. His response is shown above. He talks about bearing fruit, eternal life, following him and being honored by the father. He also talks about, as he had many times before, sowing seeds but in this instance uses what happens to seeds to allude to his crucifixion and burial. The grain of wheat must fall into the earth and die in order to bear fruit. Continue reading
Happy Monday
It’s Holy Week/Passion Week so many of our entries today will be focused on that theme. Some of these may be repeats but we are always making new friends. This is Happy Monday #370. Continue reading
The Gospel Changes Things
A few years ago we tried something new that just didn’t work out. I have decided to spare you the details but we made a few slideshow presentation videos and since I never throw anything away the ones we produced still exist on YouTube.
As we begin Holy Week here is a sermon titled “The Gospel Changes Things” with scripture texts and images. To share the Gospel is why Jesus came into the world. The Church has the potential to do a lot of good in the world but above all else sharing this message is what we are called to.
The Master's Table 