Where did it go?

"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most"
-- today I was making a few phone calls to gals about Women's Circle. along about the 4th phone call, the person's phone rang 2 or 3 times and a man answered. My mind went utterly blank. NO idea whatsoever of who I had just dialed. In front of me is the whole church phone listing, so that's no immediate help. I said "Hi!" and stammered a bit, then said, "This Carol from church..." and the man burst out laughing and said, "You forgot who you are calling didn't you!" and he enlightened me as to whose home I had reached. Thank God I remembered HIS name before he went and got his wife for me. He was still laughing.

This is a "Wordle" of this blog. Fun web application. Check it out at www.wordle.net

Images created by the Wordle.net web application are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

April 1 2010 Maundy Thursday Sermon

Intro- it is Passover, Jewish holiday celebrated every year...going on now! To commemorate the Exodus, the escape of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.

Luke 22 verses 14-20

14 When the hour came, {for the Passover meal} Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Our passage from the Gospel of Luke is of course the moment when Jesus instituted the sacrament of Communion.

This passage is a brief glimpse, just a few moments in this final evening of Jesus' life. We have heard the story....Jesus is about to tell his disciples that one of them will betray Him, that they will all desert Him. He woill then go into the Garden and pray in total anguish, ultimately praying to His Father in Heaven...”Not my will, but yours” He would be betrayed, arrested, deserted by His friends, endure beatings, a 'trial' on trumped up charges and be flogged and put to death. But this passage, this moment in the life of Jesus and the Twelve is a moment of joy. It is a moment that commemorates Jesus' whole purpose. It is a moment “he eagerly desired!”

Jewish-ness of Jesus and followers..and first Christians...Jesus raised in a Jewish family He would have been taught the traditions of prayer and sacrifice. Traditions that He would of course grow up to live out!

the Passover meal contains the observance of many rituals including: Eating bitter herbs to remember the bitterness of enslavement, eating unleavened bread-which commemorates the haste with which the Hebrew people had to leave Egypt, drinking of wine, relating the story of the exodus to the children.

The Exodus passage tells us of that first passover. The Hebrew people were to sacrifice a perfect lamb to feed their family, and the blood of that sacrifice, sprinkled on the doorposts, was a sign to keep them safe from the angel of death as the firstborn of Egypt were all slain. as the Israelites ate their quickly prepared meal, God's presence at the “table”, was their protection, and a judgment upon their enemies.

(From Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler & Lois Tverberg)

The idea of communing with God at his table was a key part of the sacrificial system of the temple. Certain offerings, like sin and guilt sacrifices, were completely consecrated to God. But others like the fellowship or peace offering, were different. In these kinds of offerings, the worshiper and his family, along with the priests, would consume a portion of the sacrifice. When they ate from the altar, it was as though God was sharing some of his food with them. By doing so, they were affirming that they were dining at God's table. Through their peace offering they celebrated their Shalom with God and with each other. The Israelites understood this as a true covenantal communion—that they could sit down to a meal with God.

The Passover meal is a time to celebrate that one is at peace with God, and with those around the table. No wonder Jesus “Eagerly desired” this moment!

He then renewed that covenant, and instituted a new covenant! The covenant with God through Jesus himself.

Bread is used so often in scripture as a symbol. Bread is a staple of the diet of every society. Yet Scripture says, “ people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” During the 40 years in the wilderness the Israelites lived on manna, referred to as Bread from heaven.

in the New Testament, Jesus multiples bread and a few fish to feed thousands of people! after his resurrection, in the Road to Emmaus story, Jesus is with the two travelers for quite a while, yet they only recognize him when he takes bread, giving thanks and breaking it! In the Gospel of John, Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life.

The bread that Jesus took at this meal and gave to his disciples was unleavened bread, Matzoh. It is broken into 3 pieces, and the piece that Jesus took was the middle piece, with symbolizes the priest or mediator between God and the people. So Jesus used this piece of bread, to tell his disciples and us, how He himself, his body, broken, would become the perfect mediator between us and God.

The Four Cups of wine used in the Seder primarily symbolize the four distinct redemptions promised by God to the Hebrews as told in Exodus 6:6-7. (1) "I will take you out of Egypt", (2) "I will deliver you from slavery", (3) "I will redeem you with a demonstration of my power", and (4) "I will acquire you as a nation".

The cup of wine Jesus took and gave to his disciples is the cup of redemption. God redeemed the Hebrew people from Egypt by a display of his power...the parting of the Red Sea. Jesus took the cup of redemption, and called it the New Covenant in his blood. We would be redeemed, by this act of sacrifice that Jesus was about to make on our behalf.

Jesus came to give us –each of US-the complete peace, the Shalom, the peace, and wholeness of God. This is from which comes this bit of joy and serenity that we sense in this brief passage. This shalom is present even in the midst of the anguish and suffering that Jesus would shortly endure.

