Communion

When I was a child, I can remember Judge Todd slapping my wrists for reaching for more grape juice after communion.  I always thought he was a mean old man.  As I have grown older, I have come to respect this gentleman’s correction of a rambunctious little preacher’s boy.  I just didn’t know any better.  You see, the Lord’s Table is to be revered, respected and remembered.  I read this week that this sacrament is more than just a time when believers remember Jesus’ death on the cross and the shedding of His blood for man’s sin.  Jesus instructed His disciples to remember Him whenever they eat of this bread and drink this cup.  In the church, we must recognize that no other group gathered practices this.  It sets us apart. 

When we eat of the bread that represents Christ’s body broken for each of us, when we drink of the cup that represents His blood shed for us, we distinguish ourselves as His.  We are His people.  We are His disciples.  We are His church.  We remember Him.  We recall what He has done for us in saving us. 

COACH/PJ

Rescue

Have you ever gotten in a sticky situation?  A place you really never intended to be?  An uncomfortable or compromising predicament from which there seems no escape?  It is akin to that situation where you had two options, you chose, and immediately down the road, when there is no turning back, you know the choice was wrong, potentially hurtful? I have.

What a welcome sight is a helper, one who rescues! My dad rescued me from many situations like that. He was gentle and instructive at the same time.  Now look at us!  We are in a sticky, hairy situation!  We are in a place we were never intended to be. It is a deceivingly comfortable yet compromised and dangerous predicament.  There seems to be many means of escape; at least we would be led to believe that.  And there is a helper, a rescuer. 

This week I discovered a new encounter with one of bird enthusiasts’ favorite.  In our garage late one night, there was a hummingbird.  It flew around and around in purposeless circles only to land on the wire antennae hanging down from our garage door opener.  The way out was wide open for the door was open, but it just chose to fly in circles, bumping its head continuously against the ceiling.  The door being up led it to perceive that life was now reduced to just an existence between two spheres. 

No hope!  Paul once wrote, “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?” Romans 7:24 The Message.

It took a while, but I finally coaxed our carport friend out of the mundane and into the great expanse and freedom of where it was always meant to be.  Jesus came to rescue us from a world of sin, death and the unintended to restore us to God’s intention, life and righteousness. Life is much better outside of the garage!

Coach/PJ

MY life?

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”  Psalm 2: 2-4

I take great pause in even addressing the gross misconduct the world saw on display when Miley Cyrus stuck her tongue out at someone and screamed, “It’s our party, we can do what we want…say what we want…love who we want…kiss who we want…this is our house…this is our rules…It’s my mouth I can say what I want.”

We do not witness the laughter of God often, but when we boast of our power, our own strength, our will to break the cords from us and claim with great arrogance, “This is our life…our house…our mouth…our rules” then all fear of God is cast aside.  His chuckle is not without judgment, but I still maintain the love-thread throughout scripture “as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” Ephesians 5:2

“¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” I Cor. 6:18-20

Coach/PJ

Communion

When I was a child, I can remember Judge Todd slapping my wrists for reaching for more grape juice after communion.  I always thought he was a mean old man.  As I have grown older, I have come to respect this gentleman’s correction of a rambunctious little preacher’s boy.  I just didn’t know any better.  You see, the Lord’s Table is to be revered, respected and remembered.  I read this week that this sacrament is more than just a time when believers remember Jesus’ death on the cross and the shedding of His blood for man’s sin.  Jesus instructed His disciples to remember Him whenever they eat of this bread and drink this cup.  In the church, we must recognize that no other group gathered practices this.  It sets us apart. 

When we eat of the bread that represents Christ’s body broken for each of us, when we drink of the cup that represents His blood shed for us, we distinguish ourselves as His.  We are His people.  We are His disciples.  We are His church.  We remember Him.  We recall what He has done for us in saving us. 

Lost to be Reconciled

Many of you heard that last weekend we lost Brody (our male toy poodle) for 48 hours.  He was a long way from home.  Many helped us locate him but I always seemed to be about an hour behind him.  “He was just here” was a common response as I spoke to residents in Idlewild and along Loring Mill Road.  I drove for hours and rode a bike for three calling his name and whistling to draw him out of hiding to no avail.  In those hours I kept thinking of all of you.  Numerous times God would whisper to me how Jesus taught that leaving the 99 to find the one lost sheep is the heart of the Shepherd.  I felt that truth as I considered how Brody is Tina’s buddy.  She was missing him terribly and so I was determined to find him.  Love is a great motivator.  Naturally upon Brody’s return, he was hungry, thirsty and in need of briars and burs to be removed from his coat.  Life is difficult away from the safety of the fold.  More than food and water, this family pet seemed most content to be on the pillow next to Tina where he belonged and felt safe, cared for and loved.