Joy in the Journey

  See I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Romans 9:33 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2a   The other day I was sent a link to the most adorable video of Down syndrome kids dancing to a popular song. Later in the day I was telling my friend Mary about it and when I named the song and the artist I mispronounced his name. She commented on the song and my mangling of his name. When I told her I’d never heard of him or the song prior to that day she was shocked. “Where have you been living?” She asked me. “Under a rock?” I laughed, not at all offended, she knows me so well, and said, no. I then explained how a lot of secular things escape my notice. This morning that conversation came back to me as I was reading Scripture and thinking of other songs, different songs. One lyric ra...

  Peter replies, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Matthew 26: 33-34 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. Luke 22:21 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed , took bread and when he had given, thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which if for you, do this in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (emphasis mine) “On the night he was betrayed.” In his letter to the Corinthians Paul refers to the events of the Last Supper, labeling them by those words, “on the night he was betrayed.” Today is Holy Thursday. In liturgical churches there is often a reenactment of the events at the table, the foot washing and the first celebration of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. It is the beginning of the end of the beginning. Jesu...

What to Wear Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:25 This morning while I was getting ready for work, I was saying to myself, what to wear, what to wear and this verse popped into my head. The first thing I thought was that if I had given it a little more concern last night, I wouldn’t be wasting precious morning minutes on it. Then something a little more weighty crossed my mind. There I was standing in front of my “main” closet, the one in which I keep the clothes appropriate for the current weather. Keep in mind these aren’t designer anybody clothes. It’s pretty much store brand, what was on sale and I had a coupon stuff but still, I have plenty of choices. So there I stood, taking into account the weather outside, the temperature in our classroom and what I had going on during the day. As I gazed at pa...