partsofspeaking

The other day I found myself praying, almost automatically, that God would be glorified through this pandemic. I stopped myself. What was I actually saying, asking? I don’t know, so I won’t pray it again until I figure it out, which is doubtful.  We all want this disease to, well, die. To stop. To disappear. To end its killing spree of 54,000 plus in this country (is that possible in two months?) and over 200,000 in the world (obviously much more since numbers from some countries cannot be trusted; we’re looking at you, China.) That I pray, fervently. I hope we all do. But for God to be glorified? How is that even possible in the midst of this uncertain biological force? The thing I find the most scary, maddening, defiant, I don’t know the word, about this disease is its unpredictability. Yes, it’s going to affect elderly and sick more; in the county I have an apartment (I own a home in the adjoining county), four have died and all were 70 or o...

I have struggled, like many I think, about not being able to worship with others on Easter Day. I needed prayer and time alone. I found myself prickly and self-absorbed. God is the only help in this case. We should ask ourselves, are we closer to God, more trusting of Him, more reflective of Christ now than we were the first of March--one, because of Lent, but two, and mostly, because of the testing of our faith, courage, love, hope, peace, and patience during the social isolation?

Citing Elizabeth Shively in Christianity Today : "At his last Passover, Jesus sealed the new covenant with his own sacrificial blood. He presided over the table with his disciples and retold the old, old story, but with a new twist. Holding the bread and the drink, he recited Exodus 24:8 to make sense of his pending death: “this is my body … this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many” (Mark 14:22, 24). Matthew includes “for the forgiveness of sins” (26:28) and Luke “this is the new covenant in my blood” (22:20). Jesus himself became the sacrifice on whom his disciples feasted, the shared meal a physical mediation of God’s new redemption (John 6:53–54). His explanation of the Passover ritual infused his actions with new meaning and the power to transform sinners into a community of saints. Yet this Last Supper is ultimately realized in another meal. Jesus anticipated a great banquet where he will eat and drink with his followers anew—after his death an...

38  After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39  Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus [ e ] by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds [ f ] in weight. 40  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41  Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

31  Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33  But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34  But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35  He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36  For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37  And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” V. 37 cites Zechariah, a verse John also uses in Revelation. It is both a curse and a promise o...

but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29  A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30  When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

So they took Jesus, 17  and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18  There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19  Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20  Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21  So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22  Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. [ d ] But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24  so they sa...

I recently listened to Brene Brown's new podcast, Unlocking Us. Interesting enough.She had a structure and made some good points about dealing with change. But she struck me as a secular, potty-mouthed Beth Moore. They both talk about their hair. They both talk about themselves a lot. They both use a lot of emotional appeals but do delve into the objective--for Brown, psychological research (or so she said; I'd have to read her books to see how much she does) and Beth Moore, scripture (she can be an excellent teacher when she focuses). Both are funny and engaging. And both are from Texas, Houston to be exact, which probably has a lot to do with it.

12  From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13  So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic [ b ] Gabbatha. 14  Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. [ c ] He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15  They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16  So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. I have written at length elsewhere about John the Apostle's love-hate relationship with his own people. "The Jews" is problematic in John, meaning any number of groups, but usually the leaders who oversaw his friend's execution. Most people would not have fond memorie...

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Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2  And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3  They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4  Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6  When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7  The Jews [ a ] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8  When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9  He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave...

33  So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34  Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35  Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37  Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39  But you have a custom ...

The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20  Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21  Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22  When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23  Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24  Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest......   Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. [ f ] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29  So Pilate went outside to them and...