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Posts tagged ‘sermon notes’

Should We Jump Ship?

My last couple of posts dealt with the theme of shipwrecks and lifeboats. Today’s sermon at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church seemed to contradict the idea of jumping from the ship and hopping on the lifeboat. Or did it?

Photo by Nuno Obey on Pexels.com

The boat in today’s scripture lesson was in a storm (“…beaten by the waves …the wind was against them,” Matt 14:24b). The boat was filled with the 12 disciples. Jesus was walking on the water to come to them.

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way[a] from the land,[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night[c] he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

In his sermon today, Rev. Steve Hundley took me on a new journey through that scripture. Instead of focusing on Peter and his desire to also walk on water – and his doubt which caused him to begin to sink, Pastor Steve invited us to take a closer look at the eleven disciples who remained in the boat. I had not done that before. In fact, I am not sure I even realized the boat was big enough for eleven of them to fit in there!

If you have followed my blog for a while, you know I have a habit of listening to the sermon and taking notes in poetry. That way I can share the message with Bob on our way home (since he has trouble hearing and following the sermon during church). Well, I did that note-taking today. Here is what I came away with:

Is this a story about faith?
Is it about Peter’s doubt?
Or, is it about the eleven who
Stayed in the boat without a shout?

They saw Jesus walking on the sea.
They thought He was a ghost.
Jesus said, Never fear, it is I.”
Peter: “… if it is You…” Not the eleven, though.
Who believed most?

Peter doubted – and he asked to be
Set apart so then he’d believe.
Like the rest of us who ask
For exemption – “Give me special power – relieve!”

Relieve my doubt. Let me ask for help.
Do you have trouble asking for help?
Do you like playing the hero?
Unlike the eleven disciples, do you yelp?

Peter yelped, “Let me walk on water, too.”
Jesus gave him the ability to walk.
But Peter continued to doubt
And so he began to sink. Walk the talk?

No, the church doesn’t need heroes.
It needs disciples like the eleven were.
Stay in the boat – Wait for Jesus to come.
Don’t try to be a hero and cause a stir!

We’ve got a storm of constant change
Going on all about us. We need
To stay in the boat and pay attention
To the eleven. Don’t be a Peter of greed!

The wind and waves stirring up change
In our world can eat a person alive.
It’s easy to jump ship, but Jesus says,
Stay the course. Stay in the boat. Survive!

Take heart! You are not alone.
I am with you in the boat. Sing!
Know that this is your lifeboat.
Wait for the peace and calm that I will bring.”

Amen?
Amen!

In his “Prayers of the People”
after the sermon and a hymn titled,
“Eternal Father, Strong to Save,”
Pastor Steve prayed,

“Take us by the hand
And rescue us in our darkest hours.
It is You who rescues us.
We pray You will not leave us alone.
As we strain at the oars,
protect us when we find ourselves adrift.
Strengthen our hands
when we are weak.”

I would add,
“Strengthen our faith
when we are weak.
Keep us on the boat.
It is not a shipwreck,
not if You, Lord,
are our Captain.”

Don’t jump ship!
Life may be a shipwreck,
but with Jesus as your Captain,
your boat is a lifeboat!
You can trust Him completely.
Sing in the lifeboat!

Sing,
“I will make you fishers of men,
fishers of men,
fishers of men…”
(and of women, too!)

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
this lovely Sunday afternoon.
I hope you had a great day.
Bee well, and Bee safe!
And stay in the boat!!

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, Fishing, God, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, Poetry, prayer, sermon notes

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Being Human

“Humans don’t always know how to be human.”
That was the sentence that caught my attention
In last Sunday’s sermon about love.
Is loving one another our sincere intention?

Most of us know the Bible’s definition;
We’ve heard the scripture countless times.
But reading it, saying it, and doing it
Aren’t the same – not even sometimes.

Mary Grace Reynolds took the topic
Of love on Super Bowl Sunday
(The week of Valentine’s Day)
And related it to a movie and play.

The movie was “Remember the Titans.”
The play was football and dance.
Some newly integrated football players
Were brought together by chance.

