So it is late in the day on Tuesday of Holy Week. My goal to write a daily reflection has fallen way behind. I'll start again after Easter. It isn't that I'm too busy, and it isn't that I'm not doing a devotion. I guess I have just been doing it away from the computer. And those who know me know I like to change it up, so I am doing something different than reading the daily texts for each day.
Anyway, it is Tuesday of Holy Week. So far, I am very calm and reflective. I have some laundry going, I had a nice dinner out with a friend, lunch with a colleague, and a funeral. I also presided at a memorial service Saturday.
All this to say, I really am feeling the power of resurrection, and I feel a little guilty saying that before Good Friday. Yet I have witnessed death.
I was not present when either died, but I witnessed death as I spoke with the families, with friends, with people who loved the person. Loss, grief, thankfulness, tears. And what a power the words of Jesus are at this time. This week as I shared with two families the promise of life, resurrected life, the words mean so much. During this holiest of weeks, I had the privilege of proclaiming that death does not win. Death does not have dominion over Jesus, and therefore not over us. Jesus, according to the gospel of John has gone before us to prepare a place.
I am moved by the love of these families, the witnesses of a young person who worked hard to help out one of the families, the power of prayers, the power of placing the loved one in the arms of our savior. Earth to earth, dust to dust.... Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return--AND just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too will live a new life.
Yes, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday must come before Easter, but I know the power of the resurrection! And if I dare say, Alleluia!!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
March 10, 2015- Dwelling trust
Psalm 84
1How lovely is your dwelling place, O
Lord of hosts!
2My soul longs, indeed it faints for
the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3Even the sparrow finds a home, and
the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O
Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
4Happy are those who live in your
house, ever singing your praise. Selah
5Happy are those whose strength is in
you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6As they go through the valley of
Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
7They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
8O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9Behold our shield, O God; look on
the face of your anointed.
10For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my
God than live in the tents of wickedness.
11For the Lord God is a sun and
shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from
those who walk uprightly.
12O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone
who trusts in you.
On Sunday, I suggested in my sermon
that when one is praying, one might wish to look at a Psalm and let the psalm
lead you in prayer.
When you read Psalm 84, what images
come to mind? (By the way, Selah is
likely some sort of refrain that would have been said or sung—it doesn’t have
any “meaning” other than that).
What encouragement does the psalmist
give in this song/poem? What
comfort? What praise?
I also mentioned that I often am
drawn to music. So as I read this psalm,
I begin to sing:
Monday, March 9, 2015
March 9, 2015-Foundations
1
Corinthians 3:10-23
According to the grace of God given
to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is
building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.
11For no one can lay any foundation
other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12Now
if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, straw— 13the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will
disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what
sort of work each has done. 14If what has been built on the foundation
survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned up, the
builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
16Do you not know that you are God’s
temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18Do not deceive yourselves. If you
think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may
become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is
written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20and again, “The Lord
knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
21So let
no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, 22whether Paul or
Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the
future—all belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to
God.
Foundations are the base work of a
building. Most of us don’t care what it
looks like, but we do care that it is sturdy, solid, immovable. I remember when building my house I was
excited to see the foundation poured, but it didn’t really become my house
until I saw the stuff built on top. I
did care again about the foundation when water came into the basement!
How sturdy is your foundation. Scripture tells us that our foundation is
Jesus, and if so, that would be a sturdy foundation. Jesus we know from scripture is the
rock.
What does our temple “look”
like? Not just our physical appearance,
though how we care for our physical bodies is a spiritual matter. What is built on our foundation? Are we caring for it as we know we should?
As we continue this Lenten season at
Ascension, we continue to discuss the faith practices of discipleship. In many ways these are the building blocks
upon which is built our temple upon the foundation of Christ. What rooms do you need to tend to?
Listen to Sanctuary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LiTy7ndOzw
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