There are people who display that sense of shalom, that knowledge that whatever is happening, God is in control! We all know folks like that. We have been blessed to have some right in this church. These are people whose faith enables them to sail pretty smoothly through life. I try...but I am not quite there yet. Years ago, when my family was going through some serious challenges, we had 2 deaths in one week. We were reeling, I tell you! But at the second visitation, for my grampa, was a rosary service. And I was watching my aunts, who were so calmed by the prayer service. I envied and admired their faith. I also doubted if I were capable of that deep a faith. Some time later, I shared that doubt with a friend, who wisely, quietly, said, “you can pray for more faith.” I am sure my prayer was very hesitant, something along the lines of “um, God, it's Carol, um,..i know you are busy, and have important stuff to tend to...but if you have a minute...i was wondering...” Well, if you need proof that God does NOT need us to be articulate in our prayers, I am here to tell ya, that hesitant prayer was answered. Gradually, my faith has increased. I am not all the way there yet, but with continued prayer, I'm getting closer! And God provided me with some models of faith and prayer to help me to pray with less hesitation! To learn to as scripture says, to boldly approach the throne of grace!

The Jewish faith has a profound tradition of prayer. To help the people to remind themselves of God's continual presence, they have short prayers of blessing to say throughout the day, from waking until going to sleep. These prayers are prayers of praise, recognizing that all gifts are from God. So these short prayers are to follow the commandment to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. The apostle Paul alludes to this tradition of prayer in his epistles...

just one example is 1 Thessalonians 5--16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Can we embrace this tradition? can we strive to make our every act a prayer? just as Jesus was taught and as he taught. As we pray “Give us this day our Daily bread...” can we remember that we are asking for the necessities of life, and asking Jesus,the Bread of Life, to be lord of our lives more today than yesterday!

In just a few moments, to prepare for Communion we will sing part of a Psalm, another Jewish tradition, praying “Oh Lord you are my God, I trust in you.” Let us make that more than a song, but a prayer. As we take the Bread of Life and the Cup of Redemption, Let us pray to make our lives, more of a prayer, to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

quote

quote i just found:
"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good."
— Maya Angelou (Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer)

Friends

Wrote this today for our church national association Lenten devotions publication

"I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15 TNIV

My friend and I ate our dessert in silence. With some folks, it is awkward when neither has anything to say. This friend and I are comfortable in silence together. We have been friends since grade school. We were not in touch for a time, as we both went through considerable life changes. But we are back together, and it is just as if we were never apart. What a gift it is to have a such a close friend!

Jesus said to the disciples, "I called you friends". What a gift! He called them friends, because He made known what He knew from God. This is intimacy, when one shares with another. Sharing requires that we are open to one another. The disciples were open to Jesus' teachings. It was a process that did not happen overnight! Real intimacy does not happen instantaneously. It comes over time.

How can we allow ourselves to be more open to the teachings of Jesus? Can we spend more time with Him, in our Bible time, small groups, in worship, and in service? Shall we accept the gift of friendship from our Lord?

Prayer: Loving Lord, thank you for the gift of friendship. Help us to grow in our friendship with You and with other Christians. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

be still

Devotion that i gave this morning at church staff meeting: The senior minister is beginning a sermon series on spiritual discernment, How do we discern (learn, interpret, comprehend) the direction God is leading us? So the first step is : Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

We need to have quiet time in order to hear from God. in 1 Kings 19, the voice of the Lord is referred to as "still, small voice". in our time, the word "small" seems to mean "insignificant". And of course God's voice is significant! Author Henri Nouwen refers to the voice of God as "an intimate voice". It is not loud, or pushy like a tv sales pitch! In fact I think we are so used to "hey hey Have I got a deal for you" in our daily lives, that we do not remember to take time to be still and know that God is. We pray for the ability to better listen to the intimate voice of God.

Godly Goals

On Jan. 1, as I sat down to do my Bible reading, I was thinking/praying about my New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are goals. To effectively set goals, whether personal or for a group or business, there need to be parameters. Good goals need to be specific, realistic, & measurable. And as I was pondering this, I realized that as a Christian, as one called to serve, my goals also need to be Godly! And what better way to have Godly Goals, than to use Scripture!?
So my goal of reading thru the Bible this year (which has a side benefit of being more knowledgeable about it!) is "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." So I can pray, "Lord, help me spend more time reading and pondering your word, and help it grow in me and guide me in all I do"

2010

a new year! so is it pronounced twenty-ten or two thousand ten?

Last night's New Year's Eve service and supper at church went well. and broke up earlier than usual which was good! we were home by 8:30. I went to sleep early but woke up before midnight. and the neighborhood was quieter than usual at midnight, a few firecracker volleys but that was it. I read Revelation 21 & 22, the description of the heaven..the New Jerusalem. "Behold I am coming soon!"

at the service we sang a couple songs, then i read Gen 1:1-5 and John 1:1-5 and 1:14. Talked about language, words. God merely spoke and everything was created. and His word-promises, law and covenants came to Abraham and Moses. The prophets spoke of God; then Jesus the Word, is God and is the promise of God's word. We can have The Word within us, Jesus as savior and the word of God as we read and meditate and pray on it.

and I am going to go do just that. I have a new Bible reading plan and devotions for the new year. knowing that there will be days I do not manage the 'daily readings' I am going to allot days like today, downtime, to read chunks. bliss.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus be with us more each day in this new year! Shalom, Carol

The Word

for New Year's Eve service, I believe we will discuss The Word. Jesus, and the Bible. In the New Testament Greek the word used is Logos, which means "word", but also in Greek philosophy meant the core of one's being. Logos is used both for Word, used for Jesus in John chapter 1, and for "word of God" or "word of Christ" in Paul's epistles. "Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly..." I want us to think about concepts of language, and that words have power. Being in the Word, being in Christ, and spending time with our Bibles, has power!

It is amazing to me, that no matter how unready I am for Christmas, it comes anyway, and i am reminded again of the birth of our Savior. And i pray that it was the same for you! We had a nice quiet, nuclear family Christmas. Our 2 sons came to the 10pm worship service with us. Hubby did not have to usher, there was plenty of help, so the 3 guys sat together, as I helped lead worship. The music was wonderful and really spoke to me. I think it moved a lot of folks, from the expressions i could see.

this AM i preached on Colossians 3:12-17 Clothe yourselves with kindness, compassion, forgiveness, etc.. and Psalm 148. Praise as the root of worship. Worship as the root of our faith life, and recommitting to Christ. Choir had the day off, so we did a hymn sing in the place of the anthem and folks kept calling out requests! I think we did one verse each of 5 hymns. the final request was for Amazing Grace and i requested that we sing the last verse too..."When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise, than when we've first begun."

Christmas, bah humbug. Ok, that is a decidedly un-Christian attitude! but i am feeling awfully humbug today. I have a cold, the weather is terrible, i am not done with any of our preparations, and this has just been a bad year in many ways. so there it is. Come Lord Jesus, fill my heart with the right stuff, please?

oh this year has been something else. 2009 just needs to be GONE.
i was so sick with pneumonia in May, a car accident in October and my car, almost paid for, was wrecked. and now, the very worst, our son's girlfriend died very suddenly. He is just heartbroken. and not being a believer, he does not have the hope that Jesus brings us. if i 'preach' to him, i am afraid he will turn away from me. i am praying. hard. i do pray hard for my sons, but now..well. I am so very concerned for him.

clutter.....

I've been reading Unclutterer blog (http://unclutterer.com) for a while now. It is interesting topic and I hate to admit how much I need help with this! and in their forums, i see lots of folks posting good ideas. But some of them seem to be "here is what I do...and it mostly works. But sometimes it doesn't..." We seem to be adding stuff to the process of dealing with our stuff, and not addressing the underlying issues.

This week hubby & I have done some serious "uncluttering" ourselves. (since i was sick in the spring, did not do spring cleaning...oy vey!) And it feels so good to have got rid of stuff and organized some of it. Yet i know unless we develop new habits and work thru the reasons that we got to this point, nothing has really changed. I have read lots on this topic. In fact in sorting junk this week, I came across books-- "Simplify Your Life" and "Clutter Free, Finally and Forever."--in piles of stuff. Oh the irony!

I had read both books--and a variety of others! So they didn't help ME much, did they? I have to think thru and deal with the issues that got us here. Neither his Mom nor my folks were good at dealing with stuff. Both had definite 'hoarder' tendencies. They contained most of the clutter, for a long time. But by the last few years, things were piling up. I think with our parents' generation, it goes back to the Depression/WW2 era growing up. They had so little, then were part of the post war boom economy. And the advent of TV and its advertising!

So we (baby boomer generation) grew up with parents who had grown up feeling deprived, and who did not want their children to know that deprivation. AND we had the growing onslaught of mass media and all the advertising that says to get more stuff!

A friend shared a quote from a book she is reading/preaching on. "Physical deprivation causes spiritual hunger." (from Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker) and we so often mistake spiritual hunger for physical, material, other kinds of hunger.

and Gerald May in Addiction and Grace talks about how basically EVERYTHING can become an addiction; as well as the "usual suspects" of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.... So having/acquiring stuff is a profound addiction!


oh-- good stuff...gonna go read and make some notes...

(To be continued...)