ps from ps:Very thankful to Mary Wolf, who once again this Lenten season wrote and posted daily a devotional reflection. Next week, we will add a visual component to Monday through Saturday to those lessons. You can find those on our FB page or YouTube page each day.
Here is the Holy Week schedule for both St. Paul’s and Amherst Lutheran churches:
Holy Week Schedule: Palm Weekend: Saturday, April 9th: 5:00 pm Service at Amherst Lutheran Church Sunday, April 10th: 10:00 am Service at St. Paul’s Maundy Thursday, April 14th: 6:30 pm “Dinner Church” (Pot-luck with Communion) at St. Paul’s Good Friday: April 15th: 12:00 pm Service at Amherst Lutheran Church 7:00 pm Service at St. Paul’s Easter Sunday: April 17th: 6:00 am Sunrise Service at St. Paul’s 10:00 am Worship Service at St. Paul’s; 10:00 am at Amherst
Please take part in as many offerings as you can. See you at the cross!
ps from ps: A priest, a Levite and a Samaritan walked into a bar. No wait, they walked down a road.
At least, that’s what the story in Luke 11 tells us. Three different people walking down the same road seeing the same hurting person. Three people – two church types and one culturally outcast by the church. And only one helps out. And splicer alert – it’s not the church guys.
The story is called the Good Samaritan. But I could come up with a few other names:
“Two dopes and one good human” “Strike two for the church; home run for unchurched” “Why did the Samaritan cross the road? To get to the other side and love someone”
OK, let’s just go back to the Good Samaritan as the title.
I’m hoping you know this story. (You can read the whole thing HERE for review or if you’ve never read it.). But more importantly than remembering the story, I’m hoping you are living the story. Crossing the road. Allowing yourself to be “moved with pity.” Showing mercy.
It’s not easy crossing the road. I know I have found myself saying: There are too many things going wrong on the other side of the road! Too many needs. Too many bleeding and beaten. Too many homeless in 716. Too many needing meals. Too many. Too many. Maybe you have said/thought/felt this too? It can stifle us from crossing the road. Our pity and mercy can get overwhelmed.
But maybe that was going on in this story too. We only hear about the one beat up guy? But maybe there were dozens? Maybe those dozens were next to a bunch of lepers? Who were next to the hungry? Next to the outcast?
And yet this one dude still crossed and changed someone’s life. Maybe saved it.
I want to invite you to cross the road with me today. Whatever road you’re on. I will tell you when you look over there, it might seem overwhelming. But can we just focus on one life? Start with one today? Show that mercy and grace one person at a time?
St. Paul’s will begin crossing the road as a church in the days ahead. We are ready to launch the St. Paul’s Resettlement Mission. This Sunday in worship, I want to invite you to be a part of the conversation, prayer, learning and “road crossing.” As a community and partnered with another church and agency, we will begin helping a family resettle in 716 through the blessing we have of an empty Olin House. Come this Sunday or join in the live stream to hear more about that new venture.
But even before we gather, look across the road this week. As a loved, blessed child of God, allow the view of one or more in need move you with empathy and drive you forward with mercy. May each of us be the next one to cross that road.
Lord, help me have the strength and mercy to cross the road Amen
Went out for a run last week instead of the mind-numbing hotel treadmill. Went over to the Tow Path along the Cuyahoga River south of Cleveland. Partly cloudy, light breeze and next to the moving waters. Already a better decision. Run plan – 25 minutes out and 25 minutes back. Easy flat run.
Wasn’t planning on turning right.
Then .4 miles into the run I came to a sign letting me know the Hemlock Creek Trail went to the right. Never heard of it and didn’t expect it. I looked back toward the Tow Path, which was straight and easy for at least another 2 miles. Then I looked at the Hemlock Creek Trail, which I could only see about .2 miles of. However the sign spoke of a winding creek, a waterfall and scenic Hemlock trees.
So I turned right.
For the first mile, I found a great winding trail that took me over railroad tracks and bridges, with a couple little stops to stretch and take in the rapids of the creeks.
But then on the second mile, the 7% and 9% grade signs arrived. Hills. Steep ones. Wasn’t thrilled, but I slowed down, walked when I needed to and made it to the waterfall. As I doubled back, I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor that my 9% grades were now downhills. That was pretty fantastic and on my phone app, made me look like a very talented and fast runner. Although in live time, probably looked a little spastic.
That day, I got to experience something I’ve never seen or done because I turned right. And my run was better for it.
As you launch into your day today or contemplate tomorrow, maybe there’s a super easy safe option or maybe there’s a little nicer straight and easy path? Or…. maybe there’ll be an opportunity, a slight risk, a new option, a potential to see something different, a call to “Follow Me” or step out of a boat or Go to all people…if you just turn right? I can’t promise there won’t be steeps grades on that path, but I can tell you that if you slow down, you’ll conquer them! You’ll enjoy the way back.
Enjoy your “run” today and don’t forget to consider that “turn right.”
Lord, thanks for the invitations to turn right. Amen
ps from ps: How many times have I done it? Indoors. Outdoors. Trees. Bushes. Flowers.
How many times have I tried transplanting some live plant/flower/tree and watched it wilt/wither/die?
How many times have I given up too early? Not been patient enough? Not been careful enough? Not given it one more chance? Not had enough fertilizer?
Luckily, our Gardener plants with care, gives it another shot and is full of sh…..manure!
He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.” – Luke 13:1-9
That’s our Gardener! He responded after the land owner wanted to give up on us. Toss us away. But not this Gardener. One more shot.
This story is preceded by that same Gardener inviting us into a life of repentance. Change. Returning. Turning directions back to One who is full of nutrients and manure for us! The good stuff. The rich stuff. The best stuff.
That’s our Gardener.
What can we do this week to help the process? How can we return? How can we make space and room for the great ….manure…that the Gardener has to offer?
Let’s not give up. Let’s not throw in the towel. Let’s not settle for death.
ps from ps: This box of keys in the photo is from St. Paul’s. It’s all the keys to all the doors in the entire building. An old building. With a lot of different doors and locks. Some changing multiple times over the years. Without the old keys being tossed. Dozens and dozens of keys.
Luckily years age a Master List was created that told you what number key went to what corresponding door. Perfect!
And then the Master List disappeared. Less perfect.
So now there’s just a box of keys with no real connections or directions to which lock they fit into. The keys are all there. But figuring out which one goes where is a huge and frustrating challenge.
I don’t know about your faith life, but mine often feels like this box of random keys. Messy. Frustrating. And sometimes feeling like you’ve lost the Master List to figure out the key to a lock…in life.
I pray for peace in Ukraine…..and yet the war drags on. We work hard to teach kids to be smart and safe….and then car accidents happen. We struggle through a pandemic and finally can return to a more normal routine and movement…..and now gas prices and inflation make our dollars and time less effective and fluid.
Sometimes it feels like you’re staring at a box of keys but just can’t quite figure out where they fit.
How do we navigate through the confusion?
Paul said to one of his churches: Stand firm. Stand firm in the face of all of it. Stand firm in the confusion. Stand firm on the solid ground of God’s faith in us. Stand firm on the solid ground in God’s gift of faith for us. He reminds that church that there will be people and events and evil and distractions and life that occurs, making it feel as if the Master List is missing. Even so he says, stand firm.
The keys are still there. Even when it’s hard to figure out what things…in life…they unlock.
We probably need to hear his message again today for this church too. Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep teaching. Keep struggling. The keys are there! Stand firm.
Lord, remind us in all we face today to continue standing firm . Amen
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