Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Joanne: The Wife of Mr. Rogers 143

“It’s been confusing for me,” she said. “I’ve been frightened. I have had trouble dealing with the fact that this happened, I don’t want to give credit to the fact that it happened.”

She said she “was facing difficulty wrapping her head around the shooting,” according to Time Magazine.

It literally happened in their neighborhood.

For years, it was her husband’s words that calmed her, like it has calmed many others, encouraging love, hope, and kindness.

So, when she was asked her thoughts of the shooting, she did what her husband would do, offer “words of hope and love.”

She and her husband were married for more than 50 years. They met in college, they loved dancing, they loved music. After she headed to another college to study music, they continued writing letters to one another. In one of the letters, he proposed. She called him on a payphone and said, “yes”.

“The pair wed in 1952 and remained together until his death at age 74,” according to writer Tim Balk.

The couple shared a code - it was the number 143. It stood for the number of letters in the words “I love you.”





Her late husband was known for his reassuring words during times of grief and sadness.

Whenever anything bad happens, his quote usually pops up on social media:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

After her husband’s death in 2003, Joanne Rogers continued to work to preserve the legacy of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and spread her husband’s message of kindness, according to the New York Times.

When 11 people were killed in a shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, she reassured a crowd packed into the Rodel Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, saying, “I want to tell you how wonderful you are. How beautiful you are. I love you.”

This is a part of a continuing series on the Peace Page for Women’s History Month. The Peace Page has shared many stories about Mister (Fred) Rogers. This one is about his other half, Mrs. Rogers.

“Sara Joanne Byrd was born in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 9, 1928, 11 days before her future husband [born March 20, 1928],” according to Richard Sandomir of The New York Times. “Her father, Wyatt Adolphus Byrd, was a traveling coffee salesman who later worked for the Post Office. Her mother, Ebra (Edwards) Byrd, was a homemaker who shared with her daughter her love of music; she played ragtime on the piano by ear. Joanne began taking piano lessons at age 5.”

She long accepted that she would “forever be known as the wife of Fred Rogers,” according to writer Steve Paget.

“John Sinclair, a friend of the couple, perhaps summed it up best when he told The Baltimore Sun that Joanne ‘is a person who has lived in the wings and done it so graciously.’ But that’s not all. ‘She is not only incredibly supportive of Fred, she is very much a person in her own right. She is as unique as Fred is – they’re a formidable pair,’ Sinclair added.”

“Despite being married to Fred Rogers for more than 50 years, there was much more to Joanne Roger’s life beyond being the wife of a beloved children’s television icon,” wrote Richard Cook of Pittsburgh Magazine. “Joanne Rogers . . . was a professional pianist, teacher and constant crusader for her late husband’s message of empathy, kindness and compassion."

They both shared many of those same values and respect for others despite differences, which she continued to champion after his death.

She did admit, however, that her husband had a little more patience, such as the time when she complained about “a garage mechanic, who didn’t have much respect for a woman.”

“I’d say, ‘Uggggh.’ And he’d say, ‘You never know what was going on in his life earlier.’”

“Joanne also shared the opinion that the couple, despite their fame, should live a relatively frugal life,” according to Paget. “Rogers never sought to commercialize his famous show or himself, and the couple were known to only drive second-hand cars and even pepper their home with furniture that wasn’t new. It was just another element in which the pair were in agreement.”

“Mrs. Rogers was a supportive force behind her husband, who, starting in 1968, welcomed children into his television neighborhood, where he gently sought to lift their self-esteem and taught them to cope with real-world situations like divorce, racism, death and war,” wrote Sandomir. “The program ended production in 2001.

“Mrs. Rogers appeared a few times on ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,’ but she became a much more public presence [after he passed away]. She vigorously promoted ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ (2018), Morgan Neville’s documentary about her husband, and ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ (2019), a feature film with Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers and Maryann Plunkett as Mrs. Rogers.”

She wanted to nurture the memory and legacy of her husband.

“After Fred Rogers’ death, Joanne Rogers helped develop the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at St. Vincent College in his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

She eventually “became a star in her own right,” wrote Cook. “She appeared on news programs and late-night talk shows in support of books and documentaries about Fred Rogers and his program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” In an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Rogers discussed her husband’s well-remembered use of a kiddie pool on his show to address issues of racism.”

