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"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5
Remember, there is no resurrection without death. There is no Easter Sunday morning with the chaos and pain of Friday's events. There is no redemption without the One who redeemed. Where would we be without the cross of Friday and the empty tomb of Sunday. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Take time to read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus found in John 19. Then spend some reflecting on the love and compassion of God that drove Him to send His one and only Son to the cross, to die in our place, so that you and I can have eternal life. Pray this prayer: "Jesus, quiet my heart that I may ponder what you did on the cross. Amen". Join us tomorrow at 6:00pm in the Fireside Room for our Good Friday service. This special time of reflection will include singing, scripture reading, a brief message and communion. See you tomorrow night. Pastor Doug Do you ever wonder what happened shortly after Jesus was born? Once the heavenly host returned to heaven, the shepherds returned to keeping watch over their flocks by night, and after the wise men returned to their foreign land...what did Mary and Joseph do?
What about you? Now that the crowds have left and the house sits quiet and empty...what do you do? What should we do after a celebration subsides? Where might we focus our attention? Answer: Let the Scriptures guide us: When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." Luke 2:22-24 Only a week after his birth, Mary and Joseph offered Jesus back to God. They were committed to a life of obedience. What a perfect response to the wonder of Christ's birth...offering ourselves to the Lord: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1 Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we conclude our series, Portraits of Christmas. This week, we will look at how Joseph and Mary followed God's leading after Jesus was born. I believe we can learn a lot from the way Joseph and Mary responded to God's clear revelation of His will. Join us as we gather together in community to worship God, connect with one another, and grow in our love for God. We will end the year by remembering why Jesus came, as we receive the Lord's Supper. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug Merry Christmas Parkside Family
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more." Dr. Seuss, from How the Grinch Stole Christmas For hundreds of years, the world has been in a culture war for ownership of the Christmas season and Christmas Day. Every year, it's the church vs. the big box retailer and Amazon! As we approach Christmas Day, I want to provide a different perspective on the possession of Christmas. Think about this: Is our fight over the spirit of Christmas or the Spirit of Christ? While the spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental. The Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product. The Spirit of Christ is Immanuel, God with us. The point is this: as important as Christmas is to many of us as a holiday, shouldn't it pale in comparison to who Christ is in us every day?! Something to think about as we approach Christmas Day...and the day after...and the day after that...and... Christmas Eve @ Calvary Parkside: Join us at 10:30am for a special collaborative celebration, as we join with the Hispanic, Chinese, Korean churches, and Common Ground, for a multi-cultural Christmas experience. There will be music, scripture reading, and prayer delivered in Spanish, Korean, Mandarin and English. We will end our service with the traditional singing of Silent Night as we light candles in anticipation of the birth of Jesus! Please bring the whole family and don't forget to invite your friends and neighbors. The morning kicks-off at 10:00am with light snacks, followed by the service at 10:30am. I hope to see you on Sunday! Pastor Doug |
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