Only fools are allowed to escort us into this hope-filled month.
The old and wise are just a little less foolish.
They have lived through this often deceptive month too many times to count.
Plant flowers?
Beware.
Snow or sleet or wind storms are on their way.
One can become impatient this month if not occupied by our walk to the Cross with Christ.
The hope of better . . . just inches away.
But, not yet.
Let's wait until we've celebrated resurrected life . . . our new beginning . . . in the middle of the month.
Then . . . perhaps . . . with Hope firmly set within the soul, we can look to other things that draw us into new life that springs forth in the coming days.
April 1, 2017 All Fools Day
How did this special day come about?
I've heard many explanations.
Slight of hand, a silly joke here and there, deception that brought laughter or just plain craziness began on this day decades ago.
Tradition makes it the rule.
Thus, the rule of the day is to play crazy jokes . . . tricks . . . on friends.
For many, the test of true friendship is to simply walk down the path of a friend who leads us in the wrong direction for only a moment and then stops, laughs and says:
APRIL FOOL!
I've been caught many times as I am terribly trusting and often naive.
I believe and trust in one who seems to give me an untruth on this day.
Only when I am caught in an OOPS do I realize I have been fooled.
Only on this day, I seem to fall for the most simple deceptions.
All in jest.
Leaving me deeply humbled.
Not all bad.
This day is set aside to 'be' foolish but the entire month of April fools us.
Weather patterns are crazy at best.
We think we will receive rain to help grow our newly planted flowers.
We are so ready for winter to pass and for summer to come that we become foolish in our thinking.
We assume too much.
We expect too much.
Poor, precious April . . . such a beautiful name for a month where foolishness seems to overshadow wisdom.
My heart still flutters when I hear this lovely word . . . April.
I may be foolish in my thinking but April is the month of HOPE.
I will forever be the fool for "the Hope that was and is and is to come."
April, a wonderful month to be foolish.
April 2, 2017 The Seventh Sign
We have been following a few of the 'signs' in the Gospel of John as Jesus slowly reveals his divinity to his disciples and all who are present.
That means devout Pharisees, gentiles and the curious may pass by or stand ready to pounce on Jesus for calling himself 'a god.'
Pharisees, especially, are wary of Jesus . . . as just another sorcerer who others see as a Prophet from God.
But this 'sign' . . . this 'wonder' . . . the last, seventh, wonder that John describes to help us understand the kingdom of God dwelling with us on this earth, is far too real to brush off.
To raise someone from the dead after a few hours or even a couple days may have been accepted by many Jews.
They believe spirit does not leave the body for three days after someone seems to have died.
It lingers . . . perhaps in wait . . . until all possibility of bodily life is gone.
Only then did the Father instruct Jesus to the go to the home of his dear friends . . . Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
Only then, when all knew Lazarus' spirit was gone from his body, did Jesus come . . . and weep with them . . .
Scripture says, "Only say the Word and I shall be healed."
Jesus, the Word of God, commanded, "Lazarus, Come Out!"
Slowly, Lazarus rose, inched his smelly and bound body from where he lay, and stood there for all to see.
There were over fifty present.
"Unloose the cloths," said the Divine One.
Lazarus would live . . . and then die again to be eternally with the Lord.
Yet, because of this one instance in scripture, Lazarus died twice.
Lazarus' death . . . and resurrection . . . is seen to be a precursor to Jesus' death and resurrection.
Jesus was foretelling the story of his own death . . . and
Jesus' disciples did not understand . . . and would not understand . . . until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came and empowered them and filled them with his Presence and reminded them of all that Jesus taught them over the three years they followed him.
For the rest of us disciples, even with the Word of God at our fingertips, even with teachers who can help to answer our questions, do we truly understand why Jesus died on the Cross, shed His blood for us and then overcame death through resurrection?
I am taking extra time in meditation and study as I prepare to walk to the Cross with Christ.
I only have one week to prepared for the most holy week of the year.
4-3:: Dying to Live
When the EMTs came and loaded him into the ambulance for the very short ride to the hospital, his heart stopped again . . . and again!
By the time he arrived in the emergency room the surgeon only had minutes to ready him for surgery to get the stints into his arteries.
Had he been further away from this specific hospital he would have died.
Had he not come to this hospital he may not have had the very best cardiac surgeon in the area.
Had he . . .
But he did!
God was with him even though God is not the central figure of his life.
God is good!
Perhaps my brother will recognize God's presence in his life after this 'death' experience.
Although the resurrection of Lazarus was truly miraculous, after being dead four whole days, the endless stories of God rescuing a loved one from death . . . or near death also seems like a miracle to family, friends and neighbors.
The stories of full recovery after the brain function dies are too numerous to count.
Books have been written and movies made to tell the world of the miracle of life after death.
Yet, all of us know that we will die a forever death . . . some after too short a time on this earth.
It's the knowing that my soul will live forever that gives me peace.
I know I have resurrected life because I am assured of this as I meet with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, daily.