Photo by football wife on Pexels.com


On the football field they never joined
Together and danced as one.
During practice their coach
Sent the players out on a run.

The coach stopped them at
Gettysburg – a place of war –
A place where 50,000 men died
Fighting the fight we’ve fought before.

Take a lesson from the dead;
Come together on hallowed ground.
Learn to play in harmony.
Set aside prejudice; let oneness be found.

Push yourself aside for the good
Of the whole – learn to love.
Display the honest hope and possibilities
Born of God – born to hug and not shove.

The Galatians had the same problem –
Fighting, arguing, not loving.
Paul wrote a letter to them,
Encouraging huddling, not shoving!

Galatians 3:19-29

Paul says we are wearing the identity of Christ
and while we come from difference,
and difference is beauty.
We are nothing except Christians

Galatians 5

Like the Titans, we have to change our actions and attitudes.
We have to put on the uniform and come ready to win.
Recognize we as the players need one another.
Remember we are the players,
not the coach.

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

Come ready to play the game
Of patience forgiveness, and love,
Do not be a slave to estrangement.
Take coaching from our God above.

Faith working through love frees us –
So be careful you don’t get eaten up
By the ways we differ – find unity.
Play to win – not to get beaten up!

Let God teach us to be human.
Christ is our coach – always!
He made us to play together in peace.
Let’s claim that identity and give God the praise.

Amen?

You will know I am human –
You will know I was made by God
to love you and guard your dignity
by my love!

Love to you…
and hugs in unity
from
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, Poetry, sermon notes

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Reblog #10 – Prayer

Prayer

openhands-thanking

Prayer is the topic of a book study we are doing with our pastor these weeks of November 2022. But, back in 2015, it was also a topic of discussion and the title of our guest minister’s sermon. Take a step back – and join me:

Prayer was the title of our sermon on Sunday, August 16, 2015 by Rev. Carol Shellenberger of Bozeman, MT. Here are the notes I took while I listened to her very meaningful and inspiring message:

Turning to the Lord in prayer
Is a habit I cultivate.
Turning to the Lord with concern
Is wise, before it’s too late.

But turning to the Lord in praise
Is a minute-by-minute habit.
It’s not just a request for courage
When we’re afraid. It’s a joy. Grab it!

Prayer is a source of inspiration.
Our Father has so much to give.
Prayer is a way to receive it…
The gift of wisdom; abundance to live.

Some folks expect too much or too little,
Looking for extraordinary results
Or doubting that God even hears.
But prayer is a part of us – like our pulse.

Turning to the Lord in prayer
Tells God we are here – and so is He.
We know He is wherever we are.
I know my Lord cares and answers me.

Prayer is not just a matter of speaking;
It’s conversation, but it’s silence, too.
If you never stop talking in prayer to God,
You never hear what He’s saying to you,

In Luke 11, Jesus teaches His disciples
To pray in a wise, simple way.
Recognize the power of God
And reflect on what this version has to say.

It’s a personal, approachable prayer
To Abba, our Papa, our Dad.
It invites us to be honest with God,
Especially when we’ve been remorsefully bad.

Be specific in naming your sins.
From your core, tell Him of your failure and fear.
Then look for the way your Savior responds.
Notice His Spirit within you. Feel His Love near.

God may not answer in ways you expect.
Our Lord is not Santa Claus in disguise.
Listen and look for God’s exquisite response.
He cares, He hears, and His response always is wise.

In faith, hope and trust,
Just PRAY!

Amen.

Take your troubles to the Lord today.
The Holy Spirit is in you – always ready.
The God of Creation who created you
Is here to help you … Helpfulness is steady.

There is nothing quite like prayer in song –
especially when it is Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion!

I have you in my prayers tonight, my friends.

Look up for your purpose!

Be safe. Be well…
See you tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Jesus, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, sermon notes, writing

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S/He’ll Be Back!

It’s been a wonderful early winter Sunday.
It snowed all night last night!
Yes, I know… too soon!
It’s only mid-October.

