Shalom!

This year has been quite the time of lent.  I have learned so much and shared so much and am so grateful I took this journey.  So, how did I do?

I said I wanted to volunteer more and I did.  I am now part of a group called “Golden Gathering” that meets once a month to serve guests with dementia and Alzheimer’s.  I also volunteer in the church office each Monday morning.  My husband and I helped cook meals to be distributed up and down highway 45, a program called 45 & Hope.  I will continue because, quite frankly, volunteering really makes you feel good!  I recommend it to all!

I said I would do some random acts of kindness and I did.  The random acts mostly consisted of letting people move ahead of me in shopping lines or holding doors open or helping people carry things or doing things (like putting groceries in their car).  And by people, I mean people I didn’t already know.  It was fun and I always felt a little better helping out and that I had made the world a little nicer for those in it.  Will I keep this up?  You bet!  Try it, you’ll like it!

I said I would contact people who might need a little sunshine in their lives.  I did!  

I sent letters and cards and made phone calls to people I knew who were sick or could use a smile.  I used snail mail and e-mail.  It was fun!  I also started keeping a prayer list on my phone so that I could spontaneously pray for specific people when sitting in traffic or waiting in line.  Boy, these are things I will continue in my daily life!

Keeping this daily blog really kept me connected with lent.  I cannot believe how much I learned over the past 46 days!  For every blog I wrote, I probably did 2-3 hours of research.  I didn’t want to include information that wasn’t accurate or that I didn’t know enough about.  It was always interesting to learn and discuss and grow in my knowledge.  But it was so much more fun sharing it with all of you!

That has been my journey and a successful one at that!  But this journey is now completed…

We use Shalom to wish others “peace” but did you know this is only one part of the meaning?  We can use shalom as both a greeting to others or to say farewell.  According to Strong’s Concordance, shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.  Wow!  However, all those meanings are good ones – all representing good attributes for a full and complete life!

That’s what I am hoping for all of us!  Today I am saying shalom to you!  I wish for you all the things that it stands for!  And I love that I can do that in just one word!

 

Shalom!

 

Anticipation....

 

 Imagine the anticipation of all the followers of Jesus as they waited for his resurrection!  They witnessed the crucifixion and saw that He was buried over the Sabbath but they had to be on pins and needles waiting for that third day!  I know I would be!

But, wait….  Why are the women showing up the third day with more burial oils?  That seems strange to me.  You know what that means, don’t you – time to research.  And my findings are really mind-boggling!  None of the books in the Old Testament have any real reference to the resurrection, at least none that I and several biblical theologians could find. 

The closest reference might possibly be the story of Jonah and the whale, one that Jesus alludes to in Matthew 16:1-4 when the Pharisees and Sadducees request a sign from Heaven and Jesus responds “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will see it, except the sign of Jonah.”

There is much Old Testament testimony describing Jesus as a great prophet and as the Savior and even describing the final passion.  I’m sure you are aware of a lot of these passages in the Bible.  If not, check Deuteronomy, the Psalms or Isaiah.

But the first prediction of the passion is from Jesus to his disciples in Luke 9:21-22, when Jesus “directed them not to tell this to anyone.  He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.””

Even the disciples didn’t truly understand this and had to see it to believe it!  Jesus rose from the dead and presented himself to selected disciples for 40 days before ascending into Heaven!  In Jesus’ own words "from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."  (Luke 22:69)

  but for us...

A n t i c i p a t i o n ! 

 

Hope

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade."      

(1 Peter 1:3-4)

Today is Good Friday.  This is a day of hope for us all.   Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for us, with full knowledge of what was to come, to deliver us from all evil.  He gave us renewed hope for life everlasting with God!  Hope for our future.  Hope for God's undying compassion and mercy.  Hope for our salvation.  Hope for God's love.  Hope that we can have in Him to overcome any hardship!

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  

(Romans 12:12)

Jesus cried out from the cross seven times.  (That's right, 7 times.  I can't make this stuff up!  Just a reminder that this number is closely associated with divine perfection....)  Each one, in some way, gives us hope for our relationship and future with God.  I did look them up in the Bible this morning.  They are all there in the Gospels.

I found this information online and it includes a brief interpretation of each utterance.  According to www.gotquestions.org, the seven statements that Jesus Christ made from the cross are as follows (not listed in any particular order):

(1) Matthew 27:46 tells us that about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Here, Jesus was expressing his feelings of abandonment as God placed the sins of the world on him – and because of that, God had to “turn away” from Jesus. As Jesus was feeling that weight of sin, he was experiencing a separation from God for the only time in all of eternity.