Daily, I choose to live as if it were my last . . . rejoicing always in God's love.
Daily, I know my body is dying one cell at a time . . . as I age.
Daily, I give thanks for all that is presented to me hour by hour, as I dig deeper into my finite understanding of God in Christ.
Daily, I receive blessings too numerous to count.
I given thanks that I have lived so long.
Each day is an extra blessing.
As cells die, I live . . . until God takes me into His arms forever.
Oh JOY!
4-4:: What IF?
I hear that question often.
What if . . .
I'm not much for hypothetical questions.
Wouldn't it serve us best to look at what might be defined?
If I go this direction . . . then this will happen.
It's knowing the consequences of an action, or inaction, that motivates me.
If we don't pay our taxes we know the consequences.
If I choose to eat a gallon of ice cream at one sitting I know the consequences.
If I choose to eat something each day that is as volatile for my system as ice cream I pretty much know my life expectancy may be limited after a few years.
So, the "What IF" questions where consequences are sketchy or cloudy at best are a waste of time for me.
People ask me all sorts of questions about Christianity that they can answer themselves because they pertain to their own lives.
Yet, the questions were off to people in other parts of the world. i.e.. "What about they pygmies in Africa who may not know about Jesus Christ?"
God is just as concerned about bush people as he is about us.
God has already worked in their lives and many missionaries who have gone into the bush over the past several decades have pretty much discovered every single tribe that exists . . . and have found a way to create God's story for them in their own language.
Some tribes already had a personal relationship with God but their name for God was beyond their vocabulary.
God wants the person asking the question to seek a personal answer and not digress into 'what if' regarding others who are distant or unknown.
Too often we fear the answer to our question to be too intimate, too accountable, because it might change us; it might make us vulnerable or responsible or . . .
"what if?"
Here is a "what if" that affects all of us.
What if you died tonight?
Would you go to heaven . . . and why or why not?
Think about it.
What if my life ended suddenly as I slept?Am I at peace where my soul would go?
I am.
I know I am.
I don't have to worry about that because I answered this "What if" years ago.
I was asked that very question and returned with a flippant answer only to think about it long and deep after those inquisitive ones left my home.
"What if?"
I'm totally at peace now but decades ago I began to seek answers to that question and found the answer for me.
I am willing to live my entire life giving glory to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
I'm willing to live under God's protection knowing full well that
Therefore, they are as superfluous as "What if."
It's the affirmation that I no longer have to ask hypothetical questions that gives me peace.
No more fretting about the future.
No more wondering which path to take . . . just walking forward one step at a time as the Lord will directs my path (Prov. 3:5-6)
If I remain focused on God's powerful presence in my life, I can live without "What if" for the rest of my life.
4-5:: Being a Christian
I found this excerpt from an on-line meditation and feel that C.S. Lewis says it all:
"And let me make it quite clear that when Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral.
When they speak of being ‘in Christ’ or of Christ being ‘in them’, this is not simply a way of saying that they are
thinking about Christ or copying Him.
They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts—that we are His fingers and muscles, the cells of His body.
They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts—that we are His fingers and muscles, the cells of His body.
And perhaps that explains one or two things.
It explains why this new life is spread not only by purely mental acts like belief, but by bodily acts like baptism and Holy Communion.
It is not merely the spreading of an idea; it is more like evolution—a biological or superbiological fact.
There is no good trying to be more spiritual than God.
God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature.
That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us.
We may think this rather crude and unspiritual.
God does not: He invented eating.
He likes matter. He invented it."
God does not: He invented eating.
He likes matter. He invented it."
— C.S. Lewis, p. 64 Mere Christianity
4-6:: Gram
That's what we called our grandmother, "Gram."
We loved Gram.
We saw mom's mother often and visited her simple apartment as often as we could.
It had a pool!
Yesterday we were discussing childhood influences regarding Jesus Christ.
I could only recall those precious moments when Gram took care of us over a long weekend when my parents were traveling.
When we were little Gram would bathe us and wrap us in a huge towel, sit in the rocking chair that occupied our large bathroom, and sing to us.
I remember being held tight while she rocked.
I remember feeling safe and secure.
I remember her sweet voice singing to us sweet words about Jesus.
Amazingly, I only recalled this mental picture when others were talking about songs they learned, as a child, from parents.
We each had a difficult time remembering if there were any other Christian influences in our lives beside Sunday school.
And yet, we still managed to grow into the arms of God in Christ Jesus and continue seeking a stronger relationship
with him daily.
Our Creator, God, created us to create . . . not only biologically but spiritually.
We are all "called" to feed others with the love of Christ.
Rocking a baby in my arms and singing, "Jesus loves you, this I know . . . " is a delight to my spirit.
Who knows if those words are the only words this precious creation from God will hear regarding His Son, Jesus Christ.
What JOY fills my soul as I continue the legacy given to me from Gram.
On Fridays, during Lent, it is tradition to walk with Jesus to the Cross via "Stations of the Cross."
The Stations were outside . . . large blocks of Carrara marble with simple sketches on each.
Faces were blank . . . just simple line drawings that were difficult to depict.
A few lines depicted the Cross.
Two X-like strokes depicted the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head.
The simple line of a body depicted Jesus but the crown of thorns was the only identifier.
Then we came to a station that was very clear.
Jesus, carrying the Cross, was greeted by Mary, his mother.
The sketch was the clearest of all . . . chiseled into this Carrara marble.
But I saw more.
I saw a mother and her son . . . their broken hearts connecting.
Jesus’ broken heart for his mother as well as for all humanity.
Mary’s broken heart for her son, knowing he was sinless yet knowing he must die so that humanity would live with God, through his Son, eternally.
Then I briefly glimpsed in my heart, my friend and her son.
I saw the mother grieving for and with her son.
I saw heartbreak.
I then mulled this over a bit.
The Father was with his Son, Jesus at this moment.
The Father and the Son were with Mary at this moment.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are with my friend and her son because of so many prayers from so many who love them both.
God is holding both my friend and her son in the palm of His hand but the pain cannot be avoided.
The heartbreak cannot be avoided.
Instead of asking “What would Jesus do?” . . .
My mind and heart said, “What would Mary do, mother of
her precious son, the son who she had to give to the world?”
What DID Mary do?
She grieved almost to breaking but she grieved while being held up by her Father, God.
She had to let go.
She had no choice.
From the very beginning, Jesus never belonged to his Mother, Mary.
Jesus belonged to the world.
She had to let go.
4-8:: Prepare Ye the Way
Ancient words from scripture.
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.
God prepares the way for each of us if we stop, listen, wait and understand what God is telling us.
So why would these words come to me today?
Is it because I am preparing words for Maundy Thursday?
Perhaps.
Moses prepared the way for the Hebrew people to flee from bondage in Egypt after too many years as slaves to pharaoh.
God gave Moses directions which he shared with all who chose to begin a new life.
"Be prepared!
Dress as if you must flee at any moment.
Prepare bread without yeast so that the bread will rise quickly for baking.
Prepare enough bread to carry on your journey out of Egypt."
"Prepare an unblemished lamb by draining it of its blood and cooking it on the open fire.
Prepare your homes by splashing the posts and lintel with the lamb's blood to protect the first born male, human and animal, from the angel of death.
Eat the sacrificed lamb until you are more than full and then burn the rest so that there is nothing left.
Remain in your homes until the last plague has finished crossing the land, the angel of death . . . who will smite all first born who are not covered by the blood of the sacrificial lamb.
Remain in your home until the signal is given.
Then make haste and follow me," says Moses.
Then, as now, there is much to do to prepare for this most holy time.
As the Jews prepare for passover feast, Christians gather to remember the New passover, the new covenant, the sacrificial lamb given for all, Jesus Christ.
4-9:: Palms to Passion
A grand procession with waving palms greets the day.
Rousing hymns filled with hope and expectation.
The grand entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is brief . . . almost missed in this long service.
After much jubilation the tone changes.
Two faces of Christ's life, back to back . . .
Why do we change tone from jubilation to tragedy in one service?
Can't we carry this pageant over several days?
The answer is a resounding, "YES."
That's what Holy Week is all about.
We walk to the Cross with Jesus . . . one step at a time.
Each day tells a bit more of the story until Resurrection Sunday.
No one comes to church every day to follow the story.
Over the decades the lessons have been squeezed into a mini-blast on Palm Sunday.
"Let's throw it all at them," someone seemed to think.
"Let's tell the whole story, skipping major parts, so they at least get the gist of the tragedy before Resurrection Sunday."
Sadly, no one thinks that we must walk the walk with Jesus, dying with Him . . .on the Cross before we can begin to understand resurrected life.
Jesus must die.
Yet, we are too squeamish to dwell too long on the subject.
The searing words in scripture are enough to make the heart stop.
It's too bad.
Salvation means death for all of us.
Death to the old life, to self focus, to wants over needs, to seeking needs of self over needs of others.
Jesus did not have to die.
He had all the power to vanish in the midst of his arrest in the garden.
Yet, Jesus knew his purpose on this earth.
Jesus came to die for us . . . to shed his blood . . . to cover us so that we might live . . . eternally with God and be seen by God as unblemished . . . unblemished as the 'Lamb' who was slain for us.
4-10:: Holy Week: a time for examination
We spend the entire week walking with Jesus on His journey to the Cross but do we reflect upon our own journey to the Cross?
I have taken this year's 'walk to the Cross with Christ' more seriously than most.
Perhaps it's because I have a bit more time to reflect upon my own life - where my journey has taken me and how I might continue my journey with Christ.
Am I 'right' with God?
Am I truly losing my life so others might live just as Jesus Christ did for us?
What is God's purpose for me today?
Has it changed from last year, last month, last week?
It was suggested that I review the Sacrament of Reconciliation in St. Augustine's Prayer Book.
I was amazed at the depth of questions that I could use to search my soul in order to prepare myself to confess, be
The preparation is lengthy.
