“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature,...
Day Four: Wednesday We don’t know what Jesus did on what is traditionally called, Spy Wednesday. It is called Spy Wednesday because it is the day on which Judas Iscariot met with the Jewish priests and made plans for the betrayal, hence the name “spy.” Scholars speculate that after the...
Day Three: Tuesday Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives on Tuesday morning of Holy Week. Back at the Temple, religious leaders were upset at Jesus for what He had done the day before. It wasn’t that He sent the money changers packing. It was that, in that action, He...
Monday of Holy Week is also called Fig Monday because it is the day on which Christ cursed the fig tree (Mark 11:12-25). In days gone by, people ate dried figs on this day to commemorate the miracle. On Monday, Holy Week, Jesus clears the Temple of money changers, who...
Ever wonder what the days of Holy Week mean? Each day depicts something significant during the last week Christ walked on this earth. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, Jesus began His death march to Jerusalem. (Mark 11:1-11) He knew where He was going and why. As...
Jim, Vivvy, and I usually walk around the mall for exercise late Saturday afternoons. When we get home, we indulge in big, hot pretzels. Pretzels didn’t originate as an after-walk-snack. They were usually eaten once a year, during Lent. Pretzels first became popular as a Lenten food for Christians in...
I’ve been having a bit of exercise dysfunction this year, especially after my latest birthday. Used to be, I would get up very early and do a complete workout, including a vigorous exercise bike ride and weight lifting. I don’t know what happened, but somehow that means the bike is...
Theology of War Rev. Jaci McNeil Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine Wednesday, February 23rd (2022). If you’ve been following the news, you know the conflict that has been simmering since the 2014 annexation of Crimea has been kicked into overdrive. Russia and Ukraine have a complicated legacy, which dates back thousands...
Why Observe Lent? I was in my 30s when I first began to observe Lent. Previously, I held to the Reformation view of Lent. The Reformation of the 16th Century applied the principle, sola scriptura to everything, including the practice of Lent. Sola scriptura means, Scripture only. So, since Lent...
A serious rupture in our family has caused me to think deeply about forgiveness. Sometimes it’s easy to dispense forgiveness and sometimes it seems impossible, especially when the person requiring forgiveness is a repeat offender. Most of us put up with repeat offenders because we are afraid to do something about it. Johns...