Easter Sunday, 2009

EASTER SCRIPTURE READINGS
He is Risen!  Alleluia!

Is there any better Easter story summary than Peter’s?

Acts 10:34-43

34Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all.37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear,41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Saturday, April 4, 2009, Lent Day 34

Today’s Scripture Readings

The Church is ALIVE!

A PC(USA) video resource of people simply telling stories of how they see the church is ALIVE in their congregation.

Check it out  by clicking here!

Friday, April 3, 2009, Lend Day 33

Today’s Scripture Readings

In the first three days of our trip we had already visited five churches in Northern Ireland in search of Janet’s family history.

Later that week we were in the Republic of Ireland two historic churches were recommended for a tour: St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral, both are Church of Ireland (Anglican/Episcopal). We learned that there was an evensong service at 3:30 PM, at Christ Church which was to feature the Cathedral adult and Cathedral girl choirs. We agreed it would be better to attend a service there than to take a tour of the building.

We got there early and we took our seats. The seats were just like home to us as each seat was a separate and chair, rather plain (wooden), especially in comparison to the architectural features of the cathedral which date from the twelfth century. The service itself was quite formal, “high church,” if you will. In typical Episcopal fashion it began with a procession of the choirs, deacons, ministers and a generous supply of smoke from burned incense. The crucifix was brought down the aisle covered in a purple cloth. We thought about what we had in common with these worshippers: the season of Lent and the liturgical color of purple used because it can symbolize pain and suffering, and therefore mourning and penitence.

So many parts of the service were the antithesis to what we are accustomed: the ministers wore highly decorated, ornate robes. and they were very solemn in appearance. The ritual was a distraction to us, though it helped us to appreciate our Presbyterian heritage and the simplicity with which we practice our style of worship. Janet felt close to God when she closed her eyes to the ritual, the architecture and the curiosity about those who were seated around us and she could focus on God and prayer.

Henry was moved by the beauty and clarity of voices heard in a place where voices and bells have pealed for centuries in love for God. The service provided us the experience for solitude and the opportunity to pray.

It was special not just because we were in a historic, medieval building but because we could connect to God.

When we drove in to Balmoral this past Sunday we observed the purple cloth blowing in the wind on the wooden cross and remembered the purple cloth which covered a cross in Dublin.

Submitted by Janet and Henry Bartosch

Thursday, April 2, 2009, Lent Day 32

Today’s Scripture Readings

Things that make you go “hmm…”

In Romans, Paul is struggling with the full inclusion of both Gentiles and Jews.  Indeed, to community to which he writes has fully embraced the Gentiles as followers of Jesus, but the question remains whether the Jews are still the chosen ones of God.

Paul responds, in part, “11So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!”

What Paul is saying is that the good news of God’s grace is for all people.  And, yes, the chosen stumble, but how great is God’s inclusive grace and love when both the undeserving and the stumbling are embraced by it.

Romans 11:6 “6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

Ivan Herman

Tuesday, March 31, 2009, Lent Day 30

Today’s Scripture Readings

From the April 2009 issue of Sojourners Magazine (see Balmoral’s periodical rack for a hard copy).

Lent

By Nicholas Samaras

How the earth now
struggles into spring.

How the cold hangs on,
each morning cracking to begin.

And in the evenings—to eat now
with no salt, no pepper or seasoning,

to give up any kind of leaven,
to drink only water, uncooled.

How we turn off the television.
How we teach our children best

by our practice.
How we grow thin with desire

for letting go. How nothing much
is as important as we thought.

How the less we speak,
the more valuable words become.

Nicholas Samaras’s first book, Hands of the Saddlemaker, won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award.

Monday, March 30, 2009, Lent Day 29

Today’s Scripture Reading

Ah Lent. The gloomiest season of the church calendar. And it seems so wrong. I mean, spring is arriving the the world is bursting into color and whatnot and then…Lent. It starts with Ash Wednesday, in which we’re reminded that “to dust we shall return” and towards the end is Good Friday. With almost 40 days in between. The Lenten season has a distinct lack of pomp surrounding it also — no carols, no candles, no wreaths, no candy (not until Easter), etc. It’s easy to treat Lent as just forty days to get through before it’s okay to be happy in church again. (Just kidding, but you know what I mean.) But that’s NOT what Lent is about. To me, Lent is about laying your life out in front of you and considering it carefully. What IS my life all about? What exactly am I doing here? And it isn’t easy to be honest with myself. I have to ask myself, “If I do these things, what type of a person does that make me? Will I be able to look back on my actions and be proud, or will I wish that I could go back and do it all over again?” Lent is about making decisions, resolutions, whatever it is I see needs to be done to give my life real value. THAT’s what Lent is about. Not about feeling guility for what I’ve done, but about feeling hope and determination about what I can and will do. That’s what Lent means to me.

