Good Shepherd Sunday

Tomorrow is Good Shepherd Sunday! Third Sunday of Easter always is. I LOVE this hymn and I hope we get to song it tomorrow:
http://nethymnal.org/htm/k/i/kinglove.htm

What is the answer to this question?

I was told a joke by my 4 year old today. Get ready. Remember I have 6 boys now and how the humor is bound to go.

Son #5: Mama, Peanut butter is peanuts and butts.
me: oh dear.
Son #5: Is that laugh worthy, Mom?

OH boy and oh dear!

Prayers for dd#2

My dd#2 recently found out that she was in the top three-therefore winning a monetary prize- in The East Carolina University Young Artist Competition for Pre-College Pianists and Organists.

She is excited of course, but terribly nervous. You see, up until now, she has only played for church services...for the Glory of God, not for herself. She is very uncomfortable about it! She wants to be able to play as though she is at least worthy of third place/$300. It doesn't help that this is the organ:

 Wow right?

The organ she regularly plays at Peace has 2 manuals and no pedals. The one she is blessed to practice on everyday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church  is actually a pipe organ with two manuals and pedals, but is small enough to fit in a small balcony. Neither are anywhere close to being called "magnificent."

Anyway, please pray that she will overcome her fear once she practices on this beautiful instrument and that she just does her best.

Tree of Life

So the sermon today was on the text from Ezekiel about the Lord putting life back into the dry bones. It is one of my favorite stories because those bones did not ask the Lord to raise them..they were dead in their sins. The Lord came to them and gave them back their lives for His glory.

But that is not what I thought about today.

I was thinking about this point in the sermon:

"That's why, when you gather round the Lord's Table to eat Jesus' body given and to drink His shed blood, you know that your God Jesus is there to bless you. And you are not cannibals, eating dead food, but it is the risen Lord Jesus who comes down to feed you at Holy Communion. His ever-living body is given to you, and life-giving blood is yours! Your God is there, breathing His breath of life on you in the forgiveness He brings in this sacrament of life!"

I was thinking about how Adam and Eve feasted on Tree of Life every day. It sustained them. They could not remain in the Garden after the Fall because God did not want them to eat of it any longer. To be full of sin AND live forever..what a terrible punishment that would be! Anyway, then I was thinking about how we receive that Life..through feasting on the Bread of Life...who is also called The Vine. We are given what was taken away from Adam and Eve because Jesus came and took our sins upon Himself - allowing us once again to feast on that Tree/Himself each time we receive His Body and Blood in the Holy Supper!

Then there is the whole "Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches" thing. We cannot give ourselves life, nor can we make ourselves alive either spiritually or physically by doing something. We must be grafted into the Vine-the Tree of Life itself! And just like with those dry bones, God breathes Life into us while we were dead in our trespasses through His own Name in baptism! He grafts us into Himself by His Voice-just like at Creation-how He spoke and things came to be-He speaks at Baptism and creates us anew!


How cool is that?

Holy Saturday Tradition

I actually have a personal tradition.
Since my dear husband is gone from morning til night after Easter Vigil-I listen to Jesus Christ Superstar. (He hates it.)
I love this album, and yes, I have the original 1970 one. My parents had it and I listened to it as a kid a few times. I fell in love with it while I was teaching. Actually, it was while I was correcting papers with my classmate/apartment-mate/fellow Lutheran Schoolteacher, Betty. Now instead of catching up with papers, I fold the mountain of laundry that forms during Holy Week. Yay.

If you want to join me, you can find lots of clips on YouTube . It is not Paul Gerhardt or Bernard of Clairvaux, but I still like it.

Good Friday (click the title to sing along)

   

Jesus Christ, our blessèd Savior

Jesus Christ, our blessèd Savior,
Turned away God’s wrath forever;
By His bitter grief and woe
He saved us from the evil Foe.

As His pledge of love undying
He, this precious food supplying,
Gives His body with the bread
And with the wine the blood He shed.

Whoso to this board repaireth
May take heed how he prepareth;
For if he does not believe,
Then death for life he shall receive.

Praise the Father, who from Heaven
Unto us such food hath given
And, to mend what we have done,
Gave into death His only Son.

Thou shalt hold with faith unshaken
That this food is to be taken
By the sick who are distressed,
By hearts that long for peace and rest.

Christ says, “Come, all ye that labor,
And receive My grace and favor;
They who feel no want nor ill
Need no physician’s help nor skill.

“Useless were for thee My Passion
If thy works thy weal could fashion.
This feast is not spread for thee
If thine own savior thou wilt be.”

If thy heart this truth professes,
And thy mouth thy sin confesses,
His dear guest thou here shalt be,
And Christ Himself shall banquet thee.

Sticken, Smitten and Afflicted

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!
’Tis the long expected prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
’Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See Who bears the awful load!
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost.
Christ the Rock of our salvation,
Christ the Name of which we boast.
Lamb of God for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

 

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Good Friday