Sunrises in Daily Life

Happy Easter!

To celebrate Easter, I originally searched for a beautiful photo of a glorious sunrise to post here.  This rendering of a sunrise was not quite what I had in mind.  In the end, that's exactly why I decided to use it.  In the rest of this blog post, I will explain why.

Light in the Darkness

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2-7)

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)

For those who doubt, this talk of "light" can be a bit hard to fathom.  If you find yourself in the category of people for whom faith does not come easily, this post is for you.

The Bitter Herbs of Bondage

Tonight is both Good Friday and the night of the Passover Seder.  Both are days in which we remember the bitter herbs of bondage, of slavery.  What can we learn about our own bondage by remembering the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt?  I suggest the question “what is bondage,” is a question each person must examine and discern for themselves.  Sometimes slavery is easily discernable, and sometimes it is not.

A New Perspective on the New Passover

(Bleiglasfenster in der Kirche Notre-Dame de Clignancourt im 18. arrondissement von Paris, Darstellung: Lamm Gottes/Agnus Dei, by G. Friehalter)

Since the time of Moses, the Passover feast has been observed to commemorate the liberation of Israel from captivity in Egypt. Passover for 2012 begins Friday, April 6th.  The first Passover is described in Exodus 12:   

The Gate and the Shepherd (John 10)

Consider this imagery of the Shepherd, the sheep, and the gate, as used by Jesus and recorded in John Chapter 10.  Jesus asserts that he entered by the gate, that he is a shepherd who shows the way as a shepherd calls and shows the way, and that he is also the gate through which the sheep pass.  This metaphor is particularly significant, in my view, in light of images and role of the Passover lamb: 

Plowing the Field

I’m nearing the end of my commitment to create a blog post every day during Lent.  I thought that it might be worth a blog post to talk about what this was like. 

Morley, Be The One

 

BE THE ONE

by Morley

I want you to be the one to find a way out of no way
Be the one to open doors and stand, head held high
Stand! In pointed places and make them round
Be the first in the place over hushed voices to make a sound
Make a sound child

I want u to be the one to feel the rhythm in the room
And never deny what lives inside of you
Be the one to listen, be the one that hears
Possibility without fear, possibility for u my dear
Be the one

(Chorus)

It’s alright alright Take your rightful place
Its alright alright Spread a smile across your face
Its alright alright Believing in you
Bada bada .. feel it like u do

Feel your power in the way u do what u do
I want you to be the one to find a way out of no way
Be the one to open doors and stand, head held high
Stand! Those pointed places, go on and make them round
Be the first in the place where theres no choices to make a sound
Please heal the ground child

Its alright alright Take your rightful place
Its alright alright Spread a smile across your face
Its alright alright Believing in you
Bada bada .. feel it like u do
What if u are one with the one who sends the rain?
What if u are one with the one who turns the page?
What if u are one with the one who sends the rain?
What if u should never apologize?

Never never apologize for the light that’s in your eyes never never
Never never apologize for the dreams in your mind never never
Never never apologize for the love that’s in your life never never
Never never apologize for the gentleness in your stride never
Never never apologize for the light that’s in your eyes never never
Never never apologize for the dreams in your mind never never
Never never apologize for the love that’s in your life never never
Never never apologize for the gentleness in your stride never

Its alright alright Take your rightful place
Its alright alright Spread a smile across your face
Its alright alright Believing in you
Bada bada...feel it like u do…
I want you to be the one, I want you to be the one

Sunny Day Saints: A Musing for Palm Sunday

Everything is fine and dandy.  Jesus is riding into the capitol on a young colt, with people shouting praises and throwing rushes down on the street in front of him.  Life is good.  He’s at the top of his style.

(image BBC News Palm Sunday in India)