When she was asked about the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue which killed 11 people, she initially said, “When you get to be 92, there’s not much you can do,” but, when she was told “we just want your heart in it”, she quickly replied, “Great. It’s there.”

She not only put her heart in it, she also joined the fundraising team with Tom Hanks.

And, when it was her turn to speak, she said, “Let us replace guns with hugs.”

“Those six words drew one of the biggest crowd reactions of the day,” according to the Incline.

Her empathy and kindness reminded many of her husband.

When attacks of September 11, 2001 took place, Fred “Rogers had finished filming his final shows, but he taped a public service announcement for parents and caregivers—’those of you who grew up with us’—asking them to protect a new generation of children. ‘I’m so grateful to you for helping the children in your life to know that you’ll do everything you can to keep them safe and to help them express their feelings in ways that will bring healing in many different neighborhoods,’” according to the Smithsonian.

Even after his passing, his words could still be heard.

“After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School . . . after the Florida International University bridge collapse, after the Austin bombings, after each tragedy, Mister Rogers reappears as a social media meme,” wrote the Smithsonian. “In countless Twitter and Facebook posts, a sentiment Rogers first voiced to make John Lennon’s death in 1980 less scary is superimposed over an image of the man with a saintly smile and a cardigan: ‘When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Joanne Rogers was a helper, too.

Friends say that Joanne was generous with her attention and time, wrote Paget.

“She remembers the things in your life, and she remembers the things you’re worried about and she calls to see how things are going,” a pal, Rita Bornstein, told The Baltimore Sun. “Mister Rogers” may well have been famed for his empathy and kindness, but it seems his wife is every bit as warm-hearted. The couple were peas in a pod.”

Writer Aude Soichet remembers interviewing Joanne Rogers for an ABC News Nightline special, whose premise was “In this era of hate speech and division, do we need Mr. Rogers now more than ever?”

Soichet became friends with Rogers. She remembers the last time she spoke with her, before Rogers passed away.

She wrote:

“We talked about her health, her grandchildren, my children and a lot about politics. I can struggle with being in the present moment, but that day during our conversation, I was so grateful to her for infusing her sunshine, levity and optimism into my second day of 2021, and told her if this was how the new year was kicking off, it could be a much brighter one.”

She wrote after the conversation with her friend:

“My kids know of Mr. Rogers' show and of Mrs. Rogers, and tonight at dinner I shared with them that Joanne had died. My 5-year-old daughter asked, "what happens to people when they die, do they become a star in the sky?"

“When you were lucky enough to be in Joanne's orbit here on earth, Joanne shone, for sure. But tonight I think there is a star up there shining brighter, and to her, I say, thank you.” 

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

A true expression of generosity

 

On a recent day, in Durham, North Carolina, brothers Jonathan and Stephen Full were having lunch with their kids at a Chic-Fil-A when all of a sudden, two soldiers walked in, and they were quickly followed by 9 more soldiers.


Jonathan stood up, and decided to set an example for his son. Out of extreme respect, he had always wanted to buy a meal for a soldier, and now was his chance. He was only going to buy a meal for one, then he quickly changed his mind and decided to buy the meals for every soldier inside the restaurant. He realized he couldn’t just stop at one.


Says Jonathan: “What I felt moving through my heart is I didn’t care if 200 more showed. I was still going to buy the meal.”


And it seemed like he was buying a meal for an entire platoon. And older brother Stephen snapped some shots of Jonathan with the soldiers, and them showing appreciation for his generosity, and he was very proud of him.


But there was another reason Jonathan wanted to buy the soldiers’ meals. Says Stephen, on the photos he posted to Facebook: “As he paid for their meals, in remembrance of our late brother Joshua who suffered mentally from severe PTSD, he asked them to reach out to anyone they knew with PTSD and try their best to get them the help they needed. We thanked them for their service and left. Taught our boys to take care of the people that take care of us.”

 

And then Stephen asked all the readers of his post to share it, so that many others could realize just how much PTSD can affect those outstanding men and women who fight for our country.