(2) “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).  Those who crucified Jesus were not aware of the full scope of what they were doing because they did not recognize him as the Messiah. While their ignorance of divine truth did not mean they deserved forgiveness, Christ’s prayer in the midst of their mocking him is an expression of the limitless compassion of divine grace.

(3) “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).  In this passage, Jesus is assuring one of the criminals on the cross that when he died, he would be with Jesus in heaven. This was granted because even at the hour of his death, the criminal had expressed his faith in Jesus, recognizing him for who he was.

(4) “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).  Here, Jesus is willingly giving up his soul into the Father’s hands, indicating that he was about to die – and that God had accepted his sacrifice.

(5) “Dear Woman, here is your son!” and “Here is your mother!”  When Jesus saw his mother standing near the cross with the Apostle John, whom he loved, He committed his mother’s care into John’s hands. And from that hour John took her unto his own home (John 19:26-27). In this verse Jesus, ever the compassionate Son, is making sure his earthly mother is cared for after his death.

(6) “I am thirsty” (John 19:28). Jesus was here fulfilling the Messianic prophecy from Psalm 69:21: “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” By saying he was thirsty, he prompted the Roman guards to give him vinegar, which was customary at a crucifixion, thereby fulfilling the prophecy.

(7) “It is finished!” (John 19:30).   Jesus’ last words meant that his suffering was over and the whole work his Father had given him to do, which was to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and obtain eternal salvation for his people, was done, accomplished, fulfilled. The debt of sin was paid.

In the divine perfection of this act of love for us, Jesus created an environment of hope in our lives!

Thank you, Lord!

Time for a little humble pie....

 I (still) always joke that I wasn't perfect until I learned humility (to the groans of family and friends!)  But, when I think about it,  humility isn't really something we learn, it is actually something we should aspire to.  

According to C.S. Lewis, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less."     Then there is Harry S. Truman who said, "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."  Or what about “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." coined by Abraham Lincoln.  These are all famous men who tout the importance of being humble, of not trying to take credit for what we do, who believe that we should work for the greater good!

There is another great man who also believed that message and lived every day of his life setting an example for us on how to live in humility.  He is to many of us the greatest man, a man we call Jesus Christ.  Jesus spent his life as a servant to others and serving God's will.  In his relationship with his Father and with his brothers and sisters on earth, he was always a humble servant - he was without pride and prejudice, unselfish in all his actions.

Jesus accepted everyone as one of God's children and did not try to avoid any class of person.  Actually, Jesus was at ease with the rich and the powerful as well as those whom society deemed unclean.  His humility kept showing as he healed the sick and ministered to the poor and cast out demons.  He accepted the invitations to eat in the houses of sinners as well as Pharisees and hypocrites.  He even stopped to help women of ill repute!  Not once did he burst with pride at being the Son of God.....

So Jesus was the perfect example of living a humble life and one of his best examples was when he washed the feet of his apostles at the last supper.  Just picture it!  The Son of God kneeling before these men with a towel thrown over his shoulder and lugging a wash basin of sorts, even though he knew that one of these guys would betray him and another would deny even knowing him, not once, but three times!  Humble to the core of his being, setting the example for all of us to follow!

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.  "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them.  "You call me Teacher and Lord and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."  John 13:12-17

This is a homily I found online that was given by Fr. Joseph K. Horn on 7 July 1996 at St Barbara’s Parish in Santa Ana, CA.  I thought that I can in no way improve on his words so I am presenting it in its entirety for your reflection.  I was surprised a few times, so might you.  It presents some very interesting perspectives and is based on an examination of pride vs. humility in 7 different questions (again, a number person like myself would note that there are 7 questions and this was presented on the 7th day of the 7th month..... and 7 often stands for divine perfection.... worth noting,  in my humble opinion.... )  But this is definitely worth the read!  It only takes about 5 more minutes - time well spent!

The Seven Tests of Humility 

You know how the doctor sometimes says, “This won’t hurt at all,” and then does something that hurts? I really hate it when they say, “This might hurt a little,” because then you know it’s definitely going to hurt. The worst thing I ever heard a doctor say was when I broke my leg ten years ago, and the doctor in the emergency room took hold of my leg to jerk the bones back into their somewhat proper location, and he looked me right in the eye and said, “This is really going to hurt.” 

Well, my friends, I thought about giving a sermon today that wasn’t going to hurt at all. It was too boring, so I rewrote it to hurt just a little. When it was done, I realized that I’d better warn you: This is really going to hurt. Sorry; no anesthetics are available. 

There are seven common situations that test a person’s humility, and reveal clearly whether they are proud or humble. As you listen to each of these seven tests, let it rip open your soul, if need be, and decide what needs to be operated on. 

