Prepare ahead: find a piece of woven fabric that will tear easily. It should be a big enough piece that ripping it is somewhat dramatic. Put a tiny cut in the middle of one edge, so that you won’t have any trouble tearing it.
One of the interesting stories that should be told at Easter is often overlooked…probably because it is only one sentence long. Let’s look at Mark 15 which tells the story of how Jesus died on the cross. Verse 33 tells us that darkness came over the whole land from the 6th to the 9th hour…this would be from noon until 3 o’clock in the afternoon….not a time it is usually dark! Then reading in verses 37-38, “with a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”
(Rip the fabric in two from top to bottom, as you repeat , “the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”)
What curtain is being talked about here? (See if the children know about the curtain in the temple which divided the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. Draw out of them, or explain, that there was an area in the temple called the Holy of Holies. This is where the presence of God actually lived. It was not visible from the rest of the temple, and separated from it with a heavy curtain. No one could enter this area, except for once a year when a priest entered with a sacrifice for the sins of the people. If a person were to enter without a sacrifice for sin, he would be struck dead. In fact, the priest would have bells around the bottom hem of his robe, so that people standing outside could hear the bells ring as he moved around, and be assured that the priest was still alive.)
Because we are sinful and God is perfect and holy, we can’t go into His presence without a sacrifice for sins. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for our sins. To show that Jesus’ blood covered out sins, and we could now enter His presence, God Himself ripped the curtain, opening the Holy of Holies.
We might be tempted to think that some human being ripped the curtain, but you have to understand that this curtain was extremely large….some experts say it was 60 feet high and 4 inches thick. It wasn’t as though someone could have climbed up and had the strength to rip it from top to bottom.
God loved us so much that He wanted us to be able to come into his presence. He wants us to come to Him by praying and sharing the deep feelings in our hearts with Him. He knew we could never pay for our own sins, so He provided His own Son to die in our place. Then He ripped the curtain so that anyone could enter His presence.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
On New York State
We just returned home from New York City. We took a quick trip down to deliver our son his bike. He hasn't wanted it in Brooklyn, but he and his new bride are moving to California, and he will want his bike there.
Traveling across New York usually makes me think about what an interesting variety of sights and points of interest there are in this state.
Numerous waterways lace and dot the state....the Hudson, the Mohawk, the Niagara, the Genesee, the St. Lawrence, the Allegheny, and the Black Rivers. The Erie Canal makes use of a number of natural waterways. The state borders two of the Great Lakes....Erie and Ontario, but also encompasses many smaller ones, like the Finger Lakes, and Lake Oneida.
The topography is variety...the Adirondack, Catskill and Allegheny Mountains. Lots of rolling hills and farm land. Niagara Falls and the Letchworth gorge are spectacular.
I remember the first time I saw a picture of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River. I was in 7th grade, and we had an assignment to send away for brochures about interesting places in the state. I thought I had never seen anything quite as lovely as the Thousand Islands. I didn't know, at that point, that 10 years later, I would spend my honeymoon on a houseboat cruising around those scenic islands.
New York is a place of startling contrasts. Last evening we took the L train from Brooklyn into Manhattan to eat at a restaurant our son enjoys. About 10 percent of the people on the streets of NYC would cause a jaw-drop in our small city. I saw one man clothed in newspaper....all twisted, braided and woven together. My husband said, "That's probably his winter jacket." Today we drove past mile after mile of farmland with fields just greening up and cattle grazing. Downstate early flowers are blooming and bushes actually have leaves, or at least enough buds open that they seem to be surrounded by a green haze. Up here, all I can say is that the snow is gone.
I have no comment on New York politics. But, I do enjoy the contrasting sights, sounds and smells of New York!
Traveling across New York usually makes me think about what an interesting variety of sights and points of interest there are in this state.
Numerous waterways lace and dot the state....the Hudson, the Mohawk, the Niagara, the Genesee, the St. Lawrence, the Allegheny, and the Black Rivers. The Erie Canal makes use of a number of natural waterways. The state borders two of the Great Lakes....Erie and Ontario, but also encompasses many smaller ones, like the Finger Lakes, and Lake Oneida.
The topography is variety...the Adirondack, Catskill and Allegheny Mountains. Lots of rolling hills and farm land. Niagara Falls and the Letchworth gorge are spectacular.
I remember the first time I saw a picture of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River. I was in 7th grade, and we had an assignment to send away for brochures about interesting places in the state. I thought I had never seen anything quite as lovely as the Thousand Islands. I didn't know, at that point, that 10 years later, I would spend my honeymoon on a houseboat cruising around those scenic islands.
New York is a place of startling contrasts. Last evening we took the L train from Brooklyn into Manhattan to eat at a restaurant our son enjoys. About 10 percent of the people on the streets of NYC would cause a jaw-drop in our small city. I saw one man clothed in newspaper....all twisted, braided and woven together. My husband said, "That's probably his winter jacket." Today we drove past mile after mile of farmland with fields just greening up and cattle grazing. Downstate early flowers are blooming and bushes actually have leaves, or at least enough buds open that they seem to be surrounded by a green haze. Up here, all I can say is that the snow is gone.
I have no comment on New York politics. But, I do enjoy the contrasting sights, sounds and smells of New York!
Friday, April 17, 2009
A night with a 17 year old "newborn"
Oh, what a night I had last night.
My seventeen year old granddaughter is visiting. She is a young lady of normal intelligence, but she is a troubled person. (Details on possible causes of this will not be provided here....at least not in this post.)
I was pretty tense last evening having spent an hour in the car with her talking loudly non-stop, and simultaneously blaring music which is not the kind grandmothers prefer. I went to bed about 10, and dozed a bit, but just couldn't get relaxed enough to go to sleep. I think I finally went to sleep about midnight.
At 12:30 she woke me up, declaring that she couldn't sleep and had to have a Benadryl to help her. I was foggy headed enough not to think much about this and gave her one.
Then I went back to bed....and tossed and turned. At 2:30, I got up and had a cup of warm milk hoping that would help. Shortly thereafter, I again went to sleep.
At 3:30, she was again in my room. This time she said that her teeth hurt from the orthodontic adjustment done on Thursday, and insisted on Tylenol. I was muttering to myself that perhaps it was really tooth pain that had kept her awake earlier, and she should have had the Tylenol at 12:30. Should I have thought of that in my groggy state?
After I gave her the Tylenol, she informed me that even though she wasn't sleeping well, she would be up at 7. I told her absolutely not. I did NOT want her out of bed before 8 AM, because I was going to sleep in myself.
Yeah, right. At 6:50, she was back in my room. I snarled at her to go back to bed and not trouble me again until 8 o'clock.
At 7:50, she came in and asked my husband to take her to the donut shop.
A bit after 8, I dragged my weary body out of the bed thinking that I haven't felt this way, since being up repeatedly with a newborn.
I sure hope tonight is better.
My seventeen year old granddaughter is visiting. She is a young lady of normal intelligence, but she is a troubled person. (Details on possible causes of this will not be provided here....at least not in this post.)
I was pretty tense last evening having spent an hour in the car with her talking loudly non-stop, and simultaneously blaring music which is not the kind grandmothers prefer. I went to bed about 10, and dozed a bit, but just couldn't get relaxed enough to go to sleep. I think I finally went to sleep about midnight.
At 12:30 she woke me up, declaring that she couldn't sleep and had to have a Benadryl to help her. I was foggy headed enough not to think much about this and gave her one.
Then I went back to bed....and tossed and turned. At 2:30, I got up and had a cup of warm milk hoping that would help. Shortly thereafter, I again went to sleep.
At 3:30, she was again in my room. This time she said that her teeth hurt from the orthodontic adjustment done on Thursday, and insisted on Tylenol. I was muttering to myself that perhaps it was really tooth pain that had kept her awake earlier, and she should have had the Tylenol at 12:30. Should I have thought of that in my groggy state?
After I gave her the Tylenol, she informed me that even though she wasn't sleeping well, she would be up at 7. I told her absolutely not. I did NOT want her out of bed before 8 AM, because I was going to sleep in myself.
Yeah, right. At 6:50, she was back in my room. I snarled at her to go back to bed and not trouble me again until 8 o'clock.
At 7:50, she came in and asked my husband to take her to the donut shop.
A bit after 8, I dragged my weary body out of the bed thinking that I haven't felt this way, since being up repeatedly with a newborn.
I sure hope tonight is better.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
On my husband's 66th birthday
Today is my husband's 66th birthday. Bill has been a distance runner since his early teen years. He is a bit short on training at this point, since we are coming off a snowy winter, but he decided that he would do a looooong run today in celebration of his birthday.
So, he rode to work with me this morning. He had measured the distance from my office to home at 19 miles. (There is a shorter way, but it is hilly.) He figured he would have to walk some of it, but that he could do it.
He prepared himself with one of those backpacks that contain water, and stashed some granola bars and his cell phone in it also. He left my office at about 8:30.
Fortunately, I did not plan to work the entire day today. I left the office around 11:30 and drove his route. I had mentally calculated the approximate location I would find him in. I passed that point, and was thinking, "Wow, he must be doing better than I thought!"
But then, I saw a weary figure trudging along. I pulled in a parking lot just past him and got out of the car. He grinned and said, "Are you offering me a ride?"
He had made it about 15 miles, and decided to let it go at that.
When he was in his 20s, he once covered 60-some miles in one day...but that was 40+ years ago.
Growing older is strange. On the inside, you can still feel vigorous, but then you try to exert yourself, and discover your body doesn't cooperate. Or, you look in the mirrow and wonder, "Who is that old person staring back at me?"
Yup, my 64th birthday is next week.
So, he rode to work with me this morning. He had measured the distance from my office to home at 19 miles. (There is a shorter way, but it is hilly.) He figured he would have to walk some of it, but that he could do it.
He prepared himself with one of those backpacks that contain water, and stashed some granola bars and his cell phone in it also. He left my office at about 8:30.
Fortunately, I did not plan to work the entire day today. I left the office around 11:30 and drove his route. I had mentally calculated the approximate location I would find him in. I passed that point, and was thinking, "Wow, he must be doing better than I thought!"
But then, I saw a weary figure trudging along. I pulled in a parking lot just past him and got out of the car. He grinned and said, "Are you offering me a ride?"
He had made it about 15 miles, and decided to let it go at that.
When he was in his 20s, he once covered 60-some miles in one day...but that was 40+ years ago.
Growing older is strange. On the inside, you can still feel vigorous, but then you try to exert yourself, and discover your body doesn't cooperate. Or, you look in the mirrow and wonder, "Who is that old person staring back at me?"
Yup, my 64th birthday is next week.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
On the mess in the basement
The first day I blogged, I was trying to clean up my Dad's mess in the basement, which has been there since he passed away nearly 3 years ago.
Today I had a project to do, so I cleared off a space on his workbench. I needed to cut some small pegs...and there was his jigsaw handy. I needed to do a little sanding...and there was his belt sander ready at the flip of the switch. I needed a small paint brush...yup, that was there too.
I felt like he was looking over my shoulder, and pleased that I was using his things.
I still intend to get rid of his collection of assorted junk, but today I did enjoy some of what he left behind.
Today I had a project to do, so I cleared off a space on his workbench. I needed to cut some small pegs...and there was his jigsaw handy. I needed to do a little sanding...and there was his belt sander ready at the flip of the switch. I needed a small paint brush...yup, that was there too.
I felt like he was looking over my shoulder, and pleased that I was using his things.
I still intend to get rid of his collection of assorted junk, but today I did enjoy some of what he left behind.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Children's Sermon-Good news...it's empty!
Preparation: gather some items which would be disappointing if empty....e.g. an empty jewelry box, a candy wrapper minus the candy bar, etc. Keep some actual candy in wrappers out of sight. Alter the dialogue to fit your items.
Have you ever been riding in a car when it started to sputter and then stopped? Maybe the driver looked at the dashboard and saw the gas gauge pointing to "E" and said, "Oh, no! We're on empty!" That's bad news, isn't it?
What do you think would happen if your Dad gave your Mom a small pretty box that looked like it would have a piece of nice jewelry in it, but when she opened it, it was empty! (show box) Big trouble, bad news!
What about this....here, Kyle, have some candy. (Hand him the empty wrapper and use his response to indicate that it is empty.) Uh, oh....once again empty is bad news.
