Mail Archive of the old Santa Clara Valley Lutheran Parish

I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brethren. (Thessalonians 5:27)
Subject: Re: a personal meditation.
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:23:09 +0000 (UTC)
From: pastor-anne <pastor-anne@comcast.net>
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Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:23:09 +0000 (UTC)
From: pastor-anne <pastor-anne@comcast.net>
To: scvlp@googlegroups.com
Message-ID: <1196784030.1484851.1290266589096.JavaMail.root@sz0081a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net>
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Subject: Re: a personal meditation.
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Thank you David for using us as your listeners.=C2=A0 You therapy is most p=
owerful.=20

I would be honored if you wanted to practice your therapy every week for us=
.=C2=A0 You devotions add so much richness to our lives.=20



Blessings,=20

Anne=20


----- Original Message -----=20
From: "David Bonde" <pastorbonde@gmail.com>=20
To: "SCVLP" <scvlp@googlegroups.com>=20
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 10:00:50 PM=20
Subject: a personal meditation.=20

It's not my turn for a devotion. =C2=A0But sometimes writing is my therapy.=
=20

David Bonde=20

As I laid my hand on her forehead it was cold, colder than any body I=20
had touched before. =C2=A0She was curled up beneath the comforter in a=20
large bed in her spacious bedroom. =C2=A0At first glance you wouldn=E2=80=
=99t have=20
noticed she was there.=20

She had left an open jar of jam on the counter in the kitchen;=20
something she would never have done. =C2=A0Their guess is that she had=20
started to make herself a piece of toast on Sunday morning, felt ill,=20
and gone up to lie down for a moment.=20

It was Monday morning when a worried friend called her son and they=20
found her.=20

=E2=80=9CWhat then shall we say to these things?=E2=80=9D=20

The scripture is full of tears. =C2=A0Job cries out in grief, unable to=20
comprehend his loss. =C2=A0David cries out in guilt and grief when his=20
crime against Uriah is revealed. =C2=A0He turns his head to the wall unable=
=20
to eat when the child of that illicit union gets sick. =C2=A0The people cry=
=20
out in from their bondage in Egypt, when pharaoh gives the order to=20
throw their sons into the sea.=20

The widow of Nain weeps for her son. =C2=A0Mary and Martha weep for their=
=20
brother. =C2=A0The women at the cross stand by weeping. =C2=A0Jesus weeps f=
or=20
Jerusalem. =C2=A0Jesus weeps at the grave of Lazareth. =C2=A0The scripture =
is=20
full of tears.=20

And woven through the scriptures is the message that God did not=20
create us for sorrow; that a day will come when there are no more=20
tears.=20

It is hard to believe.=20

Make no mistake; this faith we have, this trust in that biblical word,=20
is not a simple thing.=20

In the hands of some Americans the scripture becomes a promise of=20
success. =C2=A0Give your life to God and God will guide all things.=20

We do confess that God guides all things. =C2=A0God calls forth the earth=
=20
in the beginning. =C2=A0God summons Abraham to follow and promises him a=20
future. =C2=A0God wrestles with Isaac. =C2=A0God guides the way of Joseph. =
=C2=A0God=20
calls Moses at the burning bush and sends him to pharaoh with a=20
command to set free his slaves.=20

God leads them through the wilderness, providing food from heaven.=20
God guides Joshua, raises up Saul and David, God tears the kingdom of=20
Solomon in half. =C2=A0God raises up and throws down kings through the=20
words of the prophets. =C2=A0God warns the people of the consequences of=20
the path they travel, and yet God hands Babylon over to Cyrus and=20
brings the people home.=20

God guides. =C2=A0God guides the affairs of nations and of individuals.=20
But the journey is a complicated journey, designed to form a people of=20
grace, freedom and life, not a people of wealth, power and success.=20

And there is one last door to pass through on the journey into life.=20
One final death to self and rising to newness of life. =C2=A0It=E2=80=99s t=
he door=20
none of us wants to try. =C2=A0It is a journey we don=E2=80=99t want any of=
 our=20
loved ones to travel.=20