Photo credit: Stephen Full

Sunday, June 27, 2021

4 Powerful Lessons From Jonah for Today: Part Two of Two THE MESSAGE



4 Powerful Lessons From Jonah for Today

1. We learn that God's mercy is wider and God’s grace is greater than all of our sins.

The book of Jonah begins with these words:

"Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Ammittai, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."

God comes to us while we are still sinners, and still, the Lord does not wait for us to “clean up our act” before He comes into our lives. If that were so we would never be saved. God begins to have mercy upon us while we are still in willful disobedience; and, like Nineveh, characterized by infamous sin and evil. The Bible says that God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). This is an essential characteristic of God. The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. 

2. We learned that God's love is greater than our self-interest. 

Jonah was quite content with God's grace and God's love over Israel and over his own life. But when God called him to go to Nineveh, we read that Jonah went in the opposite direction. He ran from God not merely because he was afraid of God, but because he really did not want to bring the good news of God's grace to his enemies. The issue in the book of Jonah causes each of us to reflect on this truth: those who curse Christ today could be those who preach Christ tomorrow. Don't just take the Ninevites words for it; listen to the Apostle Paul:

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hathenabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:12-14).


3. We learn that God uses all means to extend his grace to all kinds of people.

In the book of Jonah God uses a roaring sea, wayward pagan sailors — who, by the way, were saved by God during their experience with the renegade prophet — as well as, a pagan king, a weed, a worm, and even a hardheaded preacher. The mission of God is a guaranteed success because of the sovereignty of God. Jonah demonstrates how God uses all of His creation to bring about the salvation of one very wicked nation. How much more will God use all things to reach you? How much more will God hear your prayers as you cry out for a wayward child? Or a friend? Or trouble within your church? There are no limits to God's grace and love, and there are no limits to his ways and means of attaining His goals for salvation.


4. We learn that God's mercy is motivated by God's love for his own creation.

The book of Jonah concludes with a rather enigmatic ending. Jonah sits in the heat of Northern Iraq and is so outdone with God’s grace to his enemy, seething that he has lost a gourd with its leaves to shade him, that he despairs unto death. Yes, that means precisely what it says: Jonah was preferring death over the advance of God‘s grace to Nineveh. The petulant prophet is perturbed that God's grace to pagans is of greater priority to God than Jonah’s comfort. Then, God asks a question to Jonah, which echoes through the ages down to our own lives:

Jonah 4:10-11 (ESV): And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?

This is both an indictment of Jonah and all who treat God’s grace as proprietary, and a challenge to begin to see the world through the eyes of God who created it. The 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, are likely infants. but how about the Lord’s mention of His concern about the cattle? The truth is that man’s sin has a devastating effect upon creation. Conversely, when there is authentic revival from on high, when people repent and when we receive God‘s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ His Son, balance and harmony return to the community.


The force of this final question cannot be overstated. We learned here that both Socratic teaching and rabbinical teaching (by asking questions) was used by God long before educators ever thought about such things. For in placing the question as He does, the Lord God requires each and every one of us to give a response. And that response is nestled within the greater framework of God‘s plan for the ages: from Paradise Lost (Milton, 1667) to Paradise Regained (Milton, 1671).


Whenever we come to think that someone is beyond God’s love, or they have committed acts so vile as to be forever separated from God, then it is time for us to return to the book of Jonah. When we begin to reduce God’s response to human sin as judgment without mercy, then it is time for us to open up the book of Jonah, and invite the Spirit of the Lord to cleanse us of self-interests, smugness, and uncaring attitudes and return to the Lord of love.


In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Message crafted by 

 Dr. Michael A. Milton

 

Saturday, June 26, 2021

4 Powerful Lessons From Jonah for Today Part One of Two - Introduction

 



4 Powerful Lessons From Jonah for Today  


INTRODUCTION:


Rudyard Kipling, the great English poet of the first part of the 20th century, considered the strengths and influence of the British Empire but warned his fellow subjects of the crown that empires are fleeting. He mentions one in particular:

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
"Lest we forget — lest we forget!"