Much introspection.
Much prayer.
Much soul searching as I ask forgiveness for all that might be blocking me from "being" for the Lord . . . simply being.
I breathe deep.
"Onward," says the brave part of me.
"Halt," says the deceiver.
"Go ahead," says God's Spirit within me, " what a great opportunity to walk more deeply into the presence of the Lord."
So, I go forth bravely knowing that God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit is guiding me in this examination of self for the sacrament of reconciliation.
4-11:: Passover Begins
Because, as a Christian, I am 'grafted in' to the Old Covenant.
Their story is the foundation to my story.
When God sent Moses to rescue the Israelites from Egypt after centuries in captivity, the exodus from enslavement to pharaoh drew the hebrew people into the embrace of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The miracle of the Passover, the passing over of the plague of death on the first born male (both human and animal) was the salvation experience of these hebrew people.
The 'mandate' that God gave them to worship the one God and leave all idols behind was their new beginning.
Those who chose to follow God through Moses were mandated to kill an unblemished lamb that is not more than a year old.
Splash the blood of the lamb on the posts and the lintel of each home.
Roast the lamb at twilight of the fourteenth day of this first month, all households at the same time.
Eat until full and burn the rest so that there is nothing left.
All were mandated to remain inside their homes, dressed and ready to flee when the signal was given to all.
Those who trusted the ones sent by God would follow, trusting that this new beginning would bring them back into the presence of God.
God's people were mandated to remember this Passover every year . . . to never forget.
To this day Passover is celebrated and has been expanded into a long celebration with all the foods and scriptures that remind God's people of their salvation experience.
4-12:: Hail Holy Queen
Today is another day of reflection and preparation for the most holy days of the week . . . year.
I'm ever-so-slowly reading the book, Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn. Here is a quote he scribed from Turtullian (p.44). I had to read it several times to digest these words:
"For it was while Eve was yet a virgin that the ensnaring word had crept into her ear which was to build the edifice of death. Into a virgin's soul, in like manner, must be introduced the Word of God which was to raise the fabric of life; so that what had been reduced to ruin by this sex might by the selfsame sex be recovered to salvation. As Eve believed the serpent, so Mary believed the angel. The delinquency which the one occasioned by believing, the other effaced by believing."
4-13:: Maundy Thursday . . . Mandate . . . Command
Today we begin the Triduum, the three days we go to the Cross with Christ.
It is a sad, holy time that few are willing to embrace but it is also a time to come face to face with Christ and lay our own challenges at His feet.
A leader becomes a servant to wash the feet of others and remind them that a leader is always a servant first.
The one who is served, whose feet are washed, is prepared for leadership.
We are given the command that Jesus gave His disciples at His last passover,"Just as I have loved you, love one another."
With servant's hearts we are commanded to love one another.
Then we share the New Covenant Passover - bread and wine consecrated, prayed over, to invite the Holy Spirit to change it into the full Presence of God in Christ, the body and blood of Christ that was poured out for us.
Then the altar and the sanctuary are stripped of everything
that points to the Presence of our Lord - all is bare.
And the 'sacrament' is taken into a little garden where followers keep vigil, watching over His Presence . . . following His journey to the Cross.
I enjoy an online meditation daily and found these words from the Blessed Mother Teresa that speak to this day:
"I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus - one to one- you and Jesus alone.
We may spend time in the chapel- but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love?
Do you really know the living Jesus - not from books but from being with Him in your heart?
Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you?
Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it.
Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying 'I thirst' in the hearts of the poor.
Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person - not just the idea."
4-14:: Saturday silence then the New Light!
Today we sense a silence from God.
Or, at least, the liturgy that carries us, with Jesus, to the Cross is silent.
We are dumbstruck.
Empty.
Too sad . . . tears shed . . . grieving with the Marys who remained at the foot of the Cross with faithful John.
The church is empty of any symbols that beckon us to walk into God's presence.
No color, no bling, no music, no eucharistic feast, no smells to remind us of our sweet salvation.
Empty.
Jesus is laid in the tomb until Jewish sabbath is over.
We wait with those who mourn Jesus' death on the Cross.
We wait and pray and meditate on words given to us in Scripture.
Powerful, filling words . . . but still feeling . . .
Empty.
The Paschal candle, the candle reminds us of the passover lamb, the sacrificial Lamb, whose blood was poured out for us on the Cross . . . Jesus, the Christ.
Outside, a fire is lit and the Paschal candle is lit with this 'new fire' . . . the new light . . . that will burn throughout the Easter season until Pentecost.
The newly lit candle is carried into the dark worship space. We see nothing but this tiny flicker of light as we hear, "The Light of Christ" three times until the candle is brought to rest in a prominent place near the altar.
We see a 'flicker' of Christ's light in a world darkened by His absence.
The Exultet is sung, a-capella, slowly . . . the song of new light.
As the 'light' grows brighter we see this huge candle before us, 2 inches wide and 36 inches tall, with the large Cross painted on the front.