There are lots of tears in the Bible. =C2=A0There is certainly joy, too. =
=C2=A0A=20
rich celebration of the goodness of creation. =C2=A0Joyful songs of delight=
=20
in married love. =C2=A0Laughter and dancing. =C2=A0Quiet amazement at the w=
onder=20
of life. =C2=A0But then there are tears and ache and regret and that great=
=20
emptiness in the heart. =C2=A0How can it be that the one who smiled on us=
=20
yesterday is now cold and no more?=20

Where is my brother? =C2=A0Where is my daughter? =C2=A0Where is Rebecca and=
=20
Clarence and the hundreds of funerals I have done between them?=20
Pieces of your life ripped away. =C2=A0Wounds that never quite heal.=20

When we walk that shaky ground where the light is dim and one side=20
slips away into despair and the other into unbelief, there we hear the=20
cry =E2=80=9Celoi, eloi, lema sabachthani,=E2=80=9D there we here the darin=
g whisper,=20
=E2=80=9CInto your hands I commend my spirit,=E2=80=9D there we hear the bo=
ld=20
declaration, =E2=80=9CIt is accomplished,=E2=80=9D there we hear the watchf=
ul=20
centurion confess =E2=80=9CTruly this was the son of God,=E2=80=9D there we=
 are=20
invited to walk the dark path with nothing but the promise that the=20
grave cannot hold him.=20

So today I stood by and watched Martha=E2=80=99s body go down into the grav=
e.=20
Watched as the workers packed up the chairs and tent and wheeled them=20
away, watched as they brought in the front loader and let down the lid=20
of the vault, watched as they struggled to start the tractor engine=20
and dump the dirt down into the hole. =C2=A0Like every other time I have=20
watched. =C2=A0And now we await the mystery.=20

--=20
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "=
SCVLP" group.=20
To post to this group, send email to scvlp@googlegroups.com.=20
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to scvlp+unsubscribe@googlegroup=
s.com.=20
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/scvlp?=
hl=3Den.=20


