tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89334800996247470792024-03-19T06:27:32.828-04:00Pastor Tom's Reflections and ResourcesTP Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03522355795968824137noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-73188834960735580752021-09-16T12:38:00.008-04:002021-09-16T13:36:49.495-04:00Resource | HolyLand Adventure | Jericho | Bible Buddy<p>"Jericho" was conceived as a week-long Vacation Bible School in the style of Group Publishing's HolyLand Adventures. However, to get things moving and field test some ideas, I offered a one-hour version as a fall follow up to our summer "Wilderness Escape" VBS. </p><p>Like the earliest HLA VBS programs, Jericho has at this point a single "Bible Buddy." His name is Kelev, which is the Hebrew word for "dog." Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg talks about the significance of the name <a href="https://wunderdogmagazine.com/stories/why-kelev-is-a-great-word-for-dog-jonathan-wittenberg-on-his-book-what-my-dog-has-taught-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. The word "kelev" is also related to the name "Caleb," who will be mentioned throughout Jericho.</p><p>Here is the full-color illustration of Kelev:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMvonazIIEintO7BpGakteAslNNED0k4nwHn0F_ATUn1I6oubZckkXribmtS6ztKraQE_WfUeU2wsVmzTvnni9Wnz_Ewh2xdsNYTJPcVy4nK1vLpPNGQCJ3JSmG1CjSnAxu-uqZJCP8U/s2048/Kelev+Full+Color.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2048" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMvonazIIEintO7BpGakteAslNNED0k4nwHn0F_ATUn1I6oubZckkXribmtS6ztKraQE_WfUeU2wsVmzTvnni9Wnz_Ewh2xdsNYTJPcVy4nK1vLpPNGQCJ3JSmG1CjSnAxu-uqZJCP8U/w400-h309/Kelev+Full+Color.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is a line drawing of Kelev, which can be used for coloring sheets, etc.:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Xq-TTEEcRTDm8vMI3GMY3dhX5Aq7YmsZtU8SNMj41Oseu78TjmrqZB4orkZoJvVUIO85FwXnHE1CkPQRiDznsXkkT379wznV2xl12uCluqUPePYIoOdVpLvW5ZQNVmRIzQ5tRjhVInQ/s2048/Kelev+Line+Art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2048" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Xq-TTEEcRTDm8vMI3GMY3dhX5Aq7YmsZtU8SNMj41Oseu78TjmrqZB4orkZoJvVUIO85FwXnHE1CkPQRiDznsXkkT379wznV2xl12uCluqUPePYIoOdVpLvW5ZQNVmRIzQ5tRjhVInQ/w400-h309/Kelev+Line+Art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This is what Kelev might have looked like as a petroglyph during ancient times... And, yes, he is facing the opposite direction from the previous two illustrations, but there is a reason for that...:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHHnw4v-9cXgFEaHisGtBYXjMVvKTGsbhqNmE7Cb-qwvxe6-ceDLleYD1sTNcb_KLvEMwb1u8M8k1RsXUUXlkFbvHxgre7yplwwL-Y5GMO9g_jFU-FYunyjZDzgJ_VblUdCGLe3YdeSU/s2048/Kelev+Petroglyph.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2048" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHHnw4v-9cXgFEaHisGtBYXjMVvKTGsbhqNmE7Cb-qwvxe6-ceDLleYD1sTNcb_KLvEMwb1u8M8k1RsXUUXlkFbvHxgre7yplwwL-Y5GMO9g_jFU-FYunyjZDzgJ_VblUdCGLe3YdeSU/w400-h309/Kelev+Petroglyph.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And here's one way we incorporated Kelev into the program. Since the children were required to wear masks, it made traditional face painting impossible. So I carved a rubber stamp of Kelev and we offered "temporary tattoos" using kid-safe inks. Remember, when carving asymetrical designs on rubber stamps, you have to reverse the image so it prints correctly.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4O5CE4eef26d0N3u7luUv2mzjjsij-Pco1pF_SObEgdfjlW_HEV1Vz1gdbbNCVV5HFlIWfO5qYEA_tLjU72duGrWR6a9uKJljPd6ufJnItNK4H6dfpofpFgdB7EBcSG2VMhtvj55sXo/s4624/0915211857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4O5CE4eef26d0N3u7luUv2mzjjsij-Pco1pF_SObEgdfjlW_HEV1Vz1gdbbNCVV5HFlIWfO5qYEA_tLjU72duGrWR6a9uKJljPd6ufJnItNK4H6dfpofpFgdB7EBcSG2VMhtvj55sXo/w300-h400/0915211857.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>And here's what the printed image looks like:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oI4KnNdkoouFHgFTAKhkX6l8lSUXXtcsSeWe1-vBL7UILfmYEDcGfhRVjTAd7au7LQLOQp-NVfVCvxP7At7I78Z8ilPXzK0-xf2Bf2G3lg_eR_v6deE3AIRK-qPqDN3A3eT5SfFZp3M/s1385/Kelev+Rubber+Stamp+b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1385" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oI4KnNdkoouFHgFTAKhkX6l8lSUXXtcsSeWe1-vBL7UILfmYEDcGfhRVjTAd7au7LQLOQp-NVfVCvxP7At7I78Z8ilPXzK0-xf2Bf2G3lg_eR_v6deE3AIRK-qPqDN3A3eT5SfFZp3M/w400-h309/Kelev+Rubber+Stamp+b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-90007464220486579312021-08-29T14:06:00.001-04:002021-08-29T14:06:12.127-04:00Songs and Hymns for First and Second Lesson Sermons<p><b>Year A</b></p><p><b>Lectionary 14</b></p><p>Semicontinuous Psalm (alternate): Song of Solomon 2:8-13</p><p><i>His Banner Over Me Is Love, </i>The Other Songbook (Based on Song of Solomon 2:4)</p><p><b>Year B</b></p><p><b>Lectionary 22</b></p><p>Semicontinuous First Reading: Song of Solomon 2:8-13</p><p><i>His Banner Over Me Is Love, </i>The Other Songbook (Based on Song of Solomon 2:4)</p>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-45881316785685052572020-10-25T16:47:00.001-04:002021-09-16T10:32:48.558-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 30 A | Deuteronomy 34:1-12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31ugLw0IYxlvDGusc0OJHvBURw0wdPWPsOcavGIibfDlHR5OK7crwmZ2OCWStvUyeuRXnOIImDXji4nbWcv3vpQJRKYUAys_7koQTGoe4msJlkJwpfagJmizpV1bSjiamHOdCfVqG9XA/s1600/DeMilleTenCommandmentsDVDcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ca="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31ugLw0IYxlvDGusc0OJHvBURw0wdPWPsOcavGIibfDlHR5OK7crwmZ2OCWStvUyeuRXnOIImDXji4nbWcv3vpQJRKYUAys_7koQTGoe4msJlkJwpfagJmizpV1bSjiamHOdCfVqG9XA/s200/DeMilleTenCommandmentsDVDcover.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<strong><em>The Ten Commandments</em> (1956). </strong><br />
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Featuring Charlton Heston (Moses) and Yul Brynner (Rameses II). <br />
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The death of Moses is foreshadowed in the final scene of Cecil B. DeMille’s epic, the final film he directed before his death in 1959. Forbidden by the Lord to enter the Promised Land, Moses says good-bye to his wife, known in this film by her Greek name “Sephora” (Yvonne De Carlo). Passing leadership to his successor, Moses gives his staff and mantle to Joshua. As Moses lays his hands on Joshua’s head, he responds, “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Moses instructs Aaron (John Carradine) to give Eleazar (Paul De Rolf) the Books of Law to put in the Ark of the Covenant. Moses sends the Israelites (and movie viewers) out with the commission: “Go! Proclaim liberty throughout all the lands to all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10).<br />
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<br />TP Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03522355795968824137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-78861274598656425672020-10-04T08:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:29:48.578-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 27 A | Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGgEMGaw7juRiYbbOW3sUDlHJx0C7jNeNGXrmhy_OcfiUGPZjS8JCl9EOGg7mwEtb5jGEzUNkmh7Lz6ye5aWrHMIgoaCJ-zp99VMBB1nfAHibhXsbofZ2Kxh-jDbcU0Ygc0v25seahg8/s1600/TenCommandments1923.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ca="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGgEMGaw7juRiYbbOW3sUDlHJx0C7jNeNGXrmhy_OcfiUGPZjS8JCl9EOGg7mwEtb5jGEzUNkmh7Lz6ye5aWrHMIgoaCJ-zp99VMBB1nfAHibhXsbofZ2Kxh-jDbcU0Ygc0v25seahg8/s200/TenCommandments1923.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<strong><em>The Ten Commandments</em> (1923)</strong><br />
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Featuring Theodore Roberts (Moses). <br />
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The story of Moses makes up the first part of Cecil B. DeMille’s silent film, a precursor to the 1956 epic film. Moses receives the Ten Commandments in dramatic fashion. Each is “written with the finger of God” through primitive--but impressive--special effects. Moses then inscribes them on tablets. <span style="font-family: times;">Y<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">ou can watch clips at </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.tinyrurl.com/MosesMovie07.">www.tinyrurl.com/MosesMovie07.</a></span></span><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br /></div>TP Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03522355795968824137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-5159616790091249902020-09-27T08:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:29:36.066-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 26A | Exodus 17:1-7<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSrXxJw-_4iUJz1m2RlUQcSI_fr8uMSxg2npGIa1xVWd57Lx6roBf1gRxiGTGJ3wXVBFmVabl7STKQW3HL8dalMo8tZ_Ync_KSk022Rja1dLxjb00UbQQxYf0hYUYIA8uZ3dct-zV5i4/s445/Moses2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSrXxJw-_4iUJz1m2RlUQcSI_fr8uMSxg2npGIa1xVWd57Lx6roBf1gRxiGTGJ3wXVBFmVabl7STKQW3HL8dalMo8tZ_Ync_KSk022Rja1dLxjb00UbQQxYf0hYUYIA8uZ3dct-zV5i4/s320/Moses2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">Moses </span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">(1995)</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">Starring Ben Kingsley (Moses), David Suchet (Aaron), and Enrico Lo Verso (Joshua). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">The “water from the rock” story is often left out of movies depicting the Exodus. However, this movie does include a parallel story from the book of Numbers. In this scene, Moses is mourning the death of his sister, and we see him lash out in anguish, grief, and anger. Quite a contrast to the emotions seen in last week’s film clip. Watch the scene at </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">tinyurl.com/MosesMovie06</span><span lang="en-US" style="text-align: justify;">.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-54458263202264712102020-09-20T08:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:29:16.372-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 25A | Exodus 16:2-15<p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqlnAadomn9Rf-4372-iWtQWXLABWDpr6kL-QqJHo8JBvWt4Mm-7gnpl3vc8gZPHF1B0bwesbRzOKPb3opH0FJTh0m0TQPyFpC-JcQnS3LniXjxOS7vjmbF19vtMYDojVKqZvGalEtf4/s445/Moses2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqlnAadomn9Rf-4372-iWtQWXLABWDpr6kL-QqJHo8JBvWt4Mm-7gnpl3vc8gZPHF1B0bwesbRzOKPb3opH0FJTh0m0TQPyFpC-JcQnS3LniXjxOS7vjmbF19vtMYDojVKqZvGalEtf4/s320/Moses2.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: times; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">Moses </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: times; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">(1995). </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">Starring Ben Kingsley (Moses), Frank Langella (Merneptah), Christopher Lee (Ramesses), and Geraldine McEwan (Miriam).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: newspaper; text-justify: newspaper; text-kashida-space: 50%; text-kashida-space: 50%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">The Israelites awaken to discover “manna” falling like large snowflakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it accumulates on shrubs, they taste this bread from heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It is delicious!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Like coriander seed!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the intense scenes we’ve watched in previous weeks, it is nice to see the joyful expressions on the faces of Moses, Miriam, Aaron, and the others as they receive the gifts of manna and quail from the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch a short clip at </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/MosesMovie05">tinyurl.com/MosesMovie05</a></span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">.</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 119%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-86890598937554006162020-09-13T08:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:29:08.581-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 24A | Exodus 14:19-31<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJUqJfckqi-ZLmjgGKIQmGDnJgr2D3-RuW1y-SBZ1wcX6CjLZnQEOPm_W0is6PaxYFWKh24fGRCS-V5YsT68liThmhyphenhyphenLOK0miqm2zDNiOmo1naLnXec5q0y0a9c3Hdjnm1eCWEFDQQeQ/s1600/300130_10150268687007551_590937550_8014640_3007147_n.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJUqJfckqi-ZLmjgGKIQmGDnJgr2D3-RuW1y-SBZ1wcX6CjLZnQEOPm_W0is6PaxYFWKh24fGRCS-V5YsT68liThmhyphenhyphenLOK0miqm2zDNiOmo1naLnXec5q0y0a9c3Hdjnm1eCWEFDQQeQ/s200/300130_10150268687007551_590937550_8014640_3007147_n.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<div><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Prince of Egypt </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">(1998). </span></span></div><div><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Featuring the voices of Sandra Bullock (Miriam), Sally Dworsky (Miriam singing voice), Michelle Pfeiffer (Tzipporah). </span></span></div><div><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">After the plagues and the death of the first born, Moses leads the Hebrew people out of Egypt. As they leave, Miriam and Tzipporah sing “When You Believe.” The Hebrew children sing words from Exodus 15, verses 1, 11, and 13. The song received an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song, in 1999. Watch it at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/MosesMovie4a">tinyurl.com/MosesMovie4a</a> Continue watching as the people of God cross the Red Sea and watch for the whale shark! Visit <a href="http://tinyurl.com/MosesMovie4b">tinyurl.com/MosesMovie4b</a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>TP Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03522355795968824137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-38317856992068742702020-09-06T08:15:00.001-04:002021-09-16T10:28:58.444-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 23A | Exodus 12:1-14<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq-5Wikr3EDIM8tz88gkZXLv5UFSjiVYhRGTKRgys7Fn0yD0lR83MfKME1qvsJq860z4WwH9NcrTadciTbhJL_on96C_HQAXjLxgElu8G31JHwpXjF57YVQbQPvcUiqGFcCHLp2uHQf4/s500/Moses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="349" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq-5Wikr3EDIM8tz88gkZXLv5UFSjiVYhRGTKRgys7Fn0yD0lR83MfKME1qvsJq860z4WwH9NcrTadciTbhJL_on96C_HQAXjLxgElu8G31JHwpXjF57YVQbQPvcUiqGFcCHLp2uHQf4/s320/Moses.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;"><br />"</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">Moses" </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">Testament: The Bible in Animation </span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%; text-align: justify;">(1996). Featuring the voice of Martin Jarvis (Moses), Simon Callow (Merneptah). This animated series uses a variety of animation styles to depict some of the most well-known stories of the Old Testament: oil painting, paint on glass, stop motion photography, and traditional cel animation. In the Moses episode, cel animation is used, with the animators depicting the characters in an angular, exaggerated manner. As Moses gives instructions for the Passover meal (19:30 into the episode), open windows and closed doors are used to tell the story as if they were panels in a comic strip. </span><span lang="en-US" style="text-align: justify;">Watch at </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/MosesMovie03b">tinyurl.com/MosesMovie03b</a></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-24477968659470559382020-08-30T08:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:28:47.649-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 22A | Exodus 3:1-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwm4FyS6xjTWaL9LcimaELbYOGQoIaRbFz4S6PbWUNPDK8F-CiFnF0PODtH3gU4EUpqPZMF0qTFhSDl4FdH4l3KswooCpIQbdS1deHS3AXU5KBnorrWBj99AoEJTPaRBBkRRO6APes_0Y/s1600/320047_10150268690342551_1831040_a.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwm4FyS6xjTWaL9LcimaELbYOGQoIaRbFz4S6PbWUNPDK8F-CiFnF0PODtH3gU4EUpqPZMF0qTFhSDl4FdH4l3KswooCpIQbdS1deHS3AXU5KBnorrWBj99AoEJTPaRBBkRRO6APes_0Y/s200/320047_10150268690342551_1831040_a.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<strong><em>The Ten Commandments</em> (2006)</strong><br />
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Starring Dougray Scott (Moses), Naveen Andrews (Menerith), Omar Sharif (Jethro). <br />
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While the special effects in this made-for-TV mini-series are not movie quality, Scott’s acting provides a convincing Moses, described in the Bible as “slow of speech and slow of tongue.” In the “Burning Bush” scene, Moses stutters: “Don’t send me—don’t send me—I am not a person you need—I can’t do this—I can’t do this!”<div>
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<br /></div>TP Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03522355795968824137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-563543303974264182020-08-23T08:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:28:35.595-04:00Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 21A | Exodus 1:8-2:10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Rel737BJQjbcKmTqh0xd0QhqbEmxB6hrQYCNaWKRZJqlkC9y1Paa1Xz-ibkUjo7IJlI8Kh7NUi95-9IofVXDcB0QxSmlA4cFKcL8BOhmDJ2_oHyRaBcb6qAwrRtT2mwwQWkQgOgLTK8/s1600/300130_10150268687007551_590937550_8014640_3007147_n.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Rel737BJQjbcKmTqh0xd0QhqbEmxB6hrQYCNaWKRZJqlkC9y1Paa1Xz-ibkUjo7IJlI8Kh7NUi95-9IofVXDcB0QxSmlA4cFKcL8BOhmDJ2_oHyRaBcb6qAwrRtT2mwwQWkQgOgLTK8/s200/300130_10150268687007551_590937550_8014640_3007147_n.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<strong><em>The Prince of Egypt</em> (1998) </strong><br /><br /><div>Featuring the voices of Ofra Haza (Yocheved) and
Eden Riegel (Young Miriam).</div><div> </div><div>In the “Deliver Us/River Lullaby” scene, a tearful Yocheved
hides her infant son in a basket and sets him adrift on the Nile. However, the
river is no place for a baby, as the basket evades crocodiles, hippopotami, and
fishing boats before finding safety in the bathing pools of the Egyptian royal palace. View at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/MosesMovie01">tinyurl.com/MosesMovie01</a></div><div><br /><div>
<br /></div></div>TP Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03522355795968824137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-71821254423591690982019-08-09T20:57:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:28:07.720-04:00Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Workshops<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" trebuchet="">Workshops that are done well can be the best part of continuing education events. Last year I was only able to attend one day of the Festival Gathering and the workshops were one of the things that drew me back for the second year. Workshop options were sent out earlier in the year and I chose the following:</span></div>
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<b><span cc0000="" style="color: #990000;">Introduction to Biblical Storytelling with Amelia Boomershine, Parts 1 & 2</span></b></span><br />
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<span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="color: #990000;" trebuchet="">This workshop introduces the practice of biblical storytelling. We will learn, explore, connect, and tell the story of "a disciple whose name was Tabitha" from Acts 9:36-43. Our goal is to tell the story to at least one other person from start to finish without omitting something of major significance and without adding something of major significance. Through a variety of activities, you will learn this particular biblical story as well as strategies for internalizing any biblical story. We will also consider basics of performance and dealing with stage fright.</span></div>
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<span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" trebuchet=""><span style="color: #990000;">Amelia Boomershine has been active in NSB for 25 years. She is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church and Director of GoTell Communications. She has taught and told biblical stories to children, youth, and adults around the world, most recently in Guatemala. Her doctoral research was on biblical storytelling with men and women who are incarcerated. She leads a weekly "Circle of the Word" with women in jail and is author of </span><i><span style="color: #990000;">A Breath of Fresh Air: Biblical Storytelling with Prisoners.</span> </i></span><br />
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Amelia Boomershine's workshops were excellent. She began by telling the story of Tabitha. I thought to myself, there is no way I can learn a story this long. But by the end of the second day, I was able to tell it <span style="color: #cc0000;"> "</span>without omitting something of major significance and without adding something of major significance." These workshops were considered "NBS 101," or an introduction to biblical storytelling. There were two other sets of NBS 101 workshops that focused on the other theme passages for the Gathering. Even though I "graduated," I would consider taking another NBS 101 workshop next year. I feel like I could also take a lot of this workshop and use it to introduce others to biblical storytelling. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Hearing the Psalms in Many Voices with Cliff Barbarick</span></b></span><br />
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<span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="color: #990000;" trebuchet="">The Psalms are complex compositions that resist easy interpretation. As a result, hearing and seeing the Psalms refracted through multiple performances can be an essential tool to exploring their meaning. In this session, we will explore selected Psalms by hearing multiple performances in order to see what layers of meaning emerge. We will also share suggestions for how this approach might be used in classroom settings to welcome multiple voices into the interpretive process. </span></div>
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<span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" trebuchet=""><span style="color: #990000;">Cliff Barbarick is a professor of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He regularly uses biblical storytelling in his classes to help students explore the riches of scripture and share it with others. For this workshop, he will be joined by some of his undergraduate students who have distinguished themselves with their thoughtful performances.</span> </span><br />
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This workshop was cancelled and Cliff Barbarick offered another offering in its place, so I chose not to attend. He is hoping to offer it next year, so this is my "note to self" to sign up for it again. </span></div>
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<b><span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="color: #990000;" trebuchet="">Sound Matters: Sound Mapping the New Testament with Tom Boomershine</span></b><br />
<span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="color: #990000;" trebuchet="">Historical study of the ancient Greek rhetoricians and grammarians has revealed that they thought in breath units called "the colon" and "the period." In this workshop, we will study the cola and periods of Mark's Passion-Resurrection Narrative. Sound mapping involves a graphic representation of the story in cola and periods, analogous to a musical manuscript in which sound is graphically presented for performance. We will listen to the cola of representative stories and learn Mark's story of the anointing at Bethany in the original cola.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Tom Boomershine is the founder of the Network of Biblical Storytellers. He is an ordained United Methodist elder and professor of New Testament Emeritus. He has developed methods for teaching people to become witnesses to the power of the stories of God. He has lectured and led workshops on biblical storytelling in digital culture around the world. Tom is the author of <i>The Messiah of Peace,</i> <i>Story Journey,</i> and a series of scholarly and pastoral articles on the Bible as performance literature.</span></span><br />
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This workshop was a bit on the technical side. I understand the concepts of "colon' and "period," but it is a little difficult to tell where the divisions would be looking at an English translation with modern punctuation. </span><br />
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<span ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="color: #990000;" trebuchet=""><b>With Hearts, Hands, and Voices: Using Sign Language in Storytelling with Liz Bidgood Enders</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">American Sign Language (ASL) is the most commonly used form of communication for deaf people in the U.S. More than an exact sign for each word, it has its own grammar and syntax. However, techniques in ASL storytelling, including repetition and use of the whole body to tell a story, are similar to oral storytelling. In this workshop, we'll learn connections between these art forms and some signs to help in learning and telling biblical stories. </span><br />