The Greek letters "Alpha" and "Omega," signify that God is the beginning and the end.
The painted numbers of the current year represent God's presence . . . God with us . . . now . . . and forever.
Five grains of incense (most often red) are imbedded in the candle, encased in wax "nails," to represent the five wounds of Jesus: three nails that pierced his hands and feet, the wound of the spear thrust into his side, and the thorns that crowned his head.
Then the story begins: the first salvation experience . . . the Exodus . . . through our story of salvation . . . Resurrection.
4-16:: ALLELUIA, HE is Risen!
In the wee hours of night a flicker of light pierces the darkness.
The deacon brings the huge Paschal candle, burning a flicker of light, down the darkened aisle as he sings, "The Light of Christ," and the people sing in response, "Thanks be to God."
The First Light, Jesus Christ, enters the darkness after a time of darkness, emptiness, grief and sense of loss after Maundy Thursday.
From Easter Vigil to early pre-dawn services all over the world, the Light of Christ re-enters our worship.
A sigh of relief and release from our fast of a most joyous word: ALLELUIA!
Fasting from whatever we choose during lent seems, to me, to be nothing compared to fasting from ALLELUIA.
What JOY to hear those words as the dawn grows into daylight, as we celebrate our Risen Christ.
What JOY to say these words to one another after the service: ALLELUIA, Christ is Risen . . . He is risen indeed, ALLELUIA.
4-17:: Refresh
It's a new dawn of a new day.
The sun rose slowly after the first rain in months.
The ground sucked up the droplets of water so fast that there was little sign of the storm.
It's like Jesus' resurrection.
Other than the 'unfound' easter egg, few would know that yesterday was the grandest celebration of the year.
Few think about the ramifications of resurrection . . . for us!
God created us to be with him forever but mortality challenges this promise.
Unless God is present within us, God with us, Emmanuel, Jesus, the Christ, our mortality cuts off our foreverness-with-God.
How can we live after we die unless God is within us?
How can God come to live within us unless we invite God not only to 'reside' within us but to 'preside' over our lives?
When we invite God to live within us, we invite ALL of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus during this Eastertide by celebrating our own life . . . our own death to self . . . and resurrection into foreverness with God.
What JOY it is to know, deep in my heart, that the Holy Spirit is directing my path as I give him permission to do so.
God is polite.
I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.
I am joyful that Jesus shows me how to live the resurrected life while still walking among 'unresurrected' friends.
I feel renewed energy to give away joy and gladness in my desire to be all I can so others might make the same choice.
Celebration of the resurrection of our Lord refreshes me.
I can't help it.
I used this little ditty a few years ago.
Happy Eastertide!
4-18:: "Very Interesting."
Years ago, when we invited seekers to dinner and conversation at church, we were instructed to say, "Very interesting," when one might make a statement that was jarring, off the grid, out of the box.
We discovered that by simply listening and loving them through these perplexing statements about their view of
Jesus Christ, trust would develop and then questions might come forth.
Over the years I have found this statement to be useful in most conversations.
"Very interesting" is most likely a noncommittal acknowledgment that 'I heard what you said and I am digesting the information.'
At least it's a way of inviting more statements and/or questions.
Questions are very good.
I ought to know.
I never cease to ask questions.
Today I have another question that I will float up into the air for someone to catch.
I've asked it many times over the years with no valid response, in my opinion.
Here it is: "Why do we move directly from the resurrection of Jesus Christ into the 'acts of the Apostles' when we should be waiting the full forty days until the Ascension and then another ten days until Pentecost . . . in the same way the Apostles and all the disciples of Christ waited?"
I have a theory about this. Jesus instituted the New Covenant at the "last Passover," a time when Jesus also set apart the twelve (soon to be eleven) to lead the New Covenant people.
When Christ Jesus was crucified, we entered a new time and space.
God altered our thinking, our understanding, when Jesus rose from the dead.
This 'new' life with God, through His Son Jesus the Christ, ushered in a new perspective with a very definite paradigm shift.
Instead of living into and through the scriptures of the old covenant, Jews were invited to step up to a new chapter with new insights, with this new beginning.
What a better place to begin but with the book of Acts.
The Holy Spirit floods Jerusalem as Peter is sending out words given to him by God.
The swirl of the Holy Spirit seems to say, "Return to God's space, return to a new way of seeing and being and understanding."
Only through the book of Acts can we embrace this incredible paradigm shift.
Only by receiving the miracle of the resurrection and saying 'yes' to the power of the Holy Spirit that we invite into our souls can we see the New Light in a new way . . .God in the flesh/God the Divine.According to the liturgical calendar, the only time to review the book of Acts, the 'actions of the Apostles,' and the actions of the Holy Spirit as the Apostles went forth to tell the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit, is between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost.
It just seems odd to me that we jump right into the wild and wonderful blessings from the Holy Spirit before we celebrate the 'coming' of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
That said, we also celebrate a new era, a new way of thinking. Wise theologians realized this need to immerse us in new miracles and return to the foundation of Christianity (the Old Testament) after we celebrate Pentecost.
