Two old men had been best friends for years and loved baseball, they both live to their early 90’s, when one of them suddenly falls deathly ill. His friend comes to visit him on his deathbed, and they’re reminiscing about their long friendship. The friend says, “Listen, when you die, do me a favor. I want to know if there’s baseball in heaven.”
The dying man responds, “We’ve been friends for a lifetime, so yes, I’ll do this for you.” And then he dies.
A few days later, the surviving friend is sleeping, when he hears his friend’s voice.
“I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” he says.
“The good news is there’s baseball in heaven.”
“What’s the bad news?”
“You’re pitching on Wednesday.”
Join us for the month of May, schedule below.
Sun. May 5th – Communion/Ascension Sunday: we’ll explore this question, does God want us (humanity) to be happy? Does the spread of Christianity, following Jesus’ ascension tie into our happiness quotient?
Sun. May 12th – Celebrating Mother’s Day (Every adult woman receives a flower and special prayer). Our focus is honoring women and moms for all they do. We’ll also have kids Sunday School during church.
Sun. May 19th – Celebrating Pentecost Acts 2:1-11: The birth of the New Testament church as the Holy Spirit descends like fire on those gathered in Jerusalem to begin a new chapter of Judeo-Christianity spreading throughout the Mediterranean and the world. We’ll have new members joining the church.
Sun. May 26th – We’ll remember those who died in the military service of their country, honoring Memorial Day.
Blessings, Pastor Michael
- National Day of Prayer, May 2, 2024
- Ascension Day, May 9, 2024
- Mother’s Day, May 12, 2024
- Armed Forces Day, May 18, 2024
- Pentecost, May 19, 2024
- Trinity Sunday, May 26, 2024
- Memorial Day, May 27, 2024
Mother — and more
Though I’ve primarily known God as Father — along with metaphors such as rock, eagle, shepherd, potter — I also learned of Scripture passages portraying God as mother. For example (all NIV):
“For a long time I have kept silent. … But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant” (Isaiah 42:14).
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13).
“Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them” (Hosea 13:8).
In others, God is pictured doing traditional “women’s work”: making clothes (Genesis 3:21), sweeping (Isaiah 14:23), preparing and hosting a meal (Proverbs 9:1-6), baking bread (Luke 13:21).
One of my favorite images of God is tucked in Hosea. While many modern dads nurture their toddlers this way, the tender words surely call to mind a mama’s care: “It was I who taught [Israel] to walk. … To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them” (Hosea 11:3-4). Most importantly, God — however known — is loving and good. Heidi Hyland Mann
First-team Followers
Jesus’ ascension into heaven shortly after his resurrection was “one of God’s most audacious ploys,” according to Pastor Frank Ramirez. “Jesus, resurrected, is Master of space and time, yet he passes on the work of spreading the Good News to his imperfect disciples, who ultimately pass it on to us (who are also imperfect disciples).”
By contrast, most Old Testament patriarchs often stayed on the throne until they died. Many of them could have benefited from a timely “exit strategy,” Ramirez notes.
“As a child, I always felt that the world would have been a better place if the resurrected Lord had just taken over everything,” Ramirez continues. “But though Jesus is active with us (‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’ — Matthew 18:20, NRSV), we’re part of the first team now.”
A House United
When President Lincoln declared in 1858, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” he was echoing Jesus. Scribes thought Jesus was casting out demons by Satan’s power, so Jesus responded, “How can Satan cast out Satan? … If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:23-25, NIV). There are countless modern examples: Civil wars. Families torn apart. Business partners going separate ways. Even churches splitting.
Jesus used the “house divided” image to point out the nonsense of the scribes’ words. It takes someone other than the “strong man” (v. 27), or demon, occupying a space to cast that demon out. Evil can’t drive out evil. Sin isn’t stronger than sin. Hate doesn’t solve hate. Violence doesn’t end violence. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Jesus came to “bind” evil with goodness, conquer hate with love and teach us the same. Throughout the gospels, Jesus treats all people with love — even those who oppose him — so that, in the end, we all will be a house united by God’s goodness.
You are my Witnesses
John White (1924-2002) was a medical missionary, psychiatry professor, church planter and prolific author who wrote about faith and outreach. He refuted the notion that being an effective witness for Christ is akin to being a salesperson. Christians are representing and sharing a person, he said, not touting a product.
“A good witness is like a signpost,” he added. “It doesn’t matter whether it is old, young, pretty, ugly. It has to point the right direction and be able to be understood. We are witnesses to Christ; we point to him.”
A Prayer for Roots
O God, we thirst for you, as dry tree roots thirst for water in hot, dusty soil. Help us send spiritual roots down deep into the grace and knowledge of the One who is the same yesterday and today and forever, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gives us stability when the earth shakes and the storms of life swirl about us. Rooted and grounded in your love, and strengthened and comforted by your grace and your Spirit who gives us hope, may we be steadfast and immovable in the work Christ gives us to do, until he comes again. Amen.
