I had trouble publishing last week's blog and I just got it up today.  Please forgive my errors, as I learn something new.

This week, we are focusing on something that was absolutely new for the disciples, Christ's Ascension into Heaven.  Jesus went up into the clouds to go to Heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father.  The disciples saw him rise and looked upward with awe.  Two men in white robes suddenly stood among them and asked, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky?" (NLT)

I love that question.  "Why are you standing here staring at the sky?"  It implies that we have more to do than look up at the clouds.  I think it also prepares us to realize that Christ is not in the clouds; he is with us through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. 

The disciples had been told to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.  I suspect that waiting was difficult for this burly bunch.  They were men of action.  Yet, they had to wait because they could not be effective ministers of the Gospel in their own power.

How hard it is to wait!  I remember waiting in line for just about everything when I lived in the former Soviet Union.  Often, people stood in lines and did not know what they were waiting for at the end of the line.  They figured that if they discovered something that they could not use personally, then their friends and neighbors could use it.  People pulled together and shared what they could find.  This was especially evident in the Christian community.  It was a powerful witness.

We, too, have a powerful witness.  The way we live our lives is our witness to the world.  We must ask ourselves if we are standing and looking up into the sky or if we are putting flesh to our faith.  I hope and pray that we are embodying the Love of Christ.

Press on!

Pastor Linda 

Friends of Jesus

This week, we are again considering the great love of God.  We see that love in all of creation.  We learn of that love in the life of Christ.

For many of us, our mothers were the first to embody for us the love and devotion of Christ.  Our moms held us, nurtured us, and guided us along the many paths of life.  At this time of the year, we pause and reflect on our mothers.

One of my earliest memories of my mom is that of planting flowers beside our house.  We would check on the flowers each day, to see if they were growing.  We watched as the stems poked through the ground, as petals formed, and as blossoms opened.  Mom taught me my colors with those flowers.  One of my most cherished photos shows me bending over to sniff the flowers, while Mom held me to keep me from falling in the dirt.  I loved those flowers, and I loved my mom.  Unfortunately, I also loved the dirt, and Mom spent a lot of time working to keep me clean and tidy.

I am blessed to have so many good memories.  Others are not so blessed.  Their memories do not put smiles on their faces, as mine do.  I remember this, as I give thanks, and I pray that everyone does learn of God and God's love.

God loves us so much!  Creation shows the love of God.  Jesus Christ embodies that love.  This week, we are considering the love of God as demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Christ, who gave his life for us, commands us to love one another.  Love is the mark of a follower of Jesus.  Christ calls his followers "friends" in this week's Scripture lesson (John 15:9-17.)  What wonderful news!  What a friend we have in Jesus!

It reminds me of a little song my mother taught me, "If anybody asks me who I am, who I am, who I am, if anybody asks me who I am, I'll tell them I'm a friend of Jesus!"

Amen!