Forgot to post pictures - Shrove Tuesday

Now that Lent is over, I was just looking back and realize I hadn't posted pictures taken at the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. I was out of town, and lost track, I guess. These pictures were taken on Jill's camera - by Jill, Lilly, and maybe others?!?

Enjoy...

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Reflection for Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008

Romans 15:7-13

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -- Romans 15:13

This verse alone speaks volumes to me. I read a few days ago a writers description of the rainbow. "When we look at a rainbow , we see light reflected in many glorious colors. The magnificence of the rainbow is a visual display of the power and the beauty of light."

Thinking of this statement on my way to work this morning and seeing the sunlight piercing through the clouds reminded me of another kind of light, the Christ light which is always shining within me and those who chose to have Christ in their daily lives. Christ light is always a ray of peace and hope in times of conflict in or lives. Christ light is wisdom in times of indecision, energy and hope in times of physical demand. When we know that we are filled with Christ light or divine light this gives us hope for today and better tomorrows. I know for me this light helps keep my focus positive when situations in my life seem out of control and I don't know which path to take. When I recognize the Christ light within, I am more attuned to the wonders of life, the beauty of my surroundings and appreciative for all that I have and can share with others.

It is beautiful to feel this presence and I am sure when each of you experience Christ's light you are calm, filled with peace, hope and strength and you move through the day with ease and confidence. Therefore as we move through this day, this holy week, let's keep our thoughts focused on the divine light of Christ and we will find that our lives will be abundantly blessed.

by Stephanie Murphy

Reflection for Monday, Mar 17, 2008

Romans 15:1-6

The part of this passage that stuck with me is the last verse: "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." As Christians we sometimes ignore the teachings of Jesus and fall into the trap of judging others. You sometimes hear debates about who is saved or whether someone is a "saint" or a "sinner". But the message from this passage is beautiful because it emphasizes that our duty as Christians is to act towards each other with the love that Jesus exhibited. The passage is even more specific and says that we need to act with patience and to provide comfort. I, for one, will do well to remember that the next time I reproach someone, even if it is a silent reproach.

by David Mulle

Reflection for Thursday, March 13, 2008

Romans 8:11-14

So I wrote this long reflection and pressed "publish post," then skipped off to celebrate my youngest sister's birthday. When I returned there was an error message saying "blogger" was temporarily inaccessible on line. I came back on before midnight to check if my post was saved somewhere on the site, but it is lost. The passage says, "you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep." This wake-up call really speaks to me, because I feel we are asleep most of the time. Sleep is actually a pleasant image. Most of us enjoy sleep and want more of it. (I know I do right now!). But Paul seems to be saying there is something better than being asleep and that is living honorably. There seems to be three ways to go through life--honorably, sinfully, or asleep. I don't fall under the list of sins Paul gives with drunkenness, debauchery, and licentiousness. But I do fall asleep--taking the path of least resistance, getting stuck in complacency, being caught in complicity from not taking action.

Living honorably each day is a lot more than not sinning, it is waking up and not shying away from the light.

Reflection for Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008

Romans 13:8-10

Two things about this passage are striking. The first is that, in verse 8, our obligation to love one another is presented as a debt. The version of the Our Father that one of us grew up with asks forgiveness of trespasses instead of debts. Both are words that speak of owing something, but the difference between the two - in light of this passage - is striking. A trespass is stepping over boundaries and into space in which one does not belong. Debts are obligations which have not yet been fulfilled, based on a relationship between people. To say that we trespass implies we are all surrounded by fences staking out what is ours and excluding all others; a debt means we've come to agreements with others and have a sense of commitment.

The second phrase that resonates in the passage is verse 10 - that love does no harm and thus fulfills the law. Anyone who's had a crush in middle school could take issue with the idea that love never hurts others. The love that Paul speaks of, though, is a reflection of God's love instead of our more earthly conception of love. Early Christians defined the difference with two separate words - agape for the former and eros for the latter. Agape is unconditional and reflects caring for our fellow man as a fellow child of God; it makes no demands on others. It does, however, require of us the commitment to see the face of God in all people - a debt we owe to all, so to speak.

A practical instance of putting this into action happened during our commute yesterday, when a fellow passenger in the subway started to feel dizzy and sick during the ride. Those around her showed her care and concern, and made sure she reached stop safely. All of us would feel good about ourselves - even a little superior - for having done a good deed for the day; according to this scripture, though, we should actually feel humbled because we were simply doing our duty in helping our neighbor. Agape means we should concentrate on thinking of others before we speak or act, particularly in these passing daily interactions with strangers.

by the Sandifords