The Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2010

Last week our Grace Group got together for our small group Bible study time at one of our member’s homes.  Before we began our Bible study we had a few ice breaker questions we each got a chance to respond to.  One of them was, “what do you like to do in your spare time.”    People mentioned going for a walk, playing golf, working out, reading a book.  I have to say I was a little embarrassed about my answer.  Thankfully, I was among friends so I knew they wouldn’t judge me.  But I had to say that my favorite pastime is probably watching TV with a big bowl of popcorn.  It sounds like such a waste of time – especially when I said it out loud – but that’s what I would probably choose to do if I could do whatever I wanted. 

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The Third Sunday of Easter, April 18, 2010

When are you at your best?  Where do you shine?

Is it in the kitchen trying out a new recipe?

Is it out in the garage – repairing and building?

Is it throwing a party or hosting friends in your home?

Is it making a presentation at work or analyzing data?

Is it writing a paper? Creating a work of art?  Making music?  Pursuing athletics?

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The Second Sunday of Easter, April 11, 2010

There are certain people who, when they walk into a room, something happens.  When a judge enters a courtroom, everyone stands.  When the boss walks in, everyone starts to look busy.  When the president makes his appearance, you hear the song, “Hail to the Chief.”  When a celebrity walks into a room people begin to point and whisper. 

There are some people who, when they walk into a room, bring an aura with them.  The mood of the room changes just by stepping into it.   You probably know someone like this.

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The Resurrection of Our Lord, April 4, 2010

Where is he?

Today is a day of great joy.  For Christians it is the happiest day of the year as we celebrate the fact that death could not hold Jesus down.  The cross is empty and now the tomb is empty too!  Jesus is alive!  And how could you not be happy to hear that earth-shattering news?

And yet the empty tomb did not bring immediate joy to the women and the disciples on Easter morning.   Easter morning for them was filled with more questions than answers and more confusion that happiness.  When the women went to the tomb with their spices early in the morning, we are told that “they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”   The angel that greeted them in the empty tomb confirmed what they found.  “He is not here,”  he said.  That’s not what they wanted to hear.  They reported all this to the disciples.  Peter went to see for himself.  He saw strips of linen lying there, but no Jesus.  And “he went away,” Luke says, “wondering to himself what had happened.”  They saw with their own eyes that Jesus was not in the tomb, but they were all left with a question, “Where is he?”

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Maundy Thursday, April 1, 2010

What are the most important words in the Bible?  If you had to choose right here right now the words in the Bible that are most important which would they be? 

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Palm Sunday, Sunday of the Passion, March 28, 2010

There are many paintings of the passion of Christ.  There are several films made of it, the most recent and noteworthy being Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.  We have all seen these visual portrayals and had different reactions to them.  But today we have no visual, no reenactment.  All we have are the words of Scripture from the Gospel of Luke.  And I am always amazed that these ancient familiar words have power to create a response in us.

What is your response to this story?  How do you respond to the Passion?

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