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<span cc0000="" font-family:="" ms="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="color: #990000;" trebuchet="">Liz Bidgood Enders is a pastor and certified biblical storyteller. In elementary school, she had schoolmates who were deaf, and her desire to communicate with them sparked a life-long interest in sign language. Incorporating signs into telling stories can help in creating muscle memory and broadening understanding of a story's meaning.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">This workshop was very good. The presenter did a good job of presenting ways to incorporate ASL into storytelling and offered things to avoid. For example, if you don't sign "God" precisely, you can unintentionally sign an impolite word. My only critique is that I would have liked this workshop to be more than one session!</span></span></div>
tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-72313146995115586142019-08-01T22:09:00.002-04:002021-09-16T10:27:53.609-04:00Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Epic Telling 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tonight was the Epic Telling at the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers International. I've been working on learning my passage, Acts 16:1-5, since I received it in March. The past few days I spent trying to nail down the last section. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey8NU6zpdFsG6tsX1FxZSJjANJbxryyGpvWxAVINCRwjed9sSZ-tHoHi56fwuMfTz9xZqTMG1Oba8SvMPjwxRqp5allCr_6YyqMiAW-g6VCefUd4h9EHGjK0TvV_hJEdA7B9bNk1_mCo/s1600/dreamstimemaximum_13111719+lower+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey8NU6zpdFsG6tsX1FxZSJjANJbxryyGpvWxAVINCRwjed9sSZ-tHoHi56fwuMfTz9xZqTMG1Oba8SvMPjwxRqp5allCr_6YyqMiAW-g6VCefUd4h9EHGjK0TvV_hJEdA7B9bNk1_mCo/s320/dreamstimemaximum_13111719+lower+res.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Epic Telling began at 7 p.m. and concluded at 9:20 p.m. I was among 42 tellers, ranging in experience from first timers (me) to professional storytellers. I especially enjoyed hearing the accents of the international tellers. (Apparently in some English-speaking countries "shone" is pronounced "shawn" rather than "shown.") There were quite a variety of styles, gestures, and approaches. My passage was rather short; some were quite long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In a previous post, I thanked the Northwestern Ohio Synod for its financial support of this educational opportunity. I need to also thank my wife for taking vacation time to be with the kids so I could be here and give my full attention to learning and experiencing this week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh... I should probably mention that I did flub my lines a bit, but I was in good company. One of the other tellers said Peter instead of Paul and one said Jesus instead of Paul. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Already looking forward to next year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/352721970">Click Here to Watch the Video</a></span></div>
tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-44326917011207349092019-04-04T13:57:00.003-04:002021-09-16T10:27:37.772-04:00Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Epic Telling 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On March 12, I received my assignment for the "Epic Telling" of Acts 15-28 at the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers. My portion of the story is Act 16:1-5:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for that all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went from town to town, the delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.</i></span><br />
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tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-15091993879239819722019-02-25T11:46:00.001-05:002021-09-16T10:27:27.783-04:00Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Epic Telling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This summer I will be attending the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;">Biblical Storytelling involves internalizing and presenting biblical stories.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;">Internalizing biblical stories is like memorizing scripture, but always with the intention of sharing the story with others. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;">The four-day Festival Gathering program includes workshops, keynote speakers, master storytellers, and an “Epic Telling” of a large section of scripture.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;">This year’s Epic Telling is Acts 15-28.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;"> The telling is broken up into 42 parts; each part will be told by a different storyteller, with no pauses or applause in between. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyckMPtjYYzLx2TohXIRX3HLjKj417vbGNz3jiA2LqJMhXEUQXbuFRDL0RVeHwV7NxtY-OkXx8LNHxpSa9FbqYxRHX08cOurIUQpU3sXns4CUaO7fbtcnlqzBR-swRbrbaDbHafEOP7Q/s1600/Epic+Telling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1238" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyckMPtjYYzLx2TohXIRX3HLjKj417vbGNz3jiA2LqJMhXEUQXbuFRDL0RVeHwV7NxtY-OkXx8LNHxpSa9FbqYxRHX08cOurIUQpU3sXns4CUaO7fbtcnlqzBR-swRbrbaDbHafEOP7Q/s320/Epic+Telling.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;">Storytellers are asked to "bid" on a passage. I chose five passages that looked manageable, then narrowed it down to my top three choices. Bidding opened on Saturday, Feb. 23. I am waiting to see if I was chosen to be a part of the Epic Telling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; text-indent: 18pt;">I am thankful to the Northwestern Ohio Synod for providing funding for me to attend this event through the "Theologian in Residence" grant program. </span></div>
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tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-18172143628593362522018-06-22T22:32:00.003-04:002021-09-16T10:27:05.520-04:00Resource | Holy Land Adventures | Babylon | Snacks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">I'm kind of a Vacation Bible School nerd... The VBS programs that get me most inspired are Groups' HolyLand Adventures. Here is an idea for a snack for the Babylon HLA VBS.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hTlRaAw61jdp1J6sWyE_aafbREpkK4B5KEQ8f-c8AvAxocq2mKIq_Eff9ojRkSpWiRSDE0ypST3RBExFncCkHZzgr09l5iX6HKpX_w7Ws7uxj74DkHx8H9jJc0yaSVNZl0dfJJE9UQY/s1600/Babylon+Special.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hTlRaAw61jdp1J6sWyE_aafbREpkK4B5KEQ8f-c8AvAxocq2mKIq_Eff9ojRkSpWiRSDE0ypST3RBExFncCkHZzgr09l5iX6HKpX_w7Ws7uxj74DkHx8H9jJc0yaSVNZl0dfJJE9UQY/w480-h640/Babylon+Special.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Babylon Special" Vanilla Ice Cream with a dollop of Fig Spread topped with a Fig Newton cookie.</td></tr>
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<br />tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-30746230118156379222016-07-03T20:58:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:25:20.598-04:00Reflection | Doubt and Faith in the Age of Facebook<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify;">On the church calendar, the Feast Day of Thomas, Apostle, is July 3.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify;">When July 3 falls on a Sunday, the day is transferred to July 4.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the publication of the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic;">Evangelical Lutheran Worship </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">hymnal, our church now observes the Feast of St. Thomas on July 3, which is also my birthday. Over the past few years, I have gained a greater appreciation for my namesake disciple, and I believe the witness of this 1st century Christian can help us be witnesses in the 21st century. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Doubt </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While we celebrate Thomas’ faith, he is also remembered for his doubt. “Doubting Thomas” is a nickname that won’t go away. When the other disciples told Thomas they had seen the Risen Lord, his response was “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I think we can commend Thomas for his caution. He was a bit skeptical. He wanted to investigate. He wanted to do a little research. He wanted to check things out for himself before he made his bold declaration of faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In this age of Facebook and social media, we would do well to follow Thomas’ example. Be a bit skeptical. Investigate. Do a little research. Check things out before re-Tweeting or hitting the “Share” button. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The photo of President George W. Bush holding a children’s book upside-down? Fake. The photo of President and Mrs. Obama and their “left handed salute”? Also Fake. The rumor that Pope Francis has hired J.K. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series) to rewrite the Bible? Satire. The photos of the archaeological dig with the giant skeleton that ‘prove’ the story of Goliath? Photoshop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When we share these false things </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic;">as if they were true </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">our credibility as witnesses to the Truth is diminished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Faith </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and Thomas was among them. Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thomas’ confession of faith is a personal one. He says, “MY Lord and MY God.” While he could have easily said “THE Lord” and “The ONLY God,” he uses “I” statements to witness to the Risen Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If we simply share what we believe, what we have learned from our own faith, rather than arguing about religion or criticizing the beliefs of others, I think we will find that we can use social media to share the Good News of the Risen Christ with friends and neighbors around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-37841575298197371882016-02-20T22:21:00.002-05:002021-09-16T10:25:10.359-04:00Event | Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Children's Ministry Event<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8BDMSdTs0wwiYt5TkyNhYFxurNv6mgIuITF96j8qWapBGZNnS2dKYNRdIzhbFI-XibjEhKjV1MMKRW9g78MQdvx6u1cru8AIMcnNPqSFmmDrJ9mwVX2PgyV8dxlKE7X-tpupblz8iew/s1600/DSCN1888.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8BDMSdTs0wwiYt5TkyNhYFxurNv6mgIuITF96j8qWapBGZNnS2dKYNRdIzhbFI-XibjEhKjV1MMKRW9g78MQdvx6u1cru8AIMcnNPqSFmmDrJ9mwVX2PgyV8dxlKE7X-tpupblz8iew/s320/DSCN1888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><b>Some photos and ideas from our Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Children's Ministry Event</b></div><div><br /></div>
Cadbury Eggs re-wrapped in gold foil sheets placed on a deviled egg plate. A large gold plastic egg sits on a bed of Easter grass in the center. Veruca Salt would eat this up!<br />
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Walnut-shaped cookies with Nutella filling are served in a vintage nut bowl. A ceramic squirrel sits nearby.tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-85127057316168676752015-05-02T21:31:00.004-04:002021-09-16T10:23:28.906-04:00Story | The Stoning of Stephen<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Although the ritual was not often performed,
the villagers still remembered to use stones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready by the edge of the cliff,
just outside the city; there were stones on the ground as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dvir, one of the witnesses, selected a stone
so large he had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Oren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Come on,” he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Hurry up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Oren had small stones in both hands, and he
said, gasping for breath, “I can’t run at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ll have to go ahead and I’ll catch up with you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The children had stones already, and someone
gave little David a few pebbles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Earlier in the day, the villagers had seen
Stephen’s face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked as if he were
an angel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in their rage, they could
no longer see him clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villagers
dragged Stephen out of the city, pressing in on him, edging him backward toward
the cliff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A stone hit him on the side
of the head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all his strength, Oren
pushed Stephen, who fell over the cliff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dvir threw the large stone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old
Omri was saying, “Come on, come on, everyone.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A young man named Saul was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with
their tunics piled beside him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Lord Jesus,” Stephen prayed, “Do not hold
this sin against them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cried out in
a loud voice, and then they were upon him.<a href="file:///G:/HP%20Pavilion%20dv6000%20Documents/My%20Seminary%20Stuff/NT620/Pairan%20NT620%20Sermon.docx" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="file:///G:/HP%20Pavilion%20dv6000%20Documents/My%20Seminary%20Stuff/NT620/Pairan%20NT620%20Sermon.docx" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;">
The story of Stephen is told in an homage to Shirley Jackson short story, “The
Lottery.”</span></div>
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tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-78026355964594533892014-08-02T15:15:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:23:09.975-04:00Reflection | From seaside to mountaintop, God is with us<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For over 25 years, my extended family vacationed on the
coast of North Carolina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one week of
the summer, we breathed in the salty air, buried our feet and bodies in the
white sands of the beach, collected sea shells, tried to catch tiny crabs and
lizards, and laughed and played in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last summer my own family was at the
beach, we stayed up late to await the hatching of a nest of 100 loggerhead sea
turtle eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an awesome sight to
see the 2-inch hatchlings crawl from the dunes to the ocean to begin their new
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Breaking tradition this year, the family gathered in the
Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
early morning outing led a small group of us toward the peak of Clingmans Dome,
6643 feet above sea level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After parking
our vehicle, we hiked the final half mile to the observation tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paused often to catch my breath in the
higher altitude, and to survey the lush plant and animal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The National Park Service reports that over
17,000 species have been documented in the park, with the possibly of another
30,000 to 80,000 species yet to be cataloged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though the view from the top was limited, there was a mysterious beauty
to the evergreen trees visible through the smoky fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I think about vacations past, the words of Psalm 139 come
to mind: "<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, you have
searched me out; O <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, you have
known me... Where can I go from your Spirit?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where can I flee from your presence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I make the grave my bed, you are
there also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I take the wings of the
morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand will
lead me and your right hand hold me fast" (vv. 1, 7-9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whether we're on the beach or at the bottom of the ocean,
whether we're in the deepest canyon or on the highest peak, whether we're in
the rain forest or on the prairie, whether we're away or at home, whether we're
working or resting, God's people can trust that the Creator who marvelously
