Palm Sunday – March 28 (The First Day… and the Eighth)

Song When I survey the wondrous Cross Isaac Watts/Folk Tune

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the prince of glory died

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast

Save in the death of Christ my God

All the vain things that charm me most

I sacrifice them to his blood

See from his head, his hands, his feet

Sorrow and love flow mingled down

Did ever such love and sorrow meet

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine

That were a present far too small

Love so amazing, so divine

Demands my soul, my life, my all

Palm Sunday – March 28 (The First Day… and the Eighth)

Song: When I survey the wondrous Cross, Isaac Watts/Folk Tune

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God!

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Saturday, March 27

The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation, from the world of creation to the creation of the world.

– Abraham Joshua Heschel

Reflection – Ed Tucker

Early weekend mornings when I am in Stamford and not commuting to New York City, you will find me walking at the Cove. As day breaks I check on the tide, see if the sky in orange, observe what the geese, swans and other birds are doing and let my mind wander. This is when new ideas for my research program pop into my mind, when I get a more accurate and balanced understanding of what is important to me, my family and my friends, and when I plan for my biology lectures. Importantly, this is when epiphanies come to me. Everything becomes fine with me and the world. I then stretch, drive home and have breakfast while reading The Advocate. I highly recommend unstructured free time and invite you to join me any time of the year - 6:00 to 7:00 a.m at Cove Island Park.

Friday, March 26

Scripture for the Week:

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

- Philippians 4:4-8

Friday, March 26

Reflection –

In this scripture we are reminded to see the Lord at the “Helm of Life.”

Through the mystery of asking, seeking and praising, we are able to “Let God handle the matter at hand.”

In truth, our requests are already known by God, we are encouraged to speak up and feel comfortable, faithfully offering our concerns to the Lord with praise and thanksgiving. He is not surprised nor is any thing really kept from the Divine.

We are asked to offer, surrender our problem at hand, by asking for help and with praise! While we are waiting, we may not understand exactly what is happening, but in that moment of surrender and offering, the promise is written, “We are given the Peace of God that surpasses our mortal understanding.”

So, we may not understand why or how this peace and protection takes place, but we don’t have to. We just have to trust and have faith and release our prayers to Father God completely.

We are also advised to shift our attention from negative worry, towards a more conscious awareness of all the blessings of beauty, natures simplicity, harmony with loved ones and goodness the God continuously supplies.

Become aware of what surrounds you with the utmost gratitude. We can take a few quiet moments and meditate or contemplate the many times God has been there for us and the many breakthroughs and miracles taken place..

Whatever is great about my life, I give thanks. Everything I have is because of Grace. Everything I don’t have is also because of Gods Grace. I may never know what I was protected from because of Grace , or when I have been spared undue pain. Give God the Glory and keep looking upward and within, stay focused on the pureness of life.

Thursday, March 25

Scripture for the Week:

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath… Therefore the Jewish leaders started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God

. – John 5:1-9, 16-18

Who makes a clearing makes a work of art,

The true world’s Sabbath trees in festival

Around it. And the stepping stream, a part

Of Sabbath also, flows past, by its fall

Made musical, making the hillslope by

Its fall, and still at rest in falling, song

Rising. The field is made by hand and eye,

By daily work, by hope outreaching wrong,

And yet the Sabbath, parted, still must stay

In the dark musings of the soil no hand

May light, the great Life, broken, make its way

Along the stemmy footholds of the ant.

Bewildered in our timely dwelling place,

Where we arrive by work, we stay by grace.

- Wendell Berry, Sabbaths

North Point Press, 1987

Wednesday, March 24

Scripture for the Week:

The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

– Psalm 23

Reflection –

One of my favorites Psalms, often heard at eulogies, is mysteriously full with life-affirming words if we look more closely.

Just imagine, Gods’ Shepherd, leading and beckoning us to take repose in Spirit. Realizing that we are welcome to experience calm waters instead of restlessness. Allowing ourselves at any given moment to take rest in Him.

To me this means “fully” the promise of restoration and wholeness. Even if we experience a “dark night of the soul” we are promised regeneration and comfort.

Fear does not have to consume us. Fear has no place any longer, because we are told that He is our comforter, showing us the path ahead.

Further blessings abound as we are anointed with fresh oil and with divine guidance led to rightful decisions and insights. Isn’t it wonderful to know we can be led and shown the path ahead for the highest best and good for all concerned?

God also wants us to know that we are promised a place of sanctuary in the midst of foes and hardships, we have a special reservation, seated at the table of life.

“Our cup runneth over” is the outpouring of blessings upon us! A reminder when the Heart is filled with Spirit, the Cup of Life overflows. Aren’t we fortunate to have goodness, mercy and abundance, not just for today, but for all the days of our lives.?

Tuesday, March 23

Reflection – Ed Happ

Before the scream

She sees the tail

of the mouse

already gone.

If scurrying could be rewound,

would she hear the little feet of time

that taps in her ears,

see the blur of the white under-belly

sweeping along the polished oak floors

in her life?

Will she slow it down

before the scream

and give thanks?

Sharon Olds recently said “Poetry, as in therapy, is about backing up the mouse that just ran into the hole in the wall.” Stop! What just happened? Roll-back the tape and do an instant replay in your mind. Write down what you saw. This is often my thought process in writing a poem. The most important word in the sequence, however, is not “write” …it’s “stop!”

When we pause, focus, stop the chatter, we are open to listening, to asking “what just happened?” The writing is then recording, like relating a dream after you woke up. That’s a kind of paying attention in reverse to what has just become “past” and a new openness to what may be coming around the corner.

– from an Advent sermon November 30, 2008