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<html><head><style type=3D'text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><=
div style=3D'font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'><P>Thank =
you David for using us as your listeners.&nbsp; You therapy is most powerfu=
l.</P>
<P>I would be honored if you wanted to practice your therapy every week for=
 us.&nbsp; You devotions add so much richness to our lives.</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>Blessings,</P>
<P>Anne</P>
<P><BR>----- Original Message -----<BR>From: "David Bonde" &lt;pastorbonde@=
gmail.com&gt;<BR>To: "SCVLP" &lt;scvlp@googlegroups.com&gt;<BR>Sent: Friday=
, November 19, 2010 10:00:50 PM<BR>Subject: a personal meditation.<BR><BR>I=
t's not my turn for a devotion. &nbsp;But sometimes writing is my therapy.<=
BR><BR>David Bonde<BR><BR>As I laid my hand on her forehead it was cold, co=
lder than any body I<BR>had touched before. &nbsp;She was curled up beneath=
 the comforter in a<BR>large bed in her spacious bedroom. &nbsp;At first gl=
ance you wouldn=E2=80=99t have<BR>noticed she was there.<BR><BR>She had lef=
t an open jar of jam on the counter in the kitchen;<BR>something she would =
never have done. &nbsp;Their guess is that she had<BR>started to make herse=
lf a piece of toast on Sunday morning, felt ill,<BR>and gone up to lie down=
 for a moment.<BR><BR>It was Monday morning when a worried friend called he=
r son and they<BR>found her.<BR><BR>=E2=80=9CWhat then shall we say to thes=
e things?=E2=80=9D<BR><BR>The scripture is full of tears. &nbsp;Job cries o=
ut in grief, unable to<BR>comprehend his loss. &nbsp;David cries out in gui=
lt and grief when his<BR>crime against Uriah is revealed. &nbsp;He turns hi=
s head to the wall unable<BR>to eat when the child of that illicit union ge=
ts sick. &nbsp;The people cry<BR>out in from their bondage in Egypt, when p=
haraoh gives the order to<BR>throw their sons into the sea.<BR><BR>The wido=
w of Nain weeps for her son. &nbsp;Mary and Martha weep for their<BR>brothe=
r. &nbsp;The women at the cross stand by weeping. &nbsp;Jesus weeps for<BR>=
Jerusalem. &nbsp;Jesus weeps at the grave of Lazareth. &nbsp;The scripture =
is<BR>full of tears.<BR><BR>And woven through the scriptures is the message=
 that God did not<BR>create us for sorrow; that a day will come when there =
are no more<BR>tears.<BR><BR>It is hard to believe.<BR><BR>Make no mistake;=
 this faith we have, this trust in that biblical word,<BR>is not a simple t=
hing.<BR><BR>In the hands of some Americans the scripture becomes a promise=
 of<BR>success. &nbsp;Give your life to God and God will guide all things.<=
BR><BR>We do confess that God guides all things. &nbsp;God calls forth the =
earth<BR>in the beginning. &nbsp;God summons Abraham to follow and promises=
 him a<BR>future. &nbsp;God wrestles with Isaac. &nbsp;God guides the way o=
f Joseph. &nbsp;God<BR>calls Moses at the burning bush and sends him to pha=
raoh with a<BR>command to set free his slaves.<BR><BR>God leads them throug=
h the wilderness, providing food from heaven.<BR>God guides Joshua, raises =
up Saul and David, God tears the kingdom of<BR>Solomon in half. &nbsp;God r=
aises up and throws down kings through the<BR>words of the prophets. &nbsp;=
God warns the people of the consequences of<BR>the path they travel, and ye=
t God hands Babylon over to Cyrus and<BR>brings the people home.<BR><BR>God=
 guides. &nbsp;God guides the affairs of nations and of individuals.<BR>But=
 the journey is a complicated journey, designed to form a people of<BR>grac=
e, freedom and life, not a people of wealth, power and success.<BR><BR>And =
there is one last door to pass through on the journey into life.<BR>One fin=
al death to self and rising to newness of life. &nbsp;It=E2=80=99s the door=
<BR>none of us wants to try. &nbsp;It is a journey we don=E2=80=99t want an=
y of our<BR>loved ones to travel.<BR><BR>There are lots of tears in the Bib=
le. &nbsp;There is certainly joy, too. &nbsp;A<BR>rich celebration of the g=
oodness of creation. &nbsp;Joyful songs of delight<BR>in married love. &nbs=
p;Laughter and dancing. &nbsp;Quiet amazement at the wonder<BR>of life. &nb=
sp;But then there are tears and ache and regret and that great<BR>emptiness=
 in the heart. &nbsp;How can it be that the one who smiled on us<BR>yesterd=
ay is now cold and no more?<BR><BR>Where is my brother? &nbsp;Where is my d=
aughter? &nbsp;Where is Rebecca and<BR>Clarence and the hundreds of funeral=
s I have done between them?<BR>Pieces of your life ripped away. &nbsp;Wound=
s that never quite heal.<BR><BR>When we walk that shaky ground where the li=
ght is dim and one side<BR>slips away into despair and the other into unbel=
ief, there we hear the<BR>cry =E2=80=9Celoi, eloi, lema sabachthani,=E2=80=
=9D there we here the daring whisper,<BR>=E2=80=9CInto your hands I commend=
 my spirit,=E2=80=9D there we hear the bold<BR>declaration, =E2=80=9CIt is =
accomplished,=E2=80=9D there we hear the watchful<BR>centurion confess =E2=
=80=9CTruly this was the son of God,=E2=80=9D there we are<BR>invited to wa=
lk the dark path with nothing but the promise that the<BR>grave cannot hold=
 him.<BR><BR>So today I stood by and watched Martha=E2=80=99s body go down =
into the grave.<BR>Watched as the workers packed up the chairs and tent and=
 wheeled them<BR>away, watched as they brought in the front loader and let =
down the lid<BR>of the vault, watched as they struggled to start the tracto=
r engine<BR>and dump the dirt down into the hole. &nbsp;Like every other ti=
me I have<BR>watched. &nbsp;And now we await the mystery.<BR><BR>-- <BR>You=
 received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SCV=
LP" group.<BR>To post to this group, send email to scvlp@googlegroups.com.<=
BR>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to scvlp+unsubscribe@googlegr=
oups.com.<BR>For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com=
/group/scvlp?hl=3Den.<BR><BR></P></div></body></html>
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