ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS A Reflection: Fear has us grasping at old habits. Fear seeks the security found in chasing what is customary and typical. Fear too often drives us back, yet the fear Jesus must have experienced in that moment, though significant, did not drive his response. His prayer in the garden a short time earlier seemed to suggest a lot of fear, yet Jesus did not take an approach that would have been defined as customary. The disciples were ready to reach for the sword, to grab ahold of violence when there was the threat of violence. In that moment, Jesus remained committed to what he taught throughout his ministry. He knew a violent response at that important turning point would undermine the very message he hoped to communicate, and though it would mean his arrest and execution, he would not waver. Today, we need a few more examples of those who do not reach for the old typical responses, but reach for what will ultimately bring real change to the world in which we live. Prayer: Holy God, as we continue to follow Jesus on this Maundy Thursday, let us remain faithful to his ways. The world will never know the transformative power of the Jesus message if we do not reflect the ways exemplified in his life, especially in those moments when we feel threatened and afraid. Be our encourager every hour of every day. Amen. MAUNDY THURSDAY via WordPress https://ift.tt/2OkoebC
0 Comments
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS A Reflection: Jesus had invited his disciples to slip away to a quiet place where they could find rest and some prayerful reflection. Anguish and fear would have produced adrenaline in those hours before the arrest of Jesus, yet there was a point in which the bodies and the spirits of the disciples started to slip. It was hard for them to stay awake, even though it was the request of Jesus. Yet Jesus went off by himself and was fully awake and engaged in prayer. As we sit in the shadows cast by the events ahead, I hope you will take some time for quiet reflection and prayer. Though I’m sure some of us could use this time for a nap, my hope is for all of us to follow Jesus’ example and speak honestly with God in a time of prayer. Prayer: Let my spirit find rest in you, O God, as I meet you in this time of prayer. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3cEb9Db ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS A Reflection: A lot of folks, when referencing this passage, will say: “This is my body broken for you…” But here, Jesus uses the word given. When Paul retells the story to the community in Corinth, he uses the word broken, but not the Gospel writers. I can’t offer a reason for that, but I am drawn to the word given. I don’t necessarily believe I need the body of Jesus to be broken, though the crucifixion – the breaking of his body – was a result of his ministry of love and mercy. And I do need the love and mercy. What I hear with the word given is how God has and continues to give love and mercy to all creation. It was not a one time event, but the nature of God continuing to demonstrate the nature of God. In the giving of himself, the response Jesus received was to have his body broken. Giving is what God does and what Jesus does, and breaking is what some in the world do in response. For this reason, I must always be aware of how some people in the world will respond to love and mercy, yet I continue to be most interested in how God gives in spite of the response. Prayer: Your giving, O Bread of Life, never ceases. You continue to give of yourself even when some seek to cause you harm. On this Maundy Thursday, I celebrate your giving that knows no ending. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3uhr4x4 ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS A Reflection: These were Jewish folks, including Jesus, and it was Passover. It was like any special holiday as the crowd in Jerusalem was full of energy and anticipation. It was a time to remember, celebrate and reenact the time in which God liberated a people who were enslaved in Egypt. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Jesus’ act of liberating love would fall at the same time in which a community reminisced about the ancient story of God acting with liberating love? Maybe…but I tend to think it is less of a coincidence and more of God being God. And maybe, just maybe, it is what God is doing all the time. So I guess that would not be a coincidence, but a divine habit. Prayer: What you prepared to demonstrate some 2000 years ago, O Lord, is what you have continued to show in one act of liberating love after another. From addiction to hate, from injustice to suffering, you are the One who rescues us with an immeasurable grace. Thank you! Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3cFmvqA |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
May 2024
|