made us and wonderfully works in us is leading us and holding us.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-70594045036712197322014-06-17T21:46:00.001-04:002021-09-16T10:22:56.805-04:00Sermon | "Creator / Father" | Holy Trinity, Year A<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Sermon Text: Genesis 1:1--2:4a</span><br />
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the beginning, Pinocchio was formless, a large, dead,
log, void of any life or personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But like any good artist, Geppetto could see the life of possibilities
within the wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was evening, the
Geppetto's workshop was lit by candlelight, and the moon and stars watched him
get to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">With hammer and chisel in hand, Geppetto quickly stripped
the log of its rough, outer bark, revealing a smooth surface underneath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He carefully studied the grain of the wood,
and sketched with pencil the rough outline of the head, trunk, and limbs of his
creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geppetto worked quickly, and
quietly, chips of wood flying as the form of a boy began to appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chisels Geppetto selected got smaller and
smaller, as he refined the details of his puppet--a round head, with round
cheeks, a button nose, and a mischievous smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A slender neck connected Pinocchio's head with this cylindrical
body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two arms were jointed at the
shoulders, elbows and wrists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two legs
jointed at the hips, knees and ankles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The chisel and hammer were set down, the rasp and file
picked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then sandpaper, from coarse
to fine, made the wooden puppet as smooth as skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And, at last, Gepetto put down his tools and rested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pinocchio sat before him, and Gepetto the
Artist surveyed his Artwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Woodworker,
his Woodwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Creator, his Creature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as the sun rose outside the workshop,
Gepetto looked at Pinocchio bright in the morning sunlight, and saw that what
he had made was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very good.</span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But Pinocchio was no ordinary puppet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gepetto had created him in his own
likeness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had poured his heart and
soul into his project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Pinocchio was
a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">living</i> puppet, a marionette without
strings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Pinocchio ventured out that
morning to explore the world beyond the workshop, no one was controlling him,
no one was making choices for him, no one was pulling the strings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pinocchio strolled down the streets of the
village, amazed by all he saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By and
by, Pinocchio met "Honest" John, a sly fox, and his associate Gideon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Honest" John--who was not so
honest--Gideon tempted Pinocchio lured him and all the other boys they could
find to "Pleasure Island," where there were no adults and no rules
and no curfews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with no one to stop
them, Pinocchio and the other boys enjoyed all the pleasures of Pleasure
Island--gambling, smoking, vandalizing, getting drunk...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When Pinocchio awoke the next morning, he realized he had
made an jackass of himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> felt like a donkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt long donkey ears coming from his
head, and he reached back and felt a donkey tail on his behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other boys too were<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>turning into donkeys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Frightened, Pinocchio left Pleasure Island and ran, fast as
his wooden legs would take him, back to the only home he had ever
known--Gepetto's workshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cried as
he ran, his sobs becoming "hee haws," and his run becoming a trot as
his transformation from puppet to donkey was nearly complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, he reached Gepetto's workshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hot tears ran down Pinocchio's donkey snout, tears
of shame and fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told Gepetto his
story, hee-hawing his guilt, his regret, his remorse, as Gepetto listened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gepetto held Donkey Pinocchio and embraced him in his strong
arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"I created you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I forgive you."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gepetto
said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as Gepetto held Pinocchio,
Gepetto's grace, love and forgiveness transformed Pinocchio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not from donkey to back to puppet, but from
donkey to real boy.</span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And together they lived, Artist and Artwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woodworker and Woodwork. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creator and Creature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Father and Son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And they lived happily ever after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The End.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sometimes a story like this one, or a fable, or song, or
poem, are able to carry deep truths better than a news report or a piece of
non-fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story of Pinocchio and
Gepetto carries deep truths about our own relationships with our Creator, our
Heavenly Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The same is true of our First Reading
this morning, from the first chapters of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the poetry of Genesis one, we hear, "In
the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth...</span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">God is the Creator... of Day and Night,
Sky and Sea, Vegetation and Fruit, Sun and Moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is the Creator of Flying Creatures,
Swimming Creatures, Creeping Creatures.... And the Creatures known as Humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is our Creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"God
created humankind in his image,</span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in the image of God he created
them;</span></span></div>
<div style="-ms-text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">male and female he
created them."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And God's creation, God's creatures,
were good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very Good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But also, very bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As the story of Genesis unfolds, we
hear of humanity's failures: Adam and Eve tempted by the serpent in the
Garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cain killing his brother
Abel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wickedness of humanity in the
days before the Flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The division
among humankind at the Tower of Babel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not long after the Creation, the
relationship between the Creatures and the Creator became stretched, strained,
shattered.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But, there is a happy ending to the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Creator sent his Child to
earth, to rescue, to restore, to redeem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God is made