Anna Rollosson

Saturday, March 28, 2009, Lent Day 28

Today’s Scripture Reading

Today Is My Lucky Day

When I opened my eyes this morning, the sun was shining.  I  spent the night with my Mother and when she woke up, she was happy and feeling great.  I stepped outside and felt the warm sun (I really don’t like to be cold) and thought this is going to be a good day.  I went to the dentist and had no cavities and even had a credit on my account – that really started me thinking today is my lucky day.  I went to the gas station and was asked by the all knowing gas pump if I wanted ten cents off each gallon.  My luck was continuing.  On to Starbucks where I had a little more than I thought on my gift card.  The day was shaping up better than I could have imagined.  To the Collierville Post Office I headed where there is always, always a line and well you know it… not one person there but me and I even got a dollar refund for turning in a key.  Homeward bound, where in the mail, the State of Tennessee kindly told me they were sending a little money my way.  How could my day get better?  Believe it or not, it did.  I went to choir practice and sat on the row of altos with Karen, RJ, Lynn and Fran.

Before choir started, we talked about families and such.  Led by Noel, we sang our hearts out.  At the end of choir, we talked and prayed for those in need.  And out on the sidewalk, where some of the best talk takes place, we heard all about a trip to New Zealand and Australia.  I left the Balmoral parking lot full of music and church family.

My reason for telling this is that I believe in the midst of Lent, where I’m feeling a bit guilty for not keeping up too well with my chosen discipline, that there’s room for a lucky day or two or three.  I have been introspective and meditative and just like the cherry tree that’s changing, I’m changing too.  Even with my haphazard Lenten promise, I “get” it.  Lent, a lucky day, and  the promise of Easter.

Robin Ashworth

Friday, March 27, 2009, Lent Day 27

Today’s Scripture Readings

During his forty days in the wilderness, Jesus came face to face with his humanity.  Being separated from followers and family, being a victim of rigorous conditions of the desert he met and overcame temptations and persuasiveness of evil’s attractions.  He returned to society with a clear, reconciled understanding of his role and his future among people.  He had fortified himself for the coming ordeal.

Perhaps this is what we are asked to consider during our Lenten experience.  Throughout our forty days we are encouraged to deny some pleasure and focus our thoughts on what our role will be following the glory of Easter.

Lent is our time to examine our commitment and develop a plan by which we become willing, productive instruments in the ongoing work of God’s Kingdom.  Old time preachers labeled it “Revival and Rededication.”  Can we dare to do less in gratitude for our Redemption?

By Dorothy Stockdale

Thursday, March 26, 2009, Lent Day 26

Today’s Scripture Readings

A Prayer of St. Benedict

Born in the year 480, Benedict of Nursia may have never intended to form a religious order, but was trying to create a way of Christian community that is disciplined in spirit and in administration.

One of the hallmarks of Benedictine spirituality is Hospitality!

By Ivan Herman

Monday-Wednesday, March 23-25, 2009

Monday’s Scripture Readings
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings

John 6:33-35

Jesus says, 33″For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Just as in John 3:16, Jesus is agent of transformation for the world — not just the people in the world.  The Greek word for ‘world’ is kosmos (cosmos), which bears the more ancient root of kolumbos, which means to tend, care for, or organize.  It calls us to remember that God is the originator and creator of all things, and that God continues to order the world and care for it.  If Jesus is the bread of life for the world, then it is evidence of God’s continuing care and provision for the whole of creation.

By Ivan Herman

My apologies for missing a couple days of meditations/devotions for this week.  I lost my internet connection at home (from where I work on this blog).  But more than that I always need authors and submitters for this blog.

If you have a thought you would like to share as a part of this blog, please contact me at:  ivanh[at]balmoralpc.com