I guess the response to my query is "Very interesting."
That said, we also celebrate a new era, a new way of thinking. Wise theologians realized this need to immerse us in new miracles and return to the foundation of Christianity (the Old Testament) after we celebrate Pentecost.
I guess the response to my query is "Very interesting."
4-19:: Now that it's over . . .
So much happened in Holy Week that I barely had a moment to think about the Saint that took the final bracket for Lent
Madness.
It was nip and tuck and I was rooting for Franz Jagerstatter, the farmer who refused to join the ranks of the Nazis and was martyred.
Alas, the faithful and true Florence Nightingale, tender of sick and dying soldiers, is the new face on the mug that is distributed annually.
It seems silly to be voting for different personalities just when we go deep into the darkness with Jesus on his way to the cross.
Perhaps it is because of the pain and anguish we feel during our long journey to the cross with Jesus during Lent that calls for a bit of relief.
I most certainly learned about a number of godly men and women who gave their lives so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ could feed souls, heal bodies and draw millions into the loving arms of God in Christ.
Now that it's over . . . we can anticipate another group of saints next year whose lives provide a great example of dedication to Christ.
4-20:: Holy Boldness with Prayer
Our prayer ministry at church is totally amazing.
It begins with gathering those who have a heart for pastoral care and training them to be what God called them to be.
It's simply re-assuring each 'seeker' that scriptures in Luke, the healing scriptures, are viable today and that we, as disciples of Christ Jesus, have the holy boldness to pray the promises of scripture over those who wish prayer.
The training is from the Order of Saint Luke (OSL), begun decades ago, and is used with any Christian church that abides by a rule of life dictated by the Order of Saint Luke.
These OSL people, myself included, are required to spend time each day meditating on scripture and praying about our own life in Christ as we move forward in our journey and then praying for others when prayer for ourselves is finished.
There are over twenty people who meet weekly to pray specifically for each individual in church who desires prayer. They also call, visit or take Holy Communion to those they have prayed for as they are assigned.
This takes a lot of pray-ers.
In addition, the OSL trained people meet monthly for follow-up and further training and any of those who wish to pray outside our Thrift Store after the meeting are invited to do so.
Today was the third time we prayed outside the Thrift Shoppe with wonderful results.
Half dozen people desired prayer and welcomed our invitation to pray with them.
Their prayer needs were the normal trend, nothing wild and crazy.
It was simply our willingness to offer prayer and their willingness to receive prayer that was so powerful.
Holy boldness on both parts, because of the Holy Spirit nudging us, enabled God to be so very present within us all for this brief moment of time.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us the Holy Boldness to follow through with Your invitation to pray.
4-21:: Christ will come again . . .
In preparation for receiving holy communion each Sunday,
prayers are said over the bread and wine.
The Priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to come as they are consecrated.
The congregation responds to part of the prayers with the words:
Christ has died
Christ has risen
Christ will come again
We have walked with Jesus Christ to the Cross and have grieved His death.
We celebrated the glory of His resurrection.
But what do we mean by "Christ will come again"?
It is assumed that we await Christ Jesus' return at the end of time but I've been absorbing a new perspective by Scott Hahn.
In essence Scott, a lay person, invites us to think of Christ's 'coming again' as coming to us each time we receive communion.
That's a wonderful thought.
Christ comes into me, again, each time I feed on Him.
This heavenly banquet fills me to overflowing each time I receive the consecrated bread and wine, his body and blood, as Jesus told us at His last Passover.
What a JOY to know I am walking in God's kingdom at this moment, receiving God's heavenly banquet more often than just on Sunday, knowing that Christ has come into my body and soul each time I receive holy communion.
Christ will come again . . .
Wonderful food for thought.
4-22:: The Dance!
Hubby wanted to go to a dance . . . at a country club . . . as part of a fundraiser for veterans.
We have not danced in twenty years!
This meant we had to unearth our dancing shoes, dig out our dressy clothes and polish ourselves up a bit.
The clothes were not too much of a problem.
Hubby had a nice jacket and great ties.
I have a skirt I refused to get rid of even if I have had little chance to wear it for years.
We were ready to go.
Except the shoes.
Dancing shoes?
Hubby's rubber soled, sturdy walking shoes were not meant for the dance floor.
I discovered my pretty shoes that I delight to wear for dressy occasions actually have non-slip soles!
That did not stop us.
We danced anyway.
We were a bit rusty as we had not twirled and swirled for so long that we were way out of practice.
Of course, those who have been dancing every weekend for their entire life got up to dance first.
What a beautiful show they put on.
As the night went on, others got up to dance.
Here we all were, a bunch of gray haired, aging grandparents and great grandparents dancing the night away.
One incredible couple seemed to share their love story as they delicately moved through amazing jitterbug steps.
I figure they are parents of five or six and grandparents of who knows how many.
The music of our youth blared through the room as we, youthful at heart, danced as if we were teens.
