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: July 13 Devotion
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:20:06 -0700
From: Bob McKee <pastor.mckee@gmail.com>
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Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:20:06 -0700
Message-ID: <AANLkTin-lZBirzaJm0tZ3NZ8V68-BuYprUmZp-aFxBE_@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: July 13 Devotion
From: Bob McKee <pastor.mckee@gmail.com>
To: scvlp@googlegroups.com
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David,
Thanks for the encouraging word! We thank God for an eternal, not a
fleeting, hope! Blessings on your week.
In Jesus,
Bob

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 10:55 PM, David Bonde <pastorbonde@gmail.com> wrote=
:

> =93Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here,
> when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
> and those who hear will live.=94
> (NRS John 5:25)
>
> John does not give us the name of the paralyzed man who lies at the
> pool of Bethesda.  This is not a story about one specific person, this
> is also a story about all of us.
>
> We have water in our homes.  We do not have to go to a public pool to
> get water for cooking and cleaning; it is always at hand.  Safe.
> Potable.  Abundant even here despite the droughts: we may not wash our
> cars, but we can always wash our hands.
>
> Water is work for most human beings.  And the place where water is
> gathered is a public place.  So it makes perfect sense that the lame
> would lay there hoping for the kindness of strangers.
>
> But this particular pool in Jerusalem is not just about the kindness
> of strangers; it is a place where people hope for the kindness of God.
>
> Every now and then ripples fan out across the waters of this pool.
> Jerusalem is an earthquake zone like ours, but where we would assume
> some minor tremor has stirred the water, they saw the hand of the
> divine.  For a moment, for a brief shining moment, those waters
> quivered with the power of the transcendent.  For a flash in time,
> heaven had touched earth, and all the radiant glory and power of
> heaven was there to be received.  For a brief moment the door was
> opened to healing.
>
> But it is a thin hope: it is healing only for one, only for the first
> =96 healