pastorfrogge
  • Home
  • About
  • Sermons
  • Worship Help
  • Contact
  • Daily Devotionals
  • Sign Up Devotionals

Ecclesiological Etchings

0403-21

4/3/2021

0 Comments

 

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
April 3, 2021

Scripture
: Mark 15:42-43
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Thought for the Day: The name, Joseph of Arimathea, played a prominent role in the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because the name was associated with some legends around the Holy Grail. But according to scripture, Joseph of Arimathea was responsible for providing a burial place for the body of Jesus. Now when it comes to my own burial, I have explained very clearly to family my desire to be cremated and interred in the least expensive way. I’ll be done with this body, yet at the same time I always add, “It will be whatever is needed by the living. Just make sure nothing is done out of guilt.” Sadly, I have seen some elaborate spending on a funeral out of a deep felt guilt. Equally sad is the fact that spending a ton of money won’t eliminate the guilt. I don’t think Jospeh of Arimathea acted out of guilt. His desire, and this is mostly a Bruce guess, was to show respect for a teacher whose life witness had somehow changed him in a profound way. When I am working on a funeral, there is a heavy responsibility felt. I often think of it as the last gift I can give to the deceased. And maybe Joseph of Arimathea believed a well cut tomb could be that gift.

Prayer: Merciful God, help us to follow Joseph of Arimathea as he seeks to share a gift of grace. Though he did not see that tomb ever being emptied, there was a faith in what the life of Jesus had meant. Amen.





via WordPress https://ift.tt/3dzgScP
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. Bruce Frogge
    Sr. Minister
    Cypress Creek
    ​Christian Church

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • About
  • Sermons
  • Worship Help
  • Contact
  • Daily Devotionals
  • Sign Up Devotionals