The evening was a delight . . . and raised thousands for homeless and disabled vets.
I'll always remember THE DANCE.
4-23:: Thomas the doubter or was it deep grief?
But, if we look at his history with Jesus, it could very well be a reaction of deep grief after losing the One in whom he has banked his entire life.
Think about it.
Thomas answered the call, "Come, follow ME."
He gave nearly three years of his life to listening, learning and action when Jesus taught his disciples how to bring God's love to fellow Jews . . . and anyone else who wanted the healing touch of Jesus.
Thomas was the first one to step up to the plate when Jesus left the safety of Galilee to return to the town near Jerusalem where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived.
It was Thomas who goaded the other disciples to come along, knowing full well they all might be killed. "Lets all go with Jesus even if it means we all die."
Yet, weeks later, Thomas may have been devestated when he observed the utter humiliation and excruciating death of Jesus without seeing Jesus defend himself one bit.
Thomas gave up.
Instead of hovering together with his peers in order to console and be consoled as one group, Thomas set himself apart from the community which could have helped him with his grief.
Was it lack of trust in all that he had believed?
Had his years of seeing old covenant prophecy come alive as he walked with Jesus suddenly dissolved from his mind and soul?
What prompted Thomas to go another direction?
By choosing to leave the loving community where he had bonded for three years, Thomas' grief may have lasted longer than his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thomas needlessly wasted hours of tears and bereavement because he did not hear, see or touch the risen Christ a week earlier.
Thomas also missed the blessed moment when Jesus called upon the Holy Spirit to come into his disciples.
Jesus could have visited Thomas in his dark, alone space but knew it was not time.
Not until Thomas chose to return to the Christ-centered community who loved him just as he was, did Jesus return to show Thomas the scars on his body.Jesus only had to call out Thomas' name and show himself in Thomas' presence.
In the midst of those he loved . . . and who loved him . . . Thomas finally connected with God in Christ by saying, "My Lord and my God."
Thomas ended up in the western part of India where, even today, proud Christian communities recall the stories of their ancestors . . . how they were discipled by Thomas, the Apostle.
4-24:: Scripture Reading Today
I'm reading another book by N.T. Wright.
It is called, Scripture and the Authority of God: How to read the bible today.
It's actually not about how to dig into God's Word but how to read scripture without putting our 21st century spin on it.
In fact, how to read the scripture without putting a 16th century spin on it or a 400BC spin on it.
Wright reminds the reader to learn about the people of Jesus' day when reading the New Testament.
They had 'advanced' from the more primitive years of King David.
God sent Jesus to be the New Covenant.
In so doing, God the Father works through his son, Jesus, to build our personal relationship and renewal of worship with God in this New Covenant life.
God's chosen people are invited into a new phase of growth and worship that extends from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
If Gentiles want to join the ranks of followers, they are invited to come along.
I'm only half-way through the book but can see how our modern 'philosophies' over the centuries have twisted scripture to meet our own needs.
We have taken a premise and wrapped scripture around it to suit ourselves.
What if we step back, read the passage in the context of the entire story, from Genesis to Revelation, and see the overarching Truth that is repeated throughout the old and new covenants.
God created us in his image to love us and be loved by us.
God is our all in all.
Nothing must distract us from acknowledging God as our Creator and Promise-giver.
God chose to carry his covenant through the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then from Jacob's offspring, the twelve tribes of Israel, to the world today.
God chose to carry his covenant through the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then from Jacob's offspring, the twelve tribes of Israel, to the world today.
4-25:: Celebration of Saint Mark
Mark was one of the seventy who followed Christ.
He was born to Jewish parents living in Libya in North Africa who later settled in Cana of Galilee.
That's where John wrote of the first 'sign' of Jesus' divinity, at the wedding in Cana.
Mark was related to Saint Paul through his father so when Mark's parents died, Paul was like a father to Mark.
Mark must have been quite young when he experienced his missionary journeys with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas, as written by Luke.
From his own experience and from the full immersion of life in Christ, Mark was able to write the first of the four Gospels.
The other Gospels drew from Mark's words as well as other documents when sharing God's presence through the life of Jesus Christ.
Mark traveled to Egypt, founded the church there and was martyred in Alexandria in 68 AD.
Today we celebrate Mark's life and ministry.
What a joy to know that God chose Mark, relative of Peter, the leader of the new 'Christian' church, to write one of the earliest Gospels.
4-26:: Swirl, Spin . . . one more time
Some days are just crazy no matter how much I try to pace myself.
At least one week a month seems to have all my 'monthly' meetings.
But, today seemed to be 'deadline' day.
Of course, it's my own fault.
I set goals that are challenging and some meetings seem to squeeze into my schedule.
We are already planning for next December and January.
It's a good thing.
I already set some challenging goals for the summer that will bear fruit next year.
In so doing, I needed to let others know that I'll be available to teach and give seminars on specific dates that are now set in stone!
This will give me the incentive to keep moving forward instead of getting too lazy.