See those footprints under the tree?
When I looked out the window this morning,
there was a deer,
nibbling on the berries in that tree.
By the time I dashed to get my camera/phone,
she was long gone!
I think she is the same doe
who visited us last week,
and chewed off/ spit out
the geranium blossoms that were in that planter.

Yes, she’s been here before.
I captured her on camera last spring.
She’ll be back!
She’s pretty… but she is a nuisance.
She thinks our plants were put there
to supply her salad bar!

Today’s sermon by Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds
dealt with this same theme: “He’ll be back!”

John 16:16
Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

In my sermon notes today, I captured these main ideas,

Life doesn’t always turn out as we imagine.
Disappointments run the gamut.
The disciples were puzzled, not understanding
where Jesus was going and why He had to leave.
Jesus knew His disciples would grieve
and they would be mocked for believing in Him
as their Savior, so He wanted to encourage them.

20 “Truly, truly, I say to you,
you will weep and lament,
but the world will rejoice.
You will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

He would not leave them for good…
He promised He’d send them
A Comforter (The Holy Spirit),
and then He would return to them.

Jesus told the disciples,
“The Holy Spirit is a gift
that will come in my absence.”

The Holy Spirit is with us today.
The Spirit is a nudge in the night,
the inexplicable comfort in times of distress,
a direct line to God (God on speed dial!)
Sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost,
He will come to remind you of everything
Jesus taught during His ministry on earth.

Tragedy is tragedy-
However, there is a wisdom obtained
when we experience the goodness
and the tragedy together.

Life can take us on turns we don’t expect.
We’d like to trade pain and tragedy for comfort.
However,
disappointment and pain help us be
more fully connected to others
with empathy and compassion.
That ain’t always easy – that’s for sure!

Mary Grace concluded her sermon with this thought to ponder:
“We become stronger than what hurts us.
There is much hope in that.”

Are you like me?
Wouldn’t you rather just avoid that which hurts you?
Don’t hurts just feel like a trap?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

God is asking us to look at life’s challenges through Jesus glasses.
Don’t deny yourself the lessons learned.
When things aren’t working out, take another look!

Like that deer on my front lawn,
troubles and disappointments return.
But so do joys and blessings.

My cough has been quiet while I typed this.
It may return when I try to sleep tonight,
but it won’t last forever. JOY comes in the morning!
Hang in there, my friends.
I’ll be back!

Have a blessed week.
Today was my grandson, Chrissy’s 27th birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Toki!!
(He’s in Switzerland…)


Thanks for visiting and leaving your comment below.
I love having positive exchanges with you.

Grace to you,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, God, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, peace, prayer, relationships

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Harsh Words of Jesus

If you’ve followed my blog for a while,
You know I attend church every Sunday,
And I usually try to take sermon notes.
As I listen, I try to record the message poetically.

Our pastor, Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds,
is doing a bold sermon series.
She’s asking our church congregants
to send her scripture that puzzles or troubles them.

This week the scripture passage she used
is from Luke 9:57-62. A weird one indeed!
I’ve often thought Jesus was rather harsh
with these two men who wanted to follow Him.

Luke 9:57-62

New International Version

The Cost of Following Jesus

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Is Jesus saying
You have to leave your family
and forget your livelihood
to be a Christ follower?

Today’s sermon notes:

The mid-west mecca of modern architecture
Is Columbus, Indiana. Ever been there?
I watched the movie, “Columbus,” recently.
Jinn & Casey meet and share.

Ultimately the movie is about
Staying or leaving – choices we make.
Casey needs to go, but doesn’t want to.
Jinn convinces her to leave for her own sake.

Jesus may have been telling the men
To leave for their own sake.
Their situations were different,
But departure was what it would take.

Jewish burial rites have many parts:
Wrapping body, burial, dig up, burn, urn…
In this scripture a man wants to tend to his father.
Jesus prompts, “Come now and learn.”

We don’t know at what point in the rites
This man’s father may have been –
But it seems harsh for Jesus to tell him
“Let the dead bury their dead.” Such chagrin!

Another man wants to go back to his family,
But Jesus says, “Do not do an about face!”
This passage is all about priorities.
Jesus asks us to put Him in first place.