God does not want us to forget the lessons of the book of Jonah, nor the destiny of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. The minor prophet, Jonah, takes place when Nineveh, “that great city,” was the largest city on the face of the earth. So great was this monumental world capital that considerable remnants of Nineveh remain to this day. In the north of modern-day Iraq, next to the city of Mosul, the remains of Nineveh, stand as testimony to the historicity of the story in Jonah.

What do we know about the book of Jonah?

The book of Jonah is often characterized by liberal theologians as a metaphorical story to teach Israel to be more open to others. Those who hold Jonah as a mythological yarn seek to strengthen their unbelieving position by adding disbelief in a fish swallowing Jonah and, then, spitting the reluctant revivalist onto the shore. Liberal scholars might dismiss the story of Jonah’s prayer time in a fish belly as riotous rabbinical storytelling, but Jonah would surely protest. He would have very likely carried PTSD and claustrophobia with him for the rest of his life. Long strands of briny seaweed wrapped around Jonah’s neck and the distinct rankness of a creature’s stomach acid digesting the prophet would remain with Jonah for the rest of his life. Since we interpret Scripture by other Scriptures, and since our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ told the book of Jonah as history (Matthew 12:39-41), so must we.

The book of Jonah is remarkable for several reasons. One of those is the way the historical account is conceived and recorded. Rather than the story being only about Nineveh, or about God's message, all of the lessons seem to be centered in the person of Jonah. Jonah was called to go and to preach to Nineveh. He was to call Nineveh to repentance. The mandate to preach repentance is inexorably linked to the announcement of God’s grace and forgiveness.  It is clear that Jonah believed in the efficacy of God's message. It is not that Jonah hesitated and, then, refused to go to Nineveh because the task would be difficult (although that is an argument from silence). Rather Jonah became a reluctant prophet because he knew God's grace would overwhelm Israel's enemy. We know as a fact for Jonah records his prayer, not a petition that flatters its supplicant:

So he prayed to the LORD, and said, ‘Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm’” (Jonah 4:2 NKJV).

The word for the English, “loving kindness” in the text is the Hebrew, חֶ֫סֶד “hesed.” Hesed is the word used repeatedly throughout the Old Testament to describe God’s loyal love, His self-sworn obligation to love Israel, and to provide what Israel lacked (viz., sacrifice for sin and a holy life). This is covenantal language of the highest order. Jonah is saying in his prayer, that he knows that God will bring Nineveh into that covenantal relationship. It is an astounding admission of the true nature of God‘s covenant given to Abraham. God would use Israel to reach the entire world with His love and grace and forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. Jonah 4:2 is remarkable, also, in that it demonstrates that when God shifts His affection on the people we should expect conversion. The essential nature of God and His mission in the world should be a powerful motivation as well as a source of confidence as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission.

Covenantal-snobbery was, and can still be, a serious problem with God’s people. We can come to think that we are blessed to be in the family of God because of something of value or usefulness that impresses God. Indeed, the Bible is clear:

The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7 NIV).

Jesus echoed this truth:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16 ESV).

While the theme of God‘s sovereignty and God‘s grace is, indeed, the predominant storyline of Jonah, the book is certainly not merely metaphorical. The book is historical and refers to what became one of the greatest revivals in the history of humankind. The pagan city of Nineveh, the capital of an Ancient Near Eastern Empire, Assyria, was the epicenter of antagonism toward Israel, and yet, this enemy of God became the object of God's love and grace. Jonah was called to go and preach the repentance to the Ninevites (And by natural inference, to receive the forgiveness of God). The story of Jonah demonstrates how Almighty God has sovereign control over every creature on earth. From the wind to the fishes of the sea, and even pagan sailors, all respond to God in obedience. A gourd, an easterly winder, and even a worm, all over the Lord without any protests. The only disobedient figure in the book of Jonah is Jonah. He must learn that God's love is greater and wider than he had ever imagined.

So what are the lessons we can learn from the book of Jonah?


CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THIS SERMON

by Dr. Michael A. Milton

Friday, June 25, 2021

FRIDAY FUNNIES: JOKES


 

Jokes:

Timmy didn’t want to put his money in the offering plate Sunday morning, so his mother decided to use some hurried creative reasoning with him.

