An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

Dingmans Ferry Prayer Grove Remember Ukraine And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  ( from   2 Corinthians 3:12—4:2 ) Imagine for a minute you have loaded up the car for a four hour drive to Wherever Park. The kids are really excited imagining it as a fun place to be for a week. Then two hours into the drive you hear from the back seat: "Are we there yet?" Behind my former church is a hill rising from a field making it a great winter sliding place.  One Sunday the youth group planned to go tubing and build a small jump for excitement. After MUCH coaxing, I chose to take my turn. Forgetting I was 65 and not 16, I picked up a tube, sat down and off I went. After 2 seconds of sliding, I realized I had no clue about guiding a tube. I slid out of control, flew over the jump, got separated from the tube and ended up in some bushes.  I ...

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." (from Luke 6:27-38 ) Life in the Old Age feels oppressive and brutal.  We are still dealing with Covid-19 as people get sick and die even with vaccines available. Job losses continue, people fear catching the virus, and people are tired of wearing masks. People fear violence from prejudice or simple random acts. People are definitely grouchy and defiant.  Fear is at the core of life in the Old Age. Mercy is at the core of life in Jesus's New Age. Mercy is the motivation for the multitudes coming to Jesus. They are looking for relief from their diseases and unclean spirits. The Twelve, the disciples, and multitudes looking for some sort of healing. Mercy is the motivation by which Jesus heals their diseases and unclean spirits. Jesus demonstrates to the gathered crowd how God's mercy is to be lived by God's people. However, instead of a long list of merciful actions, Jesus summarizes the principle in what we call ...

Irish Fishing Vessels "Happy is the one... whose delight is in the law of the Lord,     and who meditates on his law day and night." (from  Psalm 1 ) Russia announced its intention to conduct naval exercises off Ireland's coast on Feb.3. It would cross boundaries into Irish fishing waters. Government officials held talks, but couldn't change the Russian plans. The fishermen's income loss could be significant.  With failed government negotiations, the fishermen decided planned a coordinated effort to head off the Russian fleet. The plan meant constantly having fishing boats in the exercise waters. The fishermen would—peacefully—prevent the Russians from conducting naval exercises. On February 1, the fishermen headed out to sea. The plan worked. The Russian naval vessels remained outside the Irish fishing boundary.    Sometimes it seems like one of our boundaries may be crossed.  Psalm 1 is a wisdom psalm describing two ways of life beginning with happin...

" And now faith, hope,  and love abide, these three;  and the greatest of  these is love." ( 1 Cor. 13:1-13 ) How many times I have used this scripture in a wedding as a sort of biblical guideline for a solid marriage. Follow these words of advice from the apostle Paul, I say, and you will live happily ever after. Not really. I chose this photo from a wedding, which, for the boy, gives him a new parent. Adjustments are in his future. I imagine this would be the apostle Paul's reaction if he heard these verses used in a wedding. That's because he was writing to the Corinthian church experiencing deep divisions because of moral and ethical issues. He wanted new life for the church based on higher righteousness and honorable principles.  He is convinced, that with holy loving at the center, people in the church could co-exist  and attain these higher principles. Holy loving, Paul believed, would create, sustain, and build Christian unity among the Corinthians. In r...

"Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him."  (from   John 2:1-11 ) Every young bride wants a perfect wedding.  It didn't happen for one bride. Just before the ceremony started, the groom asked the best man if he had the ring. The best man reached into his pocket, discovered it wasn't there. It was in the motel 20 miles away. In this parable running out of wine was the end of the wedding. No wine. No wedding.  Jesus' mother pleads with him, get some wine so they can party on.  Jesus orders six jars, which hold 18-20 gallons, to be filled with water. The water is transformed into good wine, about 60 bottles worth. They now have enough good wine for the whole village not just a few guests.  The custom was to serve the good wine until the guests got drunk, then serve the lousy wine. Jesus reversed that. He served the good wine to the drunk guests.  Note the setting. Cana is in Gal...

"On the day I called,  you answered me,  you increased my strength of soul." ( Psalm 138 ) Elaine's mother, at age 97, was living through her last days suffering terribly with spinal multiple myeloma. She wanted to die at home, so a hospital bed was rented and home health services were called in. On the day the ambulance brought her home, she insisted on walking into the house, not carried on a stretcher. She must have been in excruciating pain. The psalms call this "a day of trouble" ( Psalm 20:1 ) Someone is going through a really tough time. The term “day of trouble” is vague on purpose. It can mean times of physical illness, spiritual struggle, financial peril, or military threat. This crisis is also known as a “day when I call.” Times of crisis are also times of prayer when a suffering person or people “cry out” to the Lord. In this psalm, the poet has, by the grace of God, been brought through the "day of trouble".  When referring to the "s...

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,  because he has anointed me  to bring good news to the poor. (from Luke 4:14-21 ) A preacher often says this before preaching: "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord" from Psalm 19:14. It's a prayer for the Spirit of the Lord to rest on the preacher. Luke 14:18 has the same meaning. The Man The man, of course, is Jesus.  After 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus returned home to Galilee. While in the wilderness has been tested and overcome temptations.  Jesus, filled with the Spirit, begins teaching on the Sabbath in the synagogue. One Sabbath, he's the reader. He's handed the scroll, opens it, and reads Isaiah 61:1-2 .  This is Jesus’ manifesto.   The Message Empowered by the Spirit, Jesus begins his ministry of proclaiming good news to the poor, freedom for prisoner's, recovery of sight for the blind, setting the oppressed free, and proclaiming the year of the Lord...