Test #1:  What do you do when somebody wrongs you? Do you anger easily? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that we are little gods who should never be inconvenienced. When somebody wrongs us, it hurts our pride, and rather than being humbled by the experience, we get angry, like little Zeuses throwing little lightning bolt temper tantrums. Or do you take it in stride, remaining cool, calm and collected, rolling with the punches and remaining strong enough to take a few knocks? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that we are all sinners, and that we’re no better than anybody else. 

Test #2:  When was the last time you consciously decided to forgive somebody for some wrong they did to you? Was it long ago? Do you only rarely forgive others? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that people have no excuse for hurting us, that they did so on purpose, that they are lower than sewer sludge, and that they deserve our wrath and scorn. Or do you remember being recently wronged, and immediately forgiving them? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that they probably didn’t know what they were doing, that they have their own daily struggle just like we do, and that while to err is human, to forgive is divine. 

Test #3:  What do you do after realizing that you’ve sinned? Do you pretend it never happened? Do you say that it’s not really your fault? Do you plead extenuating circumstances? Do you blame someone else? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that we are too wonderful and excellent and awesome and perfect to really sin, so there must be some other explanation. Since we do not believe that we really sinned, we feel no guilt. Since we feel no guilt, we do not ask for forgiveness. Since we do not ask for forgiveness, we are not forgiven, and we continue to sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand, all the while saying, “Quicksand? What quicksand? I don’t see any quicksand!” Or do we tell God, “I have sinned; please forgive me”? That’s humility. Humility reminds us to face the facts, admit our sin, and beg forgiveness. We offer no excuses. We don’t blame the situation on other people. We know that we are sinners, but we humbly trust that our sins will be washed away in the blood of the Lamb. 

Test #4:  How often do you ask God for favors in prayer? Rarely? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that the greatest people are the self-made billionaires, and that since we are great too, we must in some way be self-made and self-reliant, needing nobody else, never needing to ask anybody for any favors, including God. Or do you find yourself occasionally asking God for help? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that everything we have is from God, that even our bodies and talents are on loan from God, that we are in need of salvation and that Jesus is our Savior. 

Test #5:  Are you easily annoyed by other people? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that it is we who define “normal”, so that anybody who behaves differently from our esteemed selves is behaving abnormally, probably on purpose, just to annoy us. Or do you enjoy the presence of other people, and interact easily with them? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that everybody is different, that each person has a unique role in God’s plan, and is therefore given different tastes, desires, abilities, and opportunities. The humble man sees God’s will in this diversity, and rejoices in it. 

Test #6:  Do you find it difficult to submit your will to another person? Do you only watch the TV shows and movies that you want to watch? Do you only eat what you want to eat? Do you complain when your children, parents, or boss ask you to do something above and beyond the call of duty? Do you refuse to do things because they are beneath your dignity? Or do you do them, but bellyache about it to everybody, as if you were being exploited or martyred? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that we have the right to do anything we want to do, and to avoid doing anything we don’t want to do. It was pride that made Lucifer say, “Non serviam! I will not serve!” Or do you gladly accept God’s will for you, as expressed by those who have legitimate authority over you or a claim to your time? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that God is in charge. He knows what he’s doing, and so we can trust Him completely. Every task we are given is a task that must be done by somebody. The humble soul says, “Here I am Lord; send me,” and then works patiently and gladly. It was humility that made Mary say, “Let it be done to me according to thy will.” 

Test #7:  When you experience success or good fortune, do you boast about it? That’s pride. Pride lies to us, telling us that success is always due to our own hard work, superior intelligence, brilliant imagination, keen sense of timing, and the simple and obvious fact that we’re just destined to be successful. It also tells us that good fortune isn’t a gift; no, it’s really a karmic thing; it’s the universe paying off its debt of gratitude in appreciation for our magnificence; it’s evidence that God himself is a member of our fan club. So we feel justified in bragging. Or do you take success in stride, remaining as cool, calm and collected in good fortune as in bad? That’s humility. Humility reminds us that when it rains or shines it does so on both the just and the unjust. Success is always caused by many factors, some of which we have no control over, and good fortune is a pure grace from God, undeserved and non-repayable. We thank God on our knees for such gifts, but we don’t boast about them. 

There you have it: the seven tests of humility. I hope I didn’t cause you too much pain by reading these to you. I like to imagine that the way souls get out of Purgatory is by passing a written exam full of questions like these, and as St. Peter passes out the exams, he says, “Don’t worry; this won’t hurt at all.”

 I don't know about you, but I think I landed on the side of pride more than humility - that's a great big slice of humble pie for me! 

 

Consider this from 1 Peter 5:5-6

"And all of you must clothe yourselves with your humility in your dealings with one another, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time."

 

Here Comes the Judge!

Sometimes I feel that I am so quick to judge!  “What possessed her to wear that outfit? Doesn’t she have a mirror?” or  “Why did they decide to do that?  Don’t they know what others will think?”  or   “Who wants to have that many children?”  or  “Really? I wouldn’t be caught dead in that car!”  or   “That house is too big – or in a bad neighborhood – or needs better landscaping.”  And the list goes on!   

We always think that we know better than others, but do we?  Do we understand the reasons behind their decisions?  Do we ever think that maybe our own decisions are subject to others’ judgements?    

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.  (Romans 2:1)

That’s right!  We are condemning ourselves!  It would be so much better if we tried to be more thoughtful and accepting.  Stop being the Judge Judy of the world around us.  Let's turn in our badges to the style police!  Take our noses out of other peoples’ business unless we are invited in!

Here are seven things to consider (or in other words, 7 ways to spiritual perfection) when it comes to judgement!:

1.     We are all different and make choices based on our personal knowledge so it makes sense that others might not make the same choices as you!

2.     Did you ever consider that you might not know all the facts behind their decisions!

3.     Have you "walked a mile in their shoes" before judging their actions?

4.     Don’t be a meddler – keep your feelings to yourself!  You might be the only one who wants to hear them anyway!

5.     Might it be possible that these actions are pointing to some deeper issue?

6.     Before making a snap judgement, why not ask them why and see if there is a reason that makes sense!

7.     If this person is your friend, then remember that!  Try not to let this one action ruin a good friendship!

 

After taking these under consideration, maybe we will all be singing “Here GOES the judge!”

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.  (Romans 14:12-13)

You only have to ask....

We are all familiar, in some form or another, with Mark 11:24  “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Versions also appear in Matthew, Luke and John.  It almost sounds like we are being given a blanket promise with no conditions.  Win-Win for us all!  Right?

Well, not really.  I’m pretty sure God will not give us anything that is not good for us.   And then there is the verse I found just the other day from James 4:3  “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

So, there you go!  God will not give us anything that won’t be good for us and/or that we really don’t need.  He always has our best interests at heart!  Count your blessings!  And feel free to quote James 4:3 the next time someone throws that old ask and receive conundrum your way....

I will be traveling all day hence the short blog!

Have a great day!

Hosanna!

Yesterday in church, the children came into the sanctuary waving palm fronds and singing “Hosanna” and it was so cute and yet so very inspiring!  It seems that every Palm Sunday, no matter where I worship, the congregation always does something similar and all services involve shouting hosanna!  Today I found myself wondering about that word -  hosanna.  When I got home, I spent a little time with my new BFF, Google!


Hosanna is defined in Merriam-Webster as a cry of acclamation and adoration.  That makes sense, right? Matthew 21:9 tells us about Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey.  “The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest heaven!””  


But, wait!  I also found out that hosanna is from the Hebrew word hosiana or hoshana that means save or rescue.  I’m not getting the connection – adoration vs. salvation?  And here's another bit of information - did you know that the word hosanna is not used in the old testament?  At least, Google and I couldn’t find it!  So when did we start using “hosanna” to honor the Lord?  I did discover one idea and I think you will find it very interesting!  But, let’s preface it with this fact:  at this time (the time we now refer to as Palm Sunday), there was no split between Judaism and Christianity yet.  (This is important to the conclusion!)


It all starts with a Hebrew phrase, domine salvum me fac, which translates to “Lord, save me.”   Back in the Old Testament days, people would use this phrase to ask a king to help or save them.  This Hebrew phrase was also part of the service at the Feast of Tabernacles (see Psalm 118), which celebrated the Lord’s deliverance of Israel into the promised land.  The Hebrew for salvum fac or serva nunc was hoshi'a na. This was repeated so frequently that it became abbreviated into hosanna; the seventh day of the feast was called the Great Hosanna; and the palm branches received the name of hosannas.  


No one really knows how Hosanna made the shift from salvation to celebration.  There are a few theories out there but the one I find most likely is that when Jesus was entering Jerusalem and the multitudes were waving the palm fronds, they naturally thought of the Great Hosanna service and made the connection.  Who knows?  Maybe they were both praising Jesus Christ as the King and asking for salvation!  I hope so because I really find that satisfying….


Maybe as years progressed and Christianity became its own sect, the “hosanna” shouted in Jerusalem on this awesome day eventually became synonymous with adoration and the salvation piece just fell to the wayside.  Or possibly it stemmed from the Feast of Tabernacles, a season of great rejoicing.  There was a saying among the Jews that those who had not witnessed it, did not know what joy meant.  This might be how Hosanna became associated with rejoicing, joy or even adoration.

I don’t know about you, but I kind of like thinking that this one word, Hosanna, has the dual function of asking for salvation while at the same time adoring our Lord.  I know it will have this meaning to me forevermore!
 
Hosanna!