Worship into the Week- It's About Time

 

Worship into the Week-

Revelation 1:4-18- Greeting to the Seven Churches

and Vision of the Son of Man

The God of time- all time- 

before time and into infinity.

How do I even begin to understand 

the concept of what he wants the whole world to know- 

when I live my life as if I have all the time in the world?

The Revelation of Jesus to John and the Seven churches

 has taken on new meaning since our return 

from our Footsteps of Paul tour this past March.

We visited Ephesus, Smyrna, Sardis.

(blog posts to come)

The ancient Greek word translated Revelation

 is apokalupsia- apocalypse.

The word simple means- a revealing, an unveiling. 

The book of Revelation is the 

Revelation of Jesus Christ in the context

 that it ALL belongs to Him.

Jesus is the one doing the revealing. 

Jesus is also the one being revealed.

 The whole book pivots on Jesus as the center.

I have always loved this phrase- 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, 

who is and who was and who is to come, 

the Almighty."

Whenever I am fretting about time-

 and I often think it's about time- 

this sentence allows me to take a deep breath.

Somehow when I rest in this 

framework of time- all is well.

Supplies:

Visual Faith Ministry Printable

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Worship into the Week Printable

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Magazine cutouts

Watercolors

Distress ink

Washi tape

Spring in St. Louis

Lovely phlox drapes a hillside on the campus

 of Concordia Seminary in St Louis, Missouri.

                      Delicate blossoms punctuate corners of brown mulch.

It is apparent that there has been a culture

 of plant care and grooming on campus.

Daffodils herald spring as they wave in the breeze.

Fragile pink dogwood blossoms

dance on waving gray branches.

Ruffled petals of tree peonies bend low

 to the ground with the heavy blooms.

Clumps of slender green 

are dotted with white highlights.

Wild hyacinths.

Solomon's seal has such a 

pretty variegated leaf.

We are finishing up a decade of visits 

to this Seminary campus for Call Services

 for pastors and vicarage assignments. 

I doubt that I will be back here again.

Pat Maier and myself were blessed to visit with two 

of our Visual Faith Ministry Family Life coaches while here.  

Meghan Flanick and Rachel Hinz blessed us with a visit

 by graciously meeting us on campus.

St. Louis you have been fun to visit 

It was great to catch up with them 

and hear what God is doing in their lives.

May the Lord bless you in your faithful journeys!

Enduring Word Bible- The Stoning of Stephan

 

The Stoning of Stephan

Acts 7:54-60

This section of Scripture follows the speech 

of Stephan to the high priest. Stephan had been chosen

 to serve as a deacon. He was full of grace and power

 and was doing great signs among the people. 

This did not go unnoticed and it riled up the leadership.

Stephen closes his speech to the council by saying,

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised 

in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit.

 As Your fathers did so do you.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

And they killed those who announced beforehand

 the coming of the Righteous One, 

whom you have now betrayed and murdered,

you who received the law as delivered by angels

 and did not keep it."

They saw that his face was like that

 of an angel as he spoke to them.

They raged against him.

Stephen gazed into heaven, full of the Holy Spirit,

 and saw the the glory of God,

 and the son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

Saul was a bystander to this event as they

 laid down their garments at his feet.

Stephan cries out, " Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit."

Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Stephen dies as the first martyr for the Lord.

We don't usually "get stoned" for our witness, 

or endure bodily harm.

Yet, we still find it challenging to speak up

 in the name of Jesus or we view events as bystanders.

Lord, give us the brave hearts to speak 

with wisdom when it is timely, 

and may we listen and heed Holy Spirit nudges

 for the right time.

Supplies:

Enduring Word Bible

Colored pencils

Fine-point non bleeding Sharpie

Griffin is Eight!

 

Our oldest big guy- Griffin- recently turned eight!

Eight is great and he loves rocks, fossils and minerals.

 Mr. Griff is a Reptile Lover.

He has some cousin and sibling helpers here.

He is a silly and funny guy 

and we may have to call him Lizard man.

Looks like an inventive birthday crown!

He is nearly loved by mom and dad

and all of his family.

He had a bowling party 

with some friends from second grade.

A signed bowling pin 

from all the party goers was a hit.

The troops all gathered to sing 

birthday blessings and eat cake too.

(Lainey we know you are hiding-

 though we can't see you!)

Have a great year and many, many blessings 

and adventures-Griffin- in your new birth year.

Worship into the Week- He is Risen!!!

 

Worship into the Week- Easter Sunrise

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

The great Victory over Sin, Death and the Devil.

Matthew 28:1-15

A great earthquake, an angel of the Lord descending, 

and a rolled back stone.

Trembling guards.

Something is not normal here.

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said."

Mark 16:1-11

The Resurrection

The woman brought spices and arrived early.

The stone was rolled away and a young man

 was sitting on the right side dressed in a white robe. 

The women were afraid.

Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified is not here- 

 they were told.

 He has risen, he is not here.

Go and tell his disciples.

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

v.3"Christ died for our sins in accordance

 with the Scriptures, that he was buried,

 that he was raised on the third day

 in accordance with the Scriptures."

The Resurrection of the Dead

v.13 " But if there is no resurrection of the dead, 

then not even Christ has been raised.

 And if Christ has not been raised, 

then our preaching is in vain

 and your faith is in vain."

Worship into the Week- Easter Day

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

St. Paul talks here about the resurrection of Jesus

 believing that Jesus had a Spirit-empowered, material,

 resurrected body. Paul was a Pharisee Jew who believed in a resurrection, unlike the Sadducee Jews.

