Theme for March 2018: Wilderness

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   Mark 14:50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.     Psalm 22:11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.   2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not … Continue reading "HW18 #6: He suffered abandonment"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   Mark 14:43-45 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the … Continue reading "HW18 #5: He suffered treachery"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   Mark 14:32-42 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said … Continue reading "HW18 #4: He suffered anguish"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   Mark 14:10-11 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.     Psalm 22:16 Dogs surround me, a pack of … Continue reading "HW18 #3: He suffered collusion"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   Mark 14:3-9 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly … Continue reading "HW18 #2: He suffered criticism"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   Mark 14:1-2 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”   Psalm 22:6 But … Continue reading "HW18 #1: He suffered scheming"...

Tramstop outside Rotterdam Central Station  (Photo: Irene Bom)   A prayer by Paul Sauer that mentions God’s presence with us in “our wilderness journeys” and reminds us we are dust – God’s “precious dust”. Prayers of the People (based on Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm 107, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21) Heavenly Father, when we feel that we … Continue reading "Precious dust"...

  Three short pieces, by way of encouragement. #1 God did not say, “You shall not be tempted; you shall not be troubled; you shall not be distressed.”   God did say, “You shall not be overcome.”   from the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways Archive and posted on https://re-worship.blogspot.nl #2 In the darkest … Continue reading "Wilderness encouragement"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery has a lengthy entry on Wilderness, ending with the following summary: “… the wilderness is an ambivalent image in the Bible. If it is a place of deprivation, danger, attack and punishment, it is also the place where God delivers his people, provides for them and … Continue reading "Testing ground"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   While searching for ‘dry wilderness’ on my go-to online prayer resource – the treasure trove, re-worship.blogspot.com – I found this call to worship by Rev. Nathan Decker. It is inspired by Isaiah 35 and recognizes both the reality and pain of the wilderness experience and our sustaining hope in God for … Continue reading "Wilderness woes"...

(Photo: Lindy Twaddle)   This is the first post in our March series, “Wilderness”. In this short, but evocative litany John Birch captures some of the atmospherics of the wilderness as physical and emotional terrain. Prepare a way (referencing Isaiah 40:3-5, Mark 1:3, Matthew 3:3, Luke 3:4) In the lonely places The wilderness Where we … Continue reading "Prepare a way"...