“You don’t want that money, honey,” she whispered in his ear. “Quick! Drop it in the plate. It’s tainted!”

Horrified, the little boy obeyed.

After a few seconds he whispered, “But, mommy, why was the money tainted? Was it dirty?

“Oh, no dear,” she replied. “It’s not really dirty. It just ‘taint yours, and it ‘taint mine,” she replied. “It’s God’s.”

* * * * *

Mrs. Smartt was fumbling in her purse for her offering when a large television remote fell out and clattered into the aisle.

The curious usher bent over to retrieve it for her and whispered, “Do you always carry your TV remote to church?”

“No,” she replied, “but my husband refused to come with me this morning, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally.”

* * * * *

A Sheepish Recovery

A devout old shepherd lost his favorite Bible while he was out looking for a wayward lamb. Three weeks later, a sheep walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The shepherd couldn’t believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the sheep’s mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!”

“Not really,” said the sheep. “Your name is written inside the cover.”

* * * * *

Words of wisdom: “There’s a fine line between a long, drawn-out sermon and a hostage situation.”

* * * * *

The church council met to discuss the pastor’s compensation package for the coming year. After the meeting the chair of council told the pastor: “We are very sorry, Pastor, but we decided that we cannot give you a raise next year.”

“But you must give me a raise,” said the pastor. “I am but a poor preacher!”

“l know,” the council chair said. “We hear you every Sunday.”

* * * * *

God is talking to one of his angels and says, “Do you know what I have just done? I have just created a 24-hour period of alternating light and darkness on Earth. Isn’t that good?”

The angel says, “Yes, but what will you do now?”

God says, “I think I’ll call it a day.”

* * * * *

A newly-ordained pastor, in the first days of his first call, was attempting to console the widow of an eccentric man who had just died. Standing before the open casket, the nervous young pastor said, “I realize this must be a very hard blow for you, Mrs. Svenson. Just try to remember that what we see before us is only the husk, the shell of your dear husband–the nut has gone to heaven.”

* * * * *

Have you heard about the first baseball game in the Bible?

In the big inning. Eve stole first, Adam stole second. Cain struck out Abel. The Giants and the Angels were rained out.

* * * * *

There will be a meeting of the Church Board immediately after the service,” announced the pastor.

After the close of the service, the Church Board gathered at the back of the sanctuary for the announced meeting. But there was a stranger in their midst — a visitor who had never attended their church before.

“My friend,” said the pastor, “Didn’t you understand that this is a meeting of the Board?”

“Yes,” said the visitor, “and after today’s sermon, I suppose I’m just about as bored as anyone else who came to this meeting.”

* * * * *

Ask and You Shall Receive

Pastor Larson and his council president, Sven Johnson ended up in a heated argument over a seemingly minor worship detail.

“I suggest we go home and pray to God to grant us peaceful hearts,” said Pastor Larson as Sven stormed past him into the churchyard.

After worship the next Sunday morning, Sven greeted Pastor Larson warmly. “I took your advice,” he said. “I went home and said a prayer.”

“Great!” said Pastor Larson. “So did I! I prayed that God would grant us both peaceful hearts and a fresh start.”

“That’s not what I prayed,” said Sven. “I asked God to help me put up with you.”

* * * * *

If Jesus was from Alabama

A little girl from Alabama went to church for the first time ever when she was visiting her grandparents in Michigan. When the pastor announced it was time for the Lord’s Supper, she was excited–and hungry. The congregation filed up to the altar rail, and the child watched in confusion as her grandparents received a wafer and small plastic cup of wine. She could hardly wait to get back to the pew to tell her grandma that Jesus wasn’t from Alabama.

“How do you know that, dear?” asked her grandma.

“Because that was the poorest meal I’ve ever seen,” she said. “Mama would’ve at least given everybody some corn bread and sweet tea.”

 

Thursday, June 24, 2021

WHEN PARENTS GET OLD ...




Let them grow old with the same love that they let you grow ...

 Let them speak and tell repeated stories with the same patience and interest that they heard yours as a child ...

 Let them overcome, like so many times when they let you win ...

