Thursday, April 10, 2014
Welcome, Jordyn!
Jordyn Elizabeth was born at 2:17 pm on April 8. Congratulations to Josh and Beck, and also Jacob!!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Pastor's Penpoint - "Simon, the First" - April 2014
Simon grumbles beneath his breath. His patience is as limited as space on the Jerusalem streets. He'd hoped for peaceful Passover. The city is anything but quiet.
"There he is!"
Simon's head and dozens of others turn. In an instant they know.
"It's a crucifixion," he hears someone whisper. Four soldiers. One criminal. Four spears. One cross. The inside corner of the cross saddles the convict's shoulders. Its base drags in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air. The condemned man steadies the cross the best he can, but he stumbles beneath its weight. he pushes himself to his feet and tilts forward before falling again. Simon can't see the man's face, only a head wreathed with thorny branches.
The centurion grows more agitated with each declining step. He curses the criminal and the crowd. "Hurry up!"
The cross-bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees - the beam rubbing against and already raw back. Crimson streaks the man's face. His mouth hangs open, both out of pain and out of breath.
"His name is Jesus," someone speaks softly.
"Move on!" commands the executioner.
But Jesus can't. His body leans and feet try, but he can't move. The beam begins to sway. Jesus tries to steady it, but can't. Like a just-cut tree, the cross begins to topple toward the crowd. Everyone steps back, except one. Simon instinctively extends his strong hands and catches the cross.
Jesus falls face-first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. The centurion looks at the exhausted Christ and then to Simon and needs only an instant to make the decision. He presses the flat of his spear on Simon's shoulders.
"You! Take the cross!" Simon dares to object. "Sir, I don't even know the man!"
"I don't care. Take up the cross."
Simon growls, balances the timber against his shoulder, and steps out of the crowd onto the street and into history ... and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow Christ.
He did literally what God calls us to do symbolically - take up the cross and follow Jesus.
"If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
~ Pastor Todd
"There he is!"
Simon's head and dozens of others turn. In an instant they know.
"It's a crucifixion," he hears someone whisper. Four soldiers. One criminal. Four spears. One cross. The inside corner of the cross saddles the convict's shoulders. Its base drags in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air. The condemned man steadies the cross the best he can, but he stumbles beneath its weight. he pushes himself to his feet and tilts forward before falling again. Simon can't see the man's face, only a head wreathed with thorny branches.
The centurion grows more agitated with each declining step. He curses the criminal and the crowd. "Hurry up!"
The cross-bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees - the beam rubbing against and already raw back. Crimson streaks the man's face. His mouth hangs open, both out of pain and out of breath.
"His name is Jesus," someone speaks softly.
"Move on!" commands the executioner.
But Jesus can't. His body leans and feet try, but he can't move. The beam begins to sway. Jesus tries to steady it, but can't. Like a just-cut tree, the cross begins to topple toward the crowd. Everyone steps back, except one. Simon instinctively extends his strong hands and catches the cross.
Jesus falls face-first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. The centurion looks at the exhausted Christ and then to Simon and needs only an instant to make the decision. He presses the flat of his spear on Simon's shoulders.
"You! Take the cross!" Simon dares to object. "Sir, I don't even know the man!"
"I don't care. Take up the cross."
Simon growls, balances the timber against his shoulder, and steps out of the crowd onto the street and into history ... and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow Christ.
He did literally what God calls us to do symbolically - take up the cross and follow Jesus.
"If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
~ Pastor Todd
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