A Decision to Face the Cross and Beyond to Resurrection

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Matthew 26: 36-45   

I saw a program on TV that I have thought of in light of Jesus’ Passion. This particular program is “Babylon 5” on which a group of monks from a monastic order came through the Station. These brothers were followers of “The Teacher,” (a clear reference to Jesus). There was a crew member on “Babylon 5” whose family was murdered and the crew member felt that one of the monks was the murderer.  The brother had been sentenced, re-programmed to forget the crime, and part of his sentence was to serve as a brother who followed “the teacher”.  As time went by, the crew member was able to bring some of the brother’s memory back and recall the horror of the crime.

The interesting thing is that the commander of Babylon 5 spoke to the brother who was struggling what to do with the memory and be faithful to “The Teacher.”  He recalled that “The Teacher was in a garden praying what to do about a life-or-death decision he had to make: stay and teach or leave. The brother monk had a decision too - to leave or stay and face up to his crime and seek forgiveness. The crew member and brother monk meet at which the crew member beats the brother leaving him for dead. The commander finds the dying brother, whose last breath is, “Like the Teacher, I stayed.” He acted in faith to the teachings of “The Teacher.”

Interestingly, the crew member who had murdered the brother was sentenced to be a brother and follower of the Teacher himself. The commander was upset, but the Abbot challenged him saying that “The Teacher” was forgiving and gave everyone a second chance.

We are called upon now to make a decision of faith. Can we make the decision to stay because Jesus stayed?  May the example of Jesus be our example to dare to live as the Teacher lived for us to face the Cross and beyond to the Resurrection.  Amen 

Prayer: O God, we thank You for Jesus, who stayed and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that Your Will be done even as the Cross looms ahead. May we have the courage of faith to live with a faith the encounters the cost of the Cross, but which brings us to a renewal of faith, life and resurrection in Jesus’ name. Amen

Rev. Dr. John J Duling

Words from Psalm 62

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. Psalm 62:5 

The Perfect Gift

Make no mistake, my friends. All good giving, every perfect gift, comes from above, from the Father of the lights of heaven. With him there is no variation, no playing of passing shadows. James 1:17-18 (NEB)

Seeking the warmest, brightest sunlight, I moved my small bulb garden from window to window. As I looked out each window, I began to realize that this little basket of bulbs had been the perfect Christmas gift. The bright flowers would soon bring life back into a room that was left feeling empty and dark after the dismantling of the holiday lights and decorations.

Slowly, the sprouts turned into leaves that pushed their way up through the thick black soil. One morning, a daffodil opened in full bloom. Over the next few days, three more daffodils, four purple crocuses, and a very fragrant white hyacinth bloomed. With each bloom came the feeling of new life.

Observing this blooming process, I felt a kinship with those bulbs. When the circumstances of life bury us in a thick, black darkness, we, too, seek the warmest, brightest light. As we seek, we find our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We find the perfect gift from "the Father of the lights of heaven." As He leads us through the darkness, we, too, begin to bloom again.

Prayer: Father, we are grateful for all Your gifts, but we are especially thankful that You sent the Light of the world. You sent the perfect gift, Your Son, Jesus the Christ, in Whose precious name we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (originally shared in 2006 on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional page)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

 

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Luke 19:28-44

Sanctuary in the Kitchen

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Since we are studying the book Meeting Jesus at the Table during this Lenten season, I was reading The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration (Weston/Woofenden), wondering how it may echo some of the themes of our sermon series. While not necessarily fitting into one particular chapter of Meeting Jesus at the Table, an essay stood out to me: The Kitchen as Sanctuary and Studio.

The authors share how Bruce Reyes-Chow (whose books we have also studied here at Eastridge!) uses his kitchen as a “place to unwind.” This is likely to ring true with those of us who enjoy cooking and baking, while the opposite may be true for those who struggle with these endeavors.

Bruce goes on to say: “there’s something about having a kitchen that’s yours, that is a place you can control, when you’re weighed down by the weight of the world and everything seems so uncontrollable.” In other words, start baking a cake and you’ll take your mind off the worries of the day. You may find peace. Baking, in particular, may lend itself to the “controllable”, as it typically requires strict adherence to the recipe for best results. In the kitchen, Bruce isn’t worried about what others think: he “just gets to create something.” What freedom and power in that! Have you ever considered that when you are whipping up spaghetti and garlic bread for supper?

To me, cooking and baking are like other things: practice makes perfect. Do enough of anything, and it starts to become easier, more manageable, even fun. I like how cooking allows me to experiment with ingredients (I’m a stickler for using what I have on hand and using up leftovers); while baking, as noted above, requires a bit more rigidity with measurements and ingredients.

Where else can we find peace and sanctuary? I think of nature, prayer, fellowship with others, worship. Other places and situations may come to your mind as you contemplate peace and tranquility, and the presence of God. The more we head there when we crave God’s restfulness (wherever “there” may be for you!), the more we can experience that peace. Again: practice makes perfect!

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to find sanctuary in You. Show me ways to find peace, restfulness, and your calming presence in my life, whether it’s heading out on a nature walk, or spending time in a quiet place in prayer. Help me to turn to you when I need the peace that only you can give. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

The Gift of Spring and Easter

One morning, while away, I woke around noon. When your hostess works, and others slumber, it is easy to also rest the day away.

My cup at my late breakfast featured love and one passage caught my eye. “Love comforts like sunshine after rain”. For some weird reason, I felt love surround me and so virtually I began walking the home-made path behind my daughter’s home. Beautiful cedars, small pines, tall bluestem grass and visions of flowers to come filled my mind. I slowly came back to finish my breakfast, but it was easy to check the bird feeder from the table. No bird was there but I knew it was too early for their afternoon feeding.

On my way to dress for the day, I found myself in awe of what a beautiful world God has made for us. But what a greater gift he has given us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…whomever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

March has come and I am home again. North winds blow and snow covers the ground but we turn to each other for the outpouring of love, then April and the cross will loom on the horizon.

We will hold our loved ones in our hands, maybe visit foreign lands, begin again to enjoy companionship of old and new friends and relatives. But we will remember the promise of everlasting life as we once again watch the world return to green and flowers and trees begin to grow welcoming the warmth. Christ The Lord is Risen.

Carolyn Olsen

Words from Proverbs

One who pays attention to the word will find good, and blessed is one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20