Let them enjoy their friends just as they let you …

 Let them enjoy the talks with their grandchildren, because they see you in them ...

 Let them enjoy living among the objects that have accompanied them for a long time, because they suffer when they feel that you tear pieces of this life away ...

 Let them be wrong, like so many times you have been wrong and they didn’t embarrass you by correcting you ...

 

LET THEM LIVE and try to make them happy the last stretch of the path they have left to go; give them your hand, just like they gave you their hand when you started your path!


(“Honor your mother and father and your days shall be long upon the earth”.)                 - God 

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Parable of the Mouse

 


A “mouse” was put at the top of a jar filled with grains.


He was so happy to find so much food around him that no longer he felt the need to run around searching for food and now he could happily live his life.


After a few days of enjoying the grains, he reached the bottom of the jar.
Now he was trapped and he couldn't get out of it.


He now has to solely depend upon someone to put grains in the same jar for him to survive.


He also may not get the grain of his choice and he cannot choose either.
Here are a few lessons to learn from this:


1) Short term pleasures can lead to long-term traps (living on benefits/furlough/spoilt by parents perhaps?).


2) If things are coming easy and you are getting comfortable, you are getting trapped into dependency.


3) When you are not using your skills, you will lose more than your skills. You lose your CHOICES and FREEDOM.


4) Freedom does not come easy but can be lost very quickly.


NOTHING comes easily in life and if it comes easily, maybe it is not worth it..

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

When Faith Doesn’t Know What to Think

 




My Dear Shepherds,

 

Don had been a faithful churchgoer all of his 80 years but when he came to our church his faith didn’t know what to think. He waited for the sermon like a man who hadn’t eaten. He’d sit right down front in rapt attention. He believed in Christ. He loved Communion more than most. But he’d had no idea how rich and life-giving Scripture was.

 

When Jesus appeared incognito to Cleopas and his fellow disciple on the Emmaus road they were like Don. They were deeply committed to Jesus and “had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” But they couldn’t make sense of Jesus’ death or the angels’ proclamation of his resurrection. Then this Stranger, who had seemed oblivious to what had happened, said

,

“How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:25–27)

 

Those two disciples bear a striking resemblance to folks in your church. Your people may be further down the road with Jesus than those two but God put you among them, Bible in hand, to serve in Jesus’ stead. Devout disciples—ourselves included—are still prone to be uncomprehending and slow to believe what lies plain in Scripture unless someone opens our minds.

 

By “foolish,” Jesus meant they were undiscerning, blind to the obvious. They weren’t “slow to believe” the Scriptures because they were hardhearted but because they expected too little. They thought they knew more than they did. They saw the Passover, for example, like we might study a stained-glass window at night, without ever seeing the light that made it beautiful. They knew Isaiah’s Servant Songs but evidently they had never factored them into their hopes for Jesus. Disciples are still like that, seeing only so far in Scripture; believing only so much.

 

I’m sure you’ve puzzled over why those two disciples “were kept from recognizing” Jesus. One reason is that if they’d recognized his face they wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on seeing him in the Scriptures he was explaining so vividly. Incredibly, seeing Jesus in Scripture might be even better than seeing him in person! It was clearly enough to enflame their hearts.

 

Now, we take Jesus’ place in walking with his disciples. He’s there, but they just see us. So before we meet them, we’d better study the Word diligently and prayerfully, assuming that we, too, are prone to be oblivious to what lies before us unless Jesus teaches us and we think, hard. Not every passage is about Jesus but he delights to meet us in every text to show us God’s grace and truth embedded there. We are not called to simply explain the Bible. We are to reveal Christ. Because when our people see Christ their hearts are set afire.

 

There was another guy like Don. Tom and his wife came to our church for their grandchild’s dedication, and never left. It was God’s Word that held them. They drank it in. Tom always sat in the second row, left side, and when I preached he just stared at me. I joked with him once, “Tom, you never take notes.” He replied, “I’m not taking my eyes off you.” He might have been looking at me, but in those sermons he was seeing Jesus.

 

Be ye glad!

Source:  Lee Eclov

Retired Pastor, PT Contributor, 



Monday, June 21, 2021

MONDAY QUOTES: Christian Quotes About Worship

 



Christian Quotes About Worship

You never go away from us, yet we have difficulty in returning to You. Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let us love. Let us run.
                                            — Augustine of Hippo

 

 

I have learned that in every circumstance that comes my way, I can choose to respond in one of two ways: I can whine or I can worship! And I can’t worship without giving thanks. It just isn’t possible. When we choose the pathway of worship and giving thanks, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, there is a fragrance, a radiance, that issues forth out of our lives to bless the Lord and others.              

                          — Nancy Leigh DeMoss

 

I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.               — A.W. Tozer

 


Sunday, June 20, 2021

The moment of a first salute - a rite of passage...

 



WHETHER WE BECOME A MARINE OR GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE, STARTING SOMETHING NEW IS A SPECIAL OCCASION. BUT FOR EVERY COMMISSIONED OFFICER, THIS BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN THEY HAVE TO GIVE THEIR “FIRST SALUTE.”

 

SINCE THEY ONLY GET ONE FIRST, THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL TRADITION ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES WITH GENERATIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE.

 

SO AFTER THE HARD AND TOUGH WEEKS OF BOOT CAMP, PUSH UP AFTER PUSH UP AND TOLERATING TOUGH CONDITIONS, THE MOMENT IS FINALLY HERE FOR THEM TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN THEIR MILITARY CAREER.

 

WHEN THE COMMISSIONED MARINE IS GRANTED THEIR FIRST SALUTE, THEY ARE NO LONGER A CITIZEN. THEY ARE OFFICIALLY A MARINE.

 

 

THE FIRST SALUTE IS AS SYMBOLIC AS IT IS PRACTICAL. SO WHEN THIS YOUNG MARINE FACES HER GRANDFATHER AND HE OFFERS HER THE FIRST SALUTE, EVERYONE ERUPTS IN AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE ONCE THE MOMENT IS THROUGH.





WATCH AS RETIRED STAFF SARGENT JAMES WILLIAMS OFFERS THE FIRST SALUTE TO HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, 2NDLIEUTENANT CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS. HE IS ASKING THE HIGHER RANKING OFFICE FOR A VERY SPECIFIC REQUEST. SOMETHING THAT YOU DON’T HEAR IN THE MILITARY VERY OFTEN.

 

LISTEN CLOSELY AT THE 18-SECOND MARK. BECAUSE WHAT STAFF SARGENT WILLIAMS ASKS HIS 2NDLIEUTENANT GRANDDAUGHTER FOR WILL ABSOLUTELY MELT YOUR HEART. I DID MINE.

 

“SARGENT WILLIAMS REQUESTS PERMISSION, MA’AM, TO HUG HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, 2ND LIEUTENANT CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS.”

 

“PERMISSION GRANTED,” HIS GRANDDAUGHTER RESPONDS. WOW, HOW HEARTWARMING!

 




Saturday, June 19, 2021

What Is Juneteenth?

 


Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States.

 

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in GalvestonTexas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

 

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas—until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”




BY:  ELIZABETH NIX



Although Juneteenth has been informally celebrated primarily by African American communities since that day in 1865, currently 47 of 50 US states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday or observance. Texas became the first in 1980.


Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota and are the only three states that don’t formally recognize Juneteenth.


Nationally, a US president typically offers a proclamation acknowledging the day’s significance and gives well wishes to African Americans who observe. Barack Obama did so every year of his presidency and Trump marked the day last year.


However, no president has supported declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. Last year, the US Senate passed a resolution recognizing “Juneteenth Independence Day” as a national holiday, but it has not yet been approved in the House.


Friday, June 18, 2021

FRIDAY FUNNIES:

 



An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his banker and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home.

 

When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.

 

Both the banker and lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them.

 

They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness, and avaricious behavior that made them squirm in their seats.

 

Finally, the banker said, “Preacher, why did you ask us to come?”




The old preacher mustered up his strength and then said weakly, “Jesus died between two thieves, and that’s how I want to go.”


Thursday, June 17, 2021

Good reasons to keep working after retirement

 


Sure, you could relax, but working after retirement boosts mental, physical, social and financial fitness.