 He also believed that every Christian 

would also one day receive

 a resurrected Spirit empowered body 

v. 20 "but in fact Christ 

has been raised for the dead.."

And on this day we can sing-

I Know that my Redeemer Lives!

He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Supplies:

 Visual Church Year Printable

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Worship into the Year Printable

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Enduring Word Bible

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Stamp

Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Edicule

 The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem 

stands ornately over what would 

have been so obsure in the time of Jesus.

So quiet with only the guards on Holy Saturday

with a full moon.

This visit in January of 2022 was like no other visit. 

There were no crowds and no waiting lines

 because of the recent reopening of Israel in early January.

In the other 6 visits the lines to go into the Edicule 

were usually 5-6 hours long 

and we could never stay for those long lines.

 

The ornate shrine known as the Edicule 

encloses what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

The Shrine has undergone a recent extensive restoration. 

On some of our visits it was totally closed.

The wait to get inside was

 only a few minutes long.

Ornate carvings cover the inside of the edicule.

The original sepulcher had the obvious Jewish burial carved stone monument form. St Helen is said to have discovered this rock and it remained uncovered. Eusevious shared that the Holy Sepulchre was decorated with beautiful pillars but nothing 

was mentioned of it being enclosed.

A Pilgrim stated in 570 AD that the Holy Sepulchre was originally carved from a monolith surrounded by a circular wall. It remained this way until the church was destroyed by Al Hakim (1009-1012 AD) when the rock was leveled 

and the enclosing building was totally destroyed. 

The Church was restored by Constantinos Monomahos 

(1042-1048 AD) and finally enclosed in a new building.

The "anointing slab" sits without anyone around

 it- that would be the normal situation.

A beautiful mural is viewable 

without any crowd interference.

The Holy Sepulchre was closed on March 25, 2020 

and according to the keeper of the Keys ( a Muslim) 

this was the first closure since 1349 during the Black Death. 

Prayer continued inside the building until

 it reopened to visitors on May 24, 2020.

A normal visit is full of the cacophony of sound, bells,

 chanting and so many people. 

The visit this year was much more of a contemplative time,   thinking of the death of Jesus-

and place of Resurrection for our Lord and Savior.

This Holy Saturday-

coming close to this spot

brings this amazing miracle to 

full Easter Light.

Worship into the Week- Good Friday

 

Some time in my Interleaved Journaling Bible

 this Good Friday.the Crucifixion, 

the Death of Jesus and the Burial.

Jesus took my sins to the cross.

Worship into the Week. 

Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9

Jesus - our Great High Priest.

"Let us hold fast tour confession."

He knows our weaknesses 

and he has been tempted as we are in life.

"Let us then with confidence draw near

 to the throne of grace, 

that we many receive mercy

 and find grace to help in time of need."

The reading from Good Friday Worship 

of Isaiah 52:13-53:12

v. 5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed."

v.6 "All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned-every one- to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all."

Supplies:

Visual Church Year Printable

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Worship into the Week

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Worship into the Week- Maundy Thursday

 

Worship into the Week- Hebrew 10:15-25

The Full Assurance of Faith

Not too many things in this world 

today where we rest with full assurance.

It is easy to stop and list the evils of this world:

war, hunger and hurtful people.

But, how do we contract all of that 

with something that is bigger?

Hope.

v.22 "Let us draw near with a true heart 

in full assurance of faith, 

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

 and our bodies washed with pure water. 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope

 without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."

All the times we don't follow through,

 or give up, or don't finish

  are met by the ONE who is Faithful.

So our days are wrapped in Full Assurance- 

no matter what else we encounter in our 24 hours.

Hope. Rest. Promised. Faithful.

We KNOW we can trust Him.

Supplies:

Visual Church Year Printable

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Worship into the Week Printables

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Enduring Word Bible

 Magazine cutouts

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Lent Calendar 2022

 

Lent Calendar for 2022

This year the devotion I used had Sunday entries,

 so I went ahead and did those also.

That took me right up to Palm Sunday.  

I am doing some processing with a 

Take Heart Holy Week Lectio Divina Bible Study

 from Visual Faith™ Ministry 

and that is a perfect set of readings for Holy Week,

It is always amazing to me 

how a phrase sticks with the day-

Ordinary People, Remember Me, 

Paradise Restored, and Alert Living.

A simple process of adding words, color 

and the hands-on practice of writing it down 

gives the Holy Spirit something to work with.

Thank you Lord, for that- this Lenten season.

Here is the link for the calendar I used:

lenten-path-2022-by-karen-hunter

Worship into the Week- Humble Servant

 

                        Worship into the Week- Christ's Example of Humility

                       Palm Sunday - Philippians 2:5-11

                 "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, 

                              but in humility count others

                           more significant than yourselves."

                      The mantra of a Jesus follower right here.

                       

                         Living, acting and working like Jesus.

              He took the form of a servant- though He was God.

He willingly was reduced to death on a cross.

 In that profound action, God has exalted Jesus. 

Every knee should bow to him- on earth and under the earth.

Every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.

We remember this on Palm Sunday- 

as he rode into Jerusalem as the King on a donkey.

Living life as the least for the sake of all.

Supplies:

Visual Church Year Printable

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Worship into the Week Printable

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Enduring Word Bible

Magazine cutouts

Distress Ink

Die cut and paper clip

Colored Pencils