known to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the Son, we know
the love of the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">God is not only our Creator, but also
our Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God's grace, love and
forgiveness transform us, make us his children, make us real, make us who we
were meant to be.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This transformation begins at the font,
when we are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are made children of the
Father, united to the Son through the death and resurrection of Christ, sealed
and filled with the Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">We are held forever, in the gracious, loving, transforming embrace of our Triune God, now and forever. Even to the end of the age. Amen.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-81777041553477774472014-05-10T15:02:00.000-04:002021-09-16T10:22:32.572-04:00Reflection | How Children Grow Strong, Grow Wise, and Grow with God<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Gospel of Luke tells us that the
newborn Jesus "grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor
of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As a
parent of a four-year old boy and 21-month old triplets, that is what I want
for my children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For them to grow--to
grow strong, to grow wise, to grow in their relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a pastor, that is what I want for the
children of my congregations and communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For them to grow--to grow strong, to grow wise, to grow in their
relationship with God. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">How does this happen? How do children grow? Earlier in Luke's gospel, we are told that Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, took him to Jerusalem to the Temple to present him to the Lord. While at the Temple, they met Simeon. Simeon is described as being righteous and devout and filled with the Spirit. The text suggests that Simeon was an old man, close to death, but they Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not see death until he had seen God's chosen Messiah. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation..." (2:29-30).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Mary,
Joseph, and Jesus also met Anna at the Temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anna was a great woman of a great age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She never left the Temple, but worshipped there day and night, fasting
and praying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna, too, praises God
because of the child Jesus (2:36-38).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When
Mary, and Joseph, and Jesus had finished at the Temple, they returned to Nazareth
in Galilee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus grew strong, grew
wise, and grew in his relationship with God.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, Mary and Joseph spent time with Jesus
in the Temple, in God's presence. Then
Jesus grew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph and Jesus spent time
with God's people, like Simeon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Jesus grew strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary and Jesus spent time with a great woman
like Anna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Jesus became filled with wisdom.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Parenting
children is a challenging task, helping them grow can be difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my wife and I have found that when
our children are in God's house of worship, when they are surrounded by God's
people of all ages, when they hear the stories of God and of Jesus, when they
are prayed for and blessed, when their child-like faith is nourished, then they flourish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">That is how children grow. That is how children become strong. That is how they become filled with wisdom. That is how they grow in their relationship with God.</span></span></span>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-36527473073549791042013-07-01T10:41:00.000-04:002019-09-03T11:30:04.520-04:00Reflection | "Wit and Wisdom" | Time After Pentecost<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There’s
a saying where I come from – “knee high by the fourth of July.’ It means if a field of corn is knee high by
Independence Day, the crop is off to a good start.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There
are other seasonal bits of wisdom that have become part of our language. “In like a lion, out like a lamb,” sometimes
describes the month of March. Or how
about, “April showers bring May flowers.”
(What do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims, of course). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This
one’s new to me: “A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is
worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The
Old Testament books of Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Proverbs are the
Bible’s books of wisdom. The book of
Proverbs contains a number of collections of short sayings that are often true
about life. Here are a few:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Hatred stirs up disputes, but love covers all offenses”</span></i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> (10:2).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by virtuous
living”</span></i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> (16:31).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears
the Lord is to be praised”</span></i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> (31:30).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The
book of Proverbs has 31 chapters. You
could read one chapter each day during the month of July—read chapter 1 by July
1, chapter 2 by July 2, chapter 3 by July 3, and read chapter 4… “by the Fourth
of July.” </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-8133256084156242312013-03-21T14:58:00.000-04:002019-09-03T11:30:20.614-04:00Reflection | "The Rest of the Story" | Season of Easter<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul Harvey passed away
on February 28, 2009. From the young age
of 14 until his death at age 90, Paul Harvey was involved in radio
broadcasting. Harvey was known for catch
phrases he used at the beginning of his programs, such as “Hello, Americans, I’m
Paul Harvey. You know what the news is,
in a minute, you’re going to hear… <b>The
Rest of the Story.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Beginning as a part of
his newscasts during World War II and then premiering as its own series in
1976, <i>The Rest of the Story</i> consists
of factual stories on a variety of subjects with a surprise or “twist” saved
until the end. For instance, Paul Harvey
might tell a story from the childhoods of Henry and his brother, Samuel, who
was born in Florida. In the end, The
Rest of the Story is that Samuel is Samuel <i>Clemens,</i>
born in Florida, <i>Missouri,</i> and is
better known to most… as Mark Twain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As I write, we are
nearing the beginning of Holy Week. On
Palm Sunday, we will hear the story of Jesus’ Passion. On Maundy Thursday, we hear the story of his
Last Supper and how “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a
loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my
body that is for you. Do this in remembrance
of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). We hear
the story of Jesus’ betrayal, how “the devil had already put in the heart of
Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him” (John 13:2).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On Good Friday, the story
continues with Peter’s denial, the flogging of Jesus, and the crown of
thorns. We hear the story of Jesus’
crucifixion and burial. In the story of
Jesus, we hear the words of Psalm 22 echo: “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?” But the story does not end
there…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On Easter morning, we
hear the story of Jesus’ Resurrection.
On Easter, we hear <b>The Rest of
the Story:</b> “As the first day of the
week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the
stone and sat on it. His appearance was
like lightning and his clothing white as snow.