I want to tell you today, that being empty is also the best news in the world.
As Christians we often talk about how Jesus died for us on the cross. We say that He took all our sin and guilt in order to save us. We have crosses in our churches and wear them on necklaces. But the truth is, that if the story had ended at the cross, it would be a very sad story. If Jesus had remained dead and in the tomb, we would have no hope. If Jesus wasn't strong enough to win out over sin and death, what chance do we have?
But here's the thing...the tomb was empty!
Jesus was powerful enough to come back to life. Sin and death could not hold Him. Because he won that battle, we have hope that we can win our battles with sin, and that after our bodies are dead and buried, the part of us that makes us who we really are will live on with Jesus in heaven.
So...the very best news in the world is that IT'S EMPTY. The grave where Jesus was buried is empty. HE IS ALIVE, and that is what we celebrate today.
Oh...and here is something else that isn't empty. (pass out candy in a wrapper)
Have you ever been riding in a car when it started to sputter and then stopped? Maybe the driver looked at the dashboard and saw the gas gauge pointing to "E" and said, "Oh, no! We're on empty!" That's bad news, isn't it?
What do you think would happen if your Dad gave your Mom a small pretty box that looked like it would have a piece of nice jewelry in it, but when she opened it, it was empty! (show box) Big trouble, bad news!
What about this....here, Kyle, have some candy. (Hand him the empty wrapper and use his response to indicate that it is empty.) Uh, oh....once again empty is bad news.
I want to tell you today, that being empty is also the best news in the world.
As Christians we often talk about how Jesus died for us on the cross. We say that He took all our sin and guilt in order to save us. We have crosses in our churches and wear them on necklaces. But the truth is, that if the story had ended at the cross, it would be a very sad story. If Jesus had remained dead and in the tomb, we would have no hope. If Jesus wasn't strong enough to win out over sin and death, what chance do we have?
But here's the thing...the tomb was empty!
Jesus was powerful enough to come back to life. Sin and death could not hold Him. Because he won that battle, we have hope that we can win our battles with sin, and that after our bodies are dead and buried, the part of us that makes us who we really are will live on with Jesus in heaven.
So...the very best news in the world is that IT'S EMPTY. The grave where Jesus was buried is empty. HE IS ALIVE, and that is what we celebrate today.
Oh...and here is something else that isn't empty. (pass out candy in a wrapper)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
On time
At the risk of actually sounding like a grandmother, which I am, how can it be that life passes so quickly?
When we are children, we think that time is interminable. Christmas or the next birthday or even the weekend will never come. Events that occurred 100 years ago are certainly ancient history.
As I am creeping up on my 64th birthday, 100 years doesn't seem so long ago. The weeks roll along at a frantic pace. Certainly there are blocks of time that pass at agonizing snail speed...times when someone I love is sick, or I'm waiting for an important phone call. But, in general, the time from one Christmas to the next is definitely shorter than when I was a child. I guess, it's a matter of perspective.
I have wondered what it would be like to live outside of time. Humans are locked into straight line, one dimensional time....except in science fiction novels. No matter what it feels like, any change in the length of a day or a year is imperceptible to us.
I believe that God exists outside of time....that in the process of creating the world, He created time for man's benefit....He doesn't need it. I expect that when we die, we step outside of time and don't need it any longer either.
When we are children, we think that time is interminable. Christmas or the next birthday or even the weekend will never come. Events that occurred 100 years ago are certainly ancient history.
As I am creeping up on my 64th birthday, 100 years doesn't seem so long ago. The weeks roll along at a frantic pace. Certainly there are blocks of time that pass at agonizing snail speed...times when someone I love is sick, or I'm waiting for an important phone call. But, in general, the time from one Christmas to the next is definitely shorter than when I was a child. I guess, it's a matter of perspective.
I have wondered what it would be like to live outside of time. Humans are locked into straight line, one dimensional time....except in science fiction novels. No matter what it feels like, any change in the length of a day or a year is imperceptible to us.
I believe that God exists outside of time....that in the process of creating the world, He created time for man's benefit....He doesn't need it. I expect that when we die, we step outside of time and don't need it any longer either.
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