Yet, I also spin and swirl through days like today in order to grasp all the fun moments and tuck them inside deadlines.
So today I finished taking notes in N.T. Wright's book so that I might return it to my friend.
I had just enough time to practice words I would share at mass about Thomas (so brave until Jesus was crucified and then he lost his 'brave.')
This was followed by a long planning meeting for next year.
I got home just in time to say HI to hubby, grab my materials and head out to teach "Going Deeper."
Then I changed into 'having-fun' clothes before we enjoyed a fabulous meal and conversation at the home of new friends.
This is why my 'daily' blog-notes sometimes are not written until a day or two later.
We plopped into bed after we got home, pleasingly exhausted from a rather packed day of swirling and spinning.
4-27:: Listening
I thought I had done enough active listening last night but that was mild compared to my lunch meeting with a friend I had not seen in years.
I shared the story of my journey these past years, omitting reams of details and simply highlighting major turning
points.
I did not want to bore her with endless stories of ME.
Little did I know that she loves the long trail of details when sharing her story.
I asked her a simple question about a mutual friend who died unexpectedly and I heard a thirty minute description of the six years leading up to her death.
All she had to says was, "She died unexpectedly in her sleep and we were all overwhelmed by the sudden loss."
And so I listened . . . and listened . . . and listened.
Almost three hours later I had stretched my allotted time beyond it's limits.
I still had to pack for our Couples Retreat this weekend and run a few errands before fixing hubby a nice dinner.
I loved hearing her stories and was so very glad we could spend time together but I realized that my approach to story telling may be ultra-minimalist in comparison.
Active listening, truly absorbing and responding to another's words, is hard work.
Oh well.
I'm glad I could spend time with this dear old friend and simply listen.
4-28:: Friday!
Thank goodness it is Friday?
We are excited about our little trip but I first meet with our
'grouping' group that has been an important factor in my life ever since I had my Cursillo umpteen years ago.
This group has lost some, gained some and remained steady with a core of faithful attendees.
We have heard all the stories and cried and laughed and prayed until we think we are done praying . . . and then find the need to pray for each other even more.
We are survivors but we are also thrivers.
We have carried each other through so many life-changes and life challenges.
And so, "Fridays" may also change.
So, we choose to take a week to pray about the best 'change' to make.
And so I pray about 'Friday' as we pack to leave on our weekend couples retreat.
We're excited.
It's Friday!
2-29:: FAMILY!
The drive to the retreat was an adventure in itself.
We'd never driven this direction nor have we encountered 'city' traffic that we passed through at the end of our nearly four hour journey.
Hubby did not know that we'd be staying at the edge of a large city on the intercostal waterway.
One minute we are in city traffic and the next minute we overlook total serenity and picturesque views.
We met new friends, listened to other couples tell their stories and enjoyed chatting with the couple who invited us.
Most of the stories were about family and the challenges, as we age, we still cling to as 'matriarch' and 'patriarch.'
Since hubby and I do not have children, we simply listened and pictured ourselves with nieces and nephews.
Couples, families, community, small groups, large groups.
God created us to be with others.
If we have no 'family' we have FAMILY wherever we turn IF we choose to join God's family.
The pace is slow, measured, intentional . . . giving couples time to simply 'be' together.
As we walked the vast expanse of green and enjoyed various places of meditation, including Stations of the Cross, we noticed that nearly every bench (of which there were many) was occupied by couples . . . sitting . . . chatting . . . enjoying
the sun glistening on water and sail boats and breeze and balmy-warm weather.
We felt that we had become part of this 'family.'
We are assured that we will always be part of God's family who is also family: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
NICE!
4-30:: The Long Long Journey
As I listened to the story of the two men walking to Emmaus after Jesus' crucifixion I wondered about that long road
home.
Followers of Christ, so filled with hope for their future, feeling emptied out, undone.
It's like they gave up completely.
They walked away.
They wandered home.
The short walk from Jerusalem must have felt long and difficult.
They walked slowly as they lingered over the events of the previous days.
It does one good to walk and talk as one grieves.
Yet, in their grief they invited this 'other' one to walk with them.They began to share the story to this 'stranger' . . . the story of the crucifixion, of their bewilderment that it even happened.
This 'stranger' began to talk about old covenant prophecy
They knew scripture.
They remembered the words of waiting for a new messiah, anointed one.
In fact, they remembered the words of Jesus.
When the two men invited this stranger into their home for the night (as it was getting late) this stranger broke the bread and blessed it.
The minute Jesus broke the bread they knew.
Jesus' blessing confirmed their knowledge.
The minute they realized this 'stranger' was Jesus, He disappeared.
This story reminds me of my long journey as I walked into the presence of God in Christ.
Yet, I could not see.
Not until I was open to 'seeing' God's Truth could I understand and believe.
It was a long walk but when I understood I was hooked.
My years of walking into God's presence seems as awesome as when the two Emmaus men discovered they were in the full presence of the resurrected Christ.
It's been a long but awesome walk.