Love is not selfish, sinking in its talons.
Love is generous – love always is kind.
There often is sadness in leaving,
But when God calls, listen, decide, and mind!

Don’t get stuck looking back (like Lot’s wife).
You’ll become a pillar in your own tears and grief.
It’s all about priorities and obedience.
Hear God’s call and follow your belief!

Amen?
Amen!

What is it that determines your values and beliefs?

Perhaps Jesus was not being harsh with those two men after all.
Perhaps, like Jinn and Casey in the movie, “Columbus,”
He was telling them to leave for their own sake –
even though they didn’t want to go quite yet.

Sometimes God’s perfect timing doesn’t seem perfect…
… at least not at the time He jerks us out of our comfort zone!
But often, looking back, we can say, “Aha! Now I see…
God always knows what is best for me!”

Jesus’ words may seem harsh at first glance,
But He always has our best interest at heart.
I need to trust His encouragement to step out…
And what better time than now to start?

Go ahead … Step Out!!
Here we are with our pastor,
Mary Grace Reynolds.
Thanks, MGR, for a great sermon!

See ya on the road to success tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, optimism, sermon notes, Sharing

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Donkey Sunday

I met this donkey in England
while visiting Jackie & Derrick Knight!

Sermon Notes

Our message at church today was an interesting one.
Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds shared a story about a
clerical friend of hers who renamed Palm Sunday
“Donkey Sunday” because the palm leaves show up
in only some of the Gospels, but the donkey is in all four!

Power in Love

Royalty who rode donkeys
were considered a disgrace.
But the throng didn’t mind
How Jesus entered the place.

Power is a social contract.
It’s a constructed idea for us.
However it is not a given –
Except in the case of Jesus.

Christ Power is a given.
In the beginning was Light,
And the Light was God who
Came from darkness into sight.

Jesus Christ came from Light.
Through God all things were created.
Jesus was not just made…
He always was. And I’m elated!

Because He came, I know
That He will come again.
He has the power to save us all.
His power can save us from our sin.

Think about the presence
Of power in our lives.
When do you exercise it?
Control it, friends, ’til Christ arrives!

He entered Jerusalem on a donkey

The donkey is a symbol of humility.
The King of Kings came not to reign
Over the rulers of this earthly kingdom.
He came in love to display His own domain.

His kingdom is not on earth.
Instead, it is in eternity…
The place He has reserved
For believers like you and me.

Today might be called “Donkey Sunday.”
It is the day Christ rode to town
On the back of this lowly animal.
Praise God, His Son came down!


Power was His –
But He exchanged it
For humility and love
And expressed it with compassion.

Happy Donkey Week, my friends.
May the Power of the Holy Spirit
Be expressed in you
Through Love and Humility.

Our pastor,
Mary Grace Reynolds,
with me.

Thanks for your message, Rev. Reynolds.
I pray my sermon notes did it justice.

Have blessed Holy Week, my friends.
Love,
JanBeek

See ya tomorrow (God willing)

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, Poetry, sermon notes

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Stay the Course

Happy Sunday, my friends!
Did you get to go to church this morning?
Our church here in Ennis, Montana began today
to resume in-person fellowship after the worship service.
So good to be back in communication with our friends
over a cup of coffee or tea and some wonderful refreshments.

This is Jo & Jim Forsberg who created these beautiful and tasty refreshments. I’m providing the fellowship refreshments next Sunday. This is a hard act to follow!

And now, back home in the comfort of our newly painted dining room, I am reviewing our sermon message today and wish to share it with you. As you know, I have a habit of taking notes in poetry as I listen to the message each Sunday. Here’s what Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds’ sermon at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church said to me today:

Stay the Course

The road goes on –
Listening each morning –
A long, grueling journey –
The road goes ever on.

It doesn’t seem hopeful –
But, Jesus is on the road.
We stand in solidarity
With Him and His suffering.

Tolkien was encouraged –
Lewis was hopeful, too.
In a world of World War I,
There was great disillusion.

The death toll was great
In Europe and the US, too.
The statistics kept rolling
On the road – ever on…

Humanity tries to cheat
And to wield power –
Tries to play God –
A dark, dangerous journey.

There is some good here
In this world – and
It is worth fighting for.
Jesus knows no short cuts.

Only the long, grueling road –
A journey that ends not
In death, but in victory.
We are on the road to Oneness.

Oneness with God
Is the journey’s end.
We stand in solidarity
With Him. Stay the course!

(Quoting from Lord of the Rings?)
“See the road roll past your doorway
Calling for your feet to stray
Like a deep and rolling river
The road may sweep you far away.

BUT

Just beyond the horizon
Like a waiting world unknown
Like the dawn its beauty beckons
With a wonder of its own.”

Oneness with God

Is the journey’s end.

We stand in solidarity

With Him. Stay the course!

Let’s journey together in love!

Thanks for joining me on today’s journey.
Continue, my friends, to pray for the
people of Ukraine. Pray for their journey
to lead toward Oneness with God –
and a peaceful Oneness with us all.

God speak of your love and peace to Putin.
God help us all!

STAY THE COURSE!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Faith, God, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, peace, Poetry, sermon notes, writing

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Sunday Inspiration

Going to church on Sunday
Always gives me inspiration:
A theme to carry with me
Through the week with contemplation.

Yesterday was no exception –
The message was one of love,
With 1 Cor. 13: 1-13 guiding
My connection with Above.

Our pastor, Mary Grace Reynolds,
Delivered a sermon with finesse,
Alluding to the “Tragic Gap”
That has our world in a mess.

Once upon a time she was
A chaplain in a trauma center.
A man was all alone there
Where she was told to enter.

Her presence felt quite futile –
Comatose and unhooked from life-support;
But she gathered her wits and recited
The Lord’s Prayer, knowing his life was short.

He may not have heard her petition,
But then again, who knew?
Maybe that prayer guided him
To the Lord – and Life anew.

Stealing herself against dismay,
Mary Grace spoke with assurance.
“You’re a beloved Child of God,
And He has issued us insurance.

The pain and hurt of life
Can be a place of great despair,
But you can ask and receive
God’s Grace… it’s always there.”

Mary Grace assured us, too,
That God’s strength is ours to claim
As soon as we believe and
Ask for it in Jesus’ name.

Never doubt that humanity
Can be changed forever more
For the better – in an instant.
Just knock at Jesus’ door!

Don’t accept the “Tragic Gap”
As a place we have to be.
The cavernous space between love
And a world of hate – is not for me!

Lead each other away from
That place of despair and hopelessness.
Be assured, there is a better reality.
Lead on to the road of wholesomeness!

Amen?

In addition to the message of the sermon, I am inspired (sometimes to the point of tears) by the music. Yesterday the hymn that choked me up was this one – Pay attention to those words – they are powerful!

The verse that caught in my throat
was the one that made me think
of the #Bloganuary prompt
from a few days ago:
“How Are You Changing the World?”

Will you love the ‘you’ you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound in you, and you in me?

May your presence in this world
Be a source of peace and inspiration
To the people you encounter every day.
Close the “Tragic Gap” with your imagination!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
I’ll see you tomorrow (God willing)

Our flight home was
long – but safe.


We are happy to be home –
and delighted to have the floors almost finished.
Also delighted to know there is a medication
out there to help Bob with his heart issues.

Again, thank you for your prayers!
(We await the insurance approval of the med.)
God bless you!

Hugs,
2Beeks

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Gratitude, health, Jesus, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, sermon notes, writing

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Embrace Brightness

Light
Dispels Darkness
Open His Word
Let it enlighten you
Brightness

Brightness
Is yours
If you ask
Take it to others
Share

Today at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church,
here in Ennis, Montana,
Pastor Mary Grace Reynold’s sermon
was inspired by the New Testament scripture
Matthew 2: 4-18

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[a]

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”[b]

What a terrible scripture
to focus on during this
season of Advent!
But… the “Take-away” from the message was this:

Sermon Notes:

If something unnerves you, pay attention!
The realm of unpleasantness is not what
we expect in Advent as we wait for the Messiah.
Killing all the boy babies? Worse than unnerving!

The season of Hope, Faith, Joy and Love
is not supposed to be unsettling.
Let’s weep with Rachel over the loss of children.
Let’s weep over the bleakest of backgrounds.

Life is frequently bleak, but take heart!
Into this bleakness a star appeared in the sky.
Into this bleakness the vulnerable baby was born.
Into this bleakness, a cruel king felt threatened.

Herod, the king sat in the stain of
his own shallow angst and envy.
He looked foolishly to the stars,
believing in his own deity.

Threatened by an innocent baby,
reported to be coming as a king,
Herod ordered the death of all boys
under the age of two in Bethlehem.

God heard the cries of “the least of these.”
Jesus remembered those cries when He
reminded us to care for “the least of these.”
And friends, we each are part of “the least of these.”

Jesus/God knows the hearts of the bleak.
He injects hope in the hearts of the hopeless.
He injects love, joy and peace
into our bleak world today.

Rejoice in the brightness of God’s love.
Rejoice that God claims us.
Do not be surprised by God’s compassion.
Bask in the warmth of His bright love.

May peace, love, hope and joy be yours
this Advent season – and into the new year.
May the brightness of Jesus/God be within you.
Share His bright light with others.

Amen?

Wreath
Advent Memories
Light each candle
Remember what each symbolizes
Jesus

Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds & me


Embrace Brightness!!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)

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Bible Lessons, Faith, God, holidays, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships, sermon notes

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Embrace Generosity

Give from your big heart
Embrace generosity
Use Christ’s example

Our Lord gave His all
So we’d have Life Eternal
It’s available

All you need to do
Is open your heart to Him
And embrace His love

If you have followed my blog for awhile, you know that I have a habit of taking notes in poetry as I listen to the weekly sermon. Sometimes it’s easy to do that… other times the poetry escapes me. Today the message came to me in rhythm and rhyme quite easily! It was an inspirational take on this very familiar scripture. I hope it speaks to your heart as it did mine.

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Pexels.com

Today’s sermon
at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
by Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds
was based on this scripture:

Mark 12:38-44

As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Sermon Notes

Usually this scripture
Is used on Stewardship Sunday;
But, relax! This is not
What I’ll talk about today!

Who among us will go to the bank,
Empty it, and put it in the offering plate?
I wouldn’t expect that of tou –
Not today… not on any date!

But, let’s look at the lofty ones,
The ones who act like priests,
But are not… and moreover,
They righteously parade and gorge on feasts.

Jesus isn’t just ranting, but teaching.
He tells the disciples about the widow’s life.
He praises her for her generosity
And coveys her years of trouble and strife.

He scold the scribes and pharisees
For giving out of their spare change.
While the widow gave all she had,
He admonishes the limits they arrange.

These two teachings arre Jesus’s last.
From here Jesus will face His fate.
Chist encourages us to learn
There’s no pay grade low enough to be ingrate.

The widow is a victim of the system.
But, in spite of that, she gives all –
Knowing her money will help someone.
That widow certainly stands tall!

As part of the sum of many,
She gives out of sacrificial love.
Likewise, Jesus gave His all, so we
Can learn from Him and join Him above.

“God so love the world
That He gave His only begotten Son
That whosoever believeth in Him
Shall not perish
But have everlasting life”

That marvelous rendition of this hymn by St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir reminds me of the men and boys’ double choir that we heard last month at Westminster Abbey in London. Sitting next to our daughter, who cried buckets of emotion all the way through it, I remembered my years as member of the University of Pacific’s A Capella Choir. We sang this version of the song at most of our concerts. I love it! I hope you are blessed by it, too. Soooo beautiful!!

Have a blessed rest of your Sunday
and a wonderful week!

I send you my love
and lotsa hugs.

See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Embrace Generosity…
and generously give as you are able…

Love,
JanBeek

That’s me with our pastor,
Mary Grace Reynolds
She’s a gift from God!!

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Bible Lessons, blessings, Giving, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, Poetry, prayer, Serving One Another, writing

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