For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be
afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he
said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He
has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee;
there you will see him.’ This is my
message to you.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And that, as Paul Harvey
would say, is <b>The Rest of the Story!</b></span></div>
tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-3680383056983237052013-03-06T15:14:00.002-05:002021-09-16T10:22:13.733-04:00Sermon | "Empty Promises / Promises Fulfilled" | Lent 1C<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; text-transform: uppercase;">Gospel</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Luke 4:1–13</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus,
full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in
the wilderness,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span></sup>where for
forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those
days, and when they were over, he was famished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></sup>The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command
this stone to become a loaf of bread."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">4</span></sup>Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live
by bread alone.'"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">5</span></sup>Then the devil led him up and
showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">6</span></sup>And the devil said to him,
"To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been
given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">7</span></sup>If you, then, will worship me, it
will all be yours."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">8</span></sup>Jesus
answered him, "It is written, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Worship the Lord your God, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and serve only him.'"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">9</span></sup>Then the devil took him to
Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,
"If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">10</span></sup>for it is written, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'He will command his angels concerning
you, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to protect you,' </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">11</span></sup>and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'On their hands they will bear you up, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">so that you will not dash your foot
against a stone.'" </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">12</span></sup>Jesus answered him, "It is
said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">13</span></sup>When the devil had finished
every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Part I<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Let's take a look at this familiar text for a
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Luke 3, after Jesus had been
baptized by John in the Jordan, he was "praying, the heaven was opened, and
the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove (21-22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there is a brief pause in narrative, then
the story continues in chapter 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus,
still "full of the Holy Spirit" is led by that same Spirit in the
wilderness (4:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The way the Gospel of Mark tells the story, Jesus
is "driven" by the Spirit into the wilderness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What makes this interesting to me is that
Jesus is exactly where God wants him--he's not on the wrong side of the tracks,
he's not in a bad part of town where he really shouldn't be hanging out, he's
not running away from God like the prophet Jonah--and yet, he still faces
temptation by the devil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was tempted
by the devil for forty days, no less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus ate nothing during that time, and not surprisingly, when the forty
days were over, he was "famished."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">And then the devil really kicks the temptation into
high gear:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"If you <i>are</i> the Son of God, command
this stone to become a loaf of bread....<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"If you will worship me, all the kingdoms of
the world will be yours, for I have been given their glory and authority over
them has been given to me...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"If you<i> are</i> the Son of God, throw
yourself down from the pinnacle of the Temple..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The devil tries to lure Jesus with empty
promises:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The promise of a hearty meal, the promise of
appetites satisfied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet if Jesus were
to turn the stones into bread, it would seem self-serving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the gospels, Jesus performs miracles in
service to others, and to bring glory to God, not to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bread from stones would simply be empty
calories, ultimately un-fulfilling, like eating a Twinkie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The devil promises Jesus the kingdoms of the world,
if Jesus will worship him, but this promise is also an empty one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any authority the devil may have had was
ultimately temporary, for the rightful ruler of the heavens and earth is God,
and God alone is to be worshiped.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">And finally, the devil promises that God will
protect Jesus from death if he were to throw himself from the top of the
Temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, though, God's plan
does not save Jesus from death, but allows him to face death, death on the
cross, as part of his work on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Part II<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">How often today are we tempted by the empty
promises of the devil and the world and even our own sinful nature?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you're like me, quite often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Advertising promises to fulfill our appetites:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twinkies will satisfy your hunger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latest weight-loss product will help you
shed pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new exercise machine
will help you bulk up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latest
fashions will make you more popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
particular brand of makeup will transform you into the Photoshopped model on
the cover of the magazine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will
never be satisfied until you have a Sham-Wow and a set of Ginsu knives and a
Ch-ch-ch-Chia Pet and a Ronco Food Dehydrator and a WaxVac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Think of all the promises we hear from the world:
You need a bigger house, a newer car, a better boat to keep up with the
Joneses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will achieve success, and
therefore happiness by climbing the corporate ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to be liked or loved, your body
needs to be smaller, skinnier, firmer, tanner, smoother, softer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Religions, even certain expressions of
Christianity, make empty promises too: God will heal you if only you have
enough faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God desires you live
abundantly, which is equated with being wealthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But these type of churches forget that
following Jesus means facing persecution; following Jesus means self-denial;
following Jesus means giving up possessions; following Jesus means following
him to death, before rising to new life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Part III<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">How does Jesus deal with the devil's empty
promises?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By countering with the words
of scripture, with verses from our Old Testament. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the face of the first temptation,
Jesus replies with the words from Deuteronomy 8:3 "It is written, 'One
does not live by bread alone.'"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
devil knew the scripture well enough, that Jesus didn't have to even finish the
verse: "one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes
from the mouth of the LORD."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">When the devil wants Jesus to worship him, Jesus replies
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve
only him.'"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, Jesus is quoting
Deuteronomy, this time chapter 10.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, when the Devil tempts Jesus
throw himself from the Temple and offers scripture to suggest that angels will
protect him if he does, Jesus counters with scripture of this own, again from
Deuteronomy: "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the
test.'"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For 40 days, Jesus has fasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's very likely that during those 40
days Jesus spent time praying and meditating on the scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the gospels, when Jesus goes off by
himself to a place like the wilderness, a lonely place, it is often to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During those 40 days in which Jesus in which
Jesus fasted, he nurtured his relationship with his heavenly Father through
prayer and filled himself with the scriptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So when the devil came with to tempt Jesus with empty promises, Jesus
was already full of God's promises. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Part IV</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What insights can we glean about
temptation from this exchange between Jesus and the Devil?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a few thoughts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First, be aware of when you are most
vulnerable to temptation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After his fast,
Jesus was hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are
hungry--hungry for food, hungry for attention, hungry for affection--we are
more vulnerable to temptation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same
is true when we are angry, lonely, and tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you take the first letter of each of those--hungry, angry, lonely,
tired, it spells HALT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you find
yourself feeling this way, stop for a moment and be aware of your vulnerability
to temptation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Secondly, take time to pray, and to
pray about the temptations you face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught them to pray:
"Let us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask others to pray for you as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James 5:16 says, "</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";">The prayer of the righteous is
powerful and effective."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";">Third,
fill yourself with God's word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Join us
on Wednesday nights as we study together the book of Jonah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take home a devotional book for your personal
study of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write down a verse
from today's service that spoke to you and put it somewhere you will see it
later in the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fill yourself with
God's fulfilling promises, not the devil's empty promises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message of the scriptures, not messages
from advertising or messages from the world, should be the message we look to
to remind ourselves of who we are, who God created us to be, and what purpose
we were created to fulfill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";">One
of the prayers in our hymnal compares the Word of God to good food:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Blessed Lord God, you have caused the
holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people. Grant that we
may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, comforted by
your promises, we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal
life, which you have given us in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";">Finally,
remember this about temptation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> give in to sin, to the forces of
evil, to the devil, to his empty promises, return once again to the cross, the
cross toward which we journey these 40 days, the cross on which our Savior
Jesus died, so that we might receive God’s promise of forgiveness on behalf of
the One who was tempted, yet did not sin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif";">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8933480099624747079.post-47565905390063382782012-12-24T22:51:00.003-05:002021-09-16T10:20:46.265-04:00Resource | CreationI thought this might be a good illustration on the vastness of the Solar System as part of a lesson on Creation for a confirmation group, Sunday School class, etc.:<br />
<br />
<strong>Ask Marilyn</strong> by Marilyn vos Savant, as printed in the May 29, 2011 edition of <em>Parade</em> magazine<br />
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<strong>You once described our solar system with fruits and vegetables. Could you give us the "recipe" again?--</strong>David Erickson, Veneta, Ore.<br />
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Gladly. If the sun were a pumpkin about a foot wide, Mercury would be a tomato seed 50 feet away; Venus, a pea 75 feet away; Earth, a pea 100 feet away; Mars, a little raisin 175 feet away; Jupiter, an apple 550 feet away; Saturn, a peach 1025 feet away; Uranus, a plum 2050 feet away; and Neptune, a plum 3225 feet away. Pluto stays in the fridge.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.parade.com/askmarilyn/2011/05/Sundays-Column-05-29-11.html">www.parade.com/ask<b>marilyn</b>/2011/05/Sundays-Column-05-29-11.html</a>tpairanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009961871837270450noreply@blogger.com0