A dream of heaven

I like that this was written in the first person - it makes it more understandable, and definitely easier for a kid to imagine (of course, the pictures always help).

The power of interpretation of Revelations is pretty amazing - I'd be willing to bet that it's one of the top (if not the top) books of the Bible that results in denominational differences.

I'm still left with a bit of disappointment that the book didn't spread itself more evenly between the OT Gospels and NT...but I suppose for its purpose (story of Jesus throughout the Bible for kids) it does a good job.

A new way to see

Was Saul blind for three days so that Ananias could perform the miracle of making him see again, which would make him finally believe in Jesus; or was Saul blind for three days as a literal representation of him gaining new sight?  I suppose it was probably a little of both?  I wonder what he thought...

According to multiple sources, the name Saul means "asked for" or "prayed for."  Again, calls into question whether name meanings are pre or post bible....but the fact that the Story says he changed his name to Paul because of its meaning suggests pre.  If that's the case...I'm not sure I really understand the name change, it's not really any more important than the fact that he was prayed for and that led him to believe.

Kind of off topic...but the book has mentioned a few times now about the promise of God for the nation of Israel to grow "come to number more than even all the stars in the sky."  I wonder if there was any prophecy about the Holocaust?  Not only because it drastically reduced the Jewish population, but also because it led to the formation of the State of Israel and Jewish people throughout Eurasia were united again.

Lent Day 43: Condemned

The words from the cross condemned me today. So deeply did I wrestle with them....

"Today you will be with me in paradise."
"Mother, your son."

In the midst of deepest agony Christ lived his final breaths with compassion. I have been meditating on this and today I struggled hard.

It's Holy Week. It's busy. I led a workout class and had music practice last night, lead a seder tomorrow, support Good Friday worship on Friday, coordinate a wedding on Saturday and celebrate Easter on Sunday.... and I'm pregnant, emotionally drained and tired. It's a lot, but its a very far cry from the cross. In that perspective I can hardly say the week is hard. It is full. Full of optional things I'm choosing.

Yet, I somehow feel that my busyness enables me to tune out requests for compassion. Every interruption today felt overwhelming. And each time I felt the urge to blow up, I heard the voice of Jesus speaking those words. Like Peter, I am ashamed. I failed my Lord. Perhaps, I can hope, like Peter, he will send the Spirit to embolden and lift me up to the challenges of discipleship.

Lent Day 42: Rhythm

I bought my drum today. It is a beautiful, hand-carved piece from West Africa with very real leather (can still feel hairs poking out of it). It has an amazingly large sound. I took it to the sanctuary and played it as loud as I could in the empty hallows. The sound resonated. Filling the space. I imagined worship. Ulrich read the 22 psalm as I drummed. For a moment we were with Jesus. Other musicians joined practice. Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Flute, Bass, Guitar... voices. We brought our gifts and a willingness to offer them for worship. What came together chilled me.

In that dark sanctuary, I traveled with Jesus. Even during practice. We journeyed through the cross. The love, the passion, the pain, the forgiveness, the abandonment, the letting go... So often, we watch the passion from the outside. We watch Jesus take on the weight of the world and we recognize his sacrifice.

This year, the walk seems more intimate. Rather than watching from the gates. Hearing the crowd. Following him down the street. I am listening to the words he spoke. Peering into his heart and discerning his teaching for my own walk.

Lent Day 41: Creativity

As I prepared my to-do list for the week I was struck by how different my tasks are from normal - paint a picture for friends wedding bulletin, buy drum and practice for Good Friday, email family regarding Passover Seder. Art, music, literature, liturgy, prayer, reflection are things that I rarely have the joy of finding time for in a life so dominated by rational planning and dutiful responsibility.

Letting myself venture to the creative half of my brain. Reflecting on meaning. Re-creating meaning around me in worship, words and art opens me to hear the quiet voice of God. A new revealing of the stories that touch this week. A new understanding of God in us and among us. A break from human paradigms to allow the spiritual to permeate my inner being.

My prayers reach out to everyone this Holy Week, that you may find a new way to connect to God and to the spiritual journey you have been called to. To the clergy and spiritual leaders, that your words and thoughts be lifted and inspired as you minister this week.

Shalom. shalom.

God sends help

I love the picture of the flames.  It is like light bulbs above their head. Ha

God was so powerful here!  He was able to fill their hearts and send his love and promise to them.

I think it is interesting that Peter goes to tell other people who speak different languages and they can understand him.  But at the beginning God created the different languages so they could not communicate.   Regardless, the message is spread and believed!

Going home

First of all, the drawing of Thomas hiding under the table is hilarious. :-)

Again - what is the deal with how Jesus returned?  Goes through walls, eats food, people don't recognize him...definitely weird.  Not sure exactly what the Story was trying to get at by emphasizing that Jesus had returned in a new body...is there some other message in there that I'm not picking up on?

Is there significance to the fact that Jesus is going to return to Earth by descending from heaven (rather than any other form of entry...baby again, etc?)

I wonder why the angels are referred to as "shining men"

We're getting very close to the end of the book...I'm a little disappointed that it spent so much time on the Gospels.  I mean, I guess I should've seen it coming; but there's so much more to the New Testament than just the Gospels and I was looking forward to seeing how connections were going to be made to the story of Jesus like we saw with the Old Testament in the beginning of the book.

Lent Day 40: Walking with Jesus

Throughout Lent, our church has focused on various spiritual disciplines that Christians have used through the centuries. Today, as we celebrated Palm Sunday, we did it through the lens of the spiritual practice of using Labyrinths. Allowing your prayers to be focused by purposeful movement. The pastor had us stand up and walk slowly around the pews as we sang meditative hymns and listened to the passion story.

I nearly closed my eyes and dragged my feet as we drugged up and down the aisles. I listened to the story, looking at the cement floor below. I could feel myself walking the dusty Jerusalem roads. I could hear the sounds. I could imagine Jesus under the weight of the cross as he climbed the hill. I was, for a brief moment, with him.

And... Jesus was with me. 

Holy Week begins. The sacred journey.

God's wonderful surprise

This one certainly left out a lot!  I wonder why the Story chose to focus almost solely on the resurrection of Jesus from the perspective of Mary.

The gospels seem to have different versions of the resurrection - who was there, who Jesus appeared to, etc...

In all of the gospels, the people Jesus appeared to never realize who he is.  Why is that?  Is he resurrected as a different person?  Why doesn't anyone recognize him?  

*Side note: pretty sure this is the first time Mary Magdalene is referred to at all, and yet I feel like the book talks about her like we already know who she is.  Along the lines of Mary...did you know that there isn't a single place in the Bible that says she was a prostitute?!  It's been interesting to find that we have quite a few commonly held beliefs that are not supported by the Bible (the apple, the snake, Mary, etc...)