Holy Saturday, April 15

When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

Mark 15:42-47

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

  Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;

  and by night, but find no rest.

Yet you are holy,

  enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you our ancestors trusted;

  they trusted, and you delivered them.

To you they cried, and were saved;

  in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

…

To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;

  before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

  and I shall live for him.

Posterity will serve him;

  future generations will be told about the Lord,

and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,

  saying that he has done it.

Psalm 22:1-5, 29-31

Good Friday, April 14

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.

Psalm 139:1-18

I truly remember “feeling” God for the first time when my dear friend, Elizabeth, died on Mackinac Island. Liz and I were working on the Island after our Freshman year in college. We had been best of friends at Marian High School. We went to different colleges and were looking forward to spending the summer together. The Detroit Pistons were in the Championship, it was June of 1990 , and Liz and I and some other friends were meeting to watch the big game. Liz never made it. She was in a bike accident coming down the Grand Hotel hill and died right outside Little Stone Church. She was flown to Traverse City and then to the University of Michigan where her organs were donated, such a generous and giving gesture by her parents.

I will never forget as we were walking out of Holy Name Church for her funeral how her grieving father said to me, “God needed Elizabeth more than we did.” Think about that, she was 19. Her dad felt that and said it out loud leaving the church. What faith. That is when I KNEW she was with God and he was beside me.

I stayed on the Island that summer and enjoyed and experienced life to the absolute fullest, a gift I always give credit to Liz. And then God showed me his power again.

I returned to U of M to start my second year in the nursing program there.

I was assigned for my first Fall clinical on a transplant floor at the University Hospital. I was in shift change report with my fellow classmates  when I heard “ there is a man here who received his heart back in June but has a slight fever so is here for observation. He received his heart from a girl who died on Mackinac Island.”

What? I couldn't believe it.

I immediately went to my instructor, told her my relationship with Liz and she received permission for me to meet to him. I walked into his room and said, “I think you have my friends heart.”  He replied, “ Elizabeth’s?”  My heart skipped a beat.

What are the chances, the odds, the possibilities? I met the man who received my dear friends heart. He and I stayed in touch for a few years but then lost touch when I graduated from nursing school.

This is a story I have told over and over. I get chills and tears every time I retell it.

I learned at 18 years old, and I still believe with all my heart, that God is with us, even when we don't think so.

He is, he always is.

 Julie Kunz

Maundy Thursday, April 13

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Revelation 5:12, 13

One of my favorite pieces of music is the MESSIAH by G. F. Handel. This beautiful music tells the story of God's gift to us in Jesus. Although we usually hear the MESSIAH at Christmas time, some of the most moving pieces are those about Christ's death and resurrection. Handel ends the oratorio with this wonderful statement found in Revelation. My favorite part is the ending piece. The beginning bass note followed by the majestic choral voices singing "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" affirms the greatness of God's gift and Christ's sacrifice. If you are able, listen to this music this season and reflect on the greatness of God.

Lamb
Submissive, Vulnerable
Trusting, Giving, Redeeming
Slain for our Sins
Sacrifice

Thank you for your great gift in Jesus that redeems us from our sins. Amen.

Laurel Kauffman, 1996

Wednesday, April 12

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

Isaiah 6:8

One of my very favorite hymns is "Here I Am Lord". This beautiful hymn, written by Dan Schutte in 1981 was inspired by Isaiah 6:8, where God calls Isaiah to be his servant and messenger to the people:

I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord, Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

I believe I was called about two years ago to serve as a Stephen Minister. Through this ministry we walk beside someone through a difficult time. We learn to “meet the person where they are”, how to listen and how to support our care receivers in a confidential, non-judgmental way. The impact of this ministry on my life has been amazing; my faith has deepened, I pray more often, have made wonderful friendships with my fellow Stephen Ministers, and I hope I am kinder and a better listener to others I meet.

I pray you will listen for your call this Lenten season, whatever that may be, and that when called you will answer “Here I am Lord”!

Gracious and loving God, help us to listen and to open our hearts for your calling, that we may bear your light into the world and hold your people in our hearts. Amen

Cindy Lanzen

Tuesday, April 11

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,  the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?

Psalm 8:3-4

According to Wikipedia, "How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden in 1885. It was translated into German and then into Russian and became a hymn. It was translated into English from the Russian by English missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own. The poem became matched to an old Swedish folk tune and sung in public for the first known occasion in a church in the Swedish province of Värmland in 1888. It was later popularized during the Billy Graham crusades.

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

(Repeat Refrain)

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

(Repeat Refrain)

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Amen!

Monday, April 10

But a Samaritan while traveling … saw the one who had been robbed … and was moved with pity...

Luke: 10: 33-35

The Good Samaritan

During the past year, I've experienced the GOOD SAMARITAN again and again, and again:  attempting to place a bag of groceries on the rear seat of my car, I was blown down by a strong gust of wind. Two good Samaritans came to my aid, helped me into the driver's seat and placed my purchases on the back seat of my car.

While raking leaves in my front yard, a neighbor walking past insisted on completing the task.  Her help was greatly appreciated.

As I was placing a suet cake in a cage for birds, I fell down in several inches of snow. After much effort, another neighbor came to my rescue.

Indeed these were Good Samaritans who showed mercy.

Dear Lord, help me be a Good Samaritan to others in need of mercy.

Pat Lindroth

Sixth Sunday, April 9

This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Jeremiah 31:33-34(NIV)

that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:21(NIV)

I was browsing among the new books at Barnes & Noble one December Sunday afternoon and came upon The Book of Joy: ( no, not the Joy of Cooking) Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with author Douglas Abrams.  I was intrigued and started reading it in January at bedtime each night, savoring the conversations of these two spiritual leaders. They met for a week in April 2015 in Dharamsala, India to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s eightieth birthday and from their conversations, they desired to write a universal book that included not only their Christian/Buddhist teachings/experiences with joy, but also research findings on the science of joy and other qualities that are believed to be essential for enduring happiness.

Reality is that we all face difficult circumstances, tragedies, natural disasters throughout life, we cannot know joy without suffering, and we make choices about how we respond to suffering. These friends identified and shared personal obstacles(fear,anxiety, frustration/anger, grief, despair, loneliness, envy, suffering /adversity, illness/fear of death) and qualities of the mind and heart (perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, generosity) that help us cope with life’s challenges. Scientists are finding in their research studies that the choices we make in our hearts and minds during difficult times directly impact our ability to know joy in the midst of suffering when tears are shared and we reach out to one another.

The weavings I see in the scriptures coupled with the perspectives of  these wise souls is that God invites us to live each day in His peace and joy in community with one another. Yes, I will have trials/tribulations and will seek healing, but as I learn to emulate Jesus more each day, I move beyond my self-centeredness to become more compassionate and generous in our care of humanity.  

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

Our Father, creator of the universe and all your children throughout time, thank you for these scriptures that guide our learning to better understand suffering/grief and the opportunities you offer us to experience joy as we learn how to give ourselves away in service with others. Thank you for letting me see your presence in our daily lives especially through our ministries at Alcott and with Stephen Ministry. In the name of your beloved son Jesus and with the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, thank you, God. Amen.

Barb Linnenbrink