 

What do you want to do when you retire?


Buy a motor home and hit the road? Learn a new language? Work part-time? For a growing number of American retirees, continuing to work makes perfect sense. Many find they simply run out of things to keep them busy, while others miss the camaraderie and sense of purpose work gave them. Longevity, combined with insufficient savings, is driving more people to stay on the job longer.

 

There's also a very good chance of living a long time. According to Rate.com, "The Society of Actuaries (SOA) data suggests that a 65-year-old male today, in average health, has a 35% chance of living to 90; for a woman the odds are 46%." So, not working after retirement could mean living off savings for 20 years or more. That's just not feasible for some people. In 2018, almost 29% of Americans age 65 to 72 were either employed or looking for employment.

 

Whatever the situation, working after retirement can be both financially and personally rewarding. Here are some things to consider when planning the next phase of your life.

 

Financial stability

If you're like most retirees, you may have enough savings and income from your retirement plan to cover the basics, but you'll also need to consider inflation, long-term care, and rising medical costs.

 

According to the Insured Retirement Institute, only 18% of baby boomers are confident they will have enough money to comfortably live in retirement. However, that confidence increases to 45% if they own an annuity.

 

For seniors who didn't save a large enough nest egg, continuing to work may be a necessity. But even if it's not, having a paycheck helps to supplement and stretch that savings for the longer life spans than many expect.

 

Working during retirement means it's possible to keep your existing savings — and continue earning interest — while living off your extra income. Also, your pension benefits from your former employer are normally not affected unless you plan to return to work for them.

 

Social Security rules for retirement and benefits

 

If you retire and begin to receive benefits before your full retirement age as defined by the Social Security Administration, your Social Security benefits may be reduced by as much as 30%, depending on the year you were born.

 

By working full or part time, you can delay the start of Social Security benefits. The longer you wait, up until the age of 70, the bigger your monthly Social Security check will generally be.

However, if you are already receiving Social Security benefits and decide to work, be aware that in 2020 if you make more than $18,240 prior to your full retirement age, $1 for every $2 made will be deducted from your Social Security benefit. In the year of your full retirement age, Social Security will deduct $1 for every $3 you earn after $48,600; they only count your earnings up to the month before your full retirement age, not after. See ssa.gov for full details.

 

Once you reach full retirement age, you can work as much as you like without impacting your Social Security benefits. However, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax consequences of such work arrangements on your Social Security benefits.

 

Eligibility for health insurance benefits

 

For many retiring seniors, the high cost of medical care can be quite a shock when they are no longer part of a company plan. This is especially true if you retire before 65, the age you qualify for Medicare.

 

And once you qualify and begin receiving Medicare, you may face significant out-of-pocket expenses including prescription drug costs. Even after you turn 65 and qualify for Medicare, it can be helpful to have additional health insurance through your employer or Medicare Supplement Insurance because there are gaps in Medicare coverage.

 

Having a job that pays medical benefits after you retire could save thousands of dollars a year in medical expenses.

 

Social activity and health benefits

 

Exercise, reading and crossword puzzles may provide the stimulus to help stay fit mentally and physically, but working is also an excellent way to stay engaged.

 

People who work after retirement often remain more active and socially connected, which can mean better overall health and fewer medical issues. Working part-time can give you a sense of being part of something without being tied to a career and long hours.

 

An encore career

 

Retirement can be the start of a whole new career, but it doesn't have to be the same old work. Many seniors thrive in encore careers and they can provide a second chance at job satisfaction.

 

Encore careers can open interesting opportunities that weren’t practical earlier in life, whether it be working to support a favorite cause or even channeling your passion into your own small business.

 

Tip: If you plan to work during retirement, start your job hunt or finalize your employment before you retire. You can also sign up for a course or two to learn new skills.

Source:  State Farm Insurance. Com



I love working after retirement and its true that I remain loyal to the call of life God had placed upon me.  I am thankful the I have been immersed in a situation where many people lost without God was working and I had the opportunity to lead six people to find a personal relationship in Christ. I remain a servant of the Lord God Almighty and call to live my life as a testimony according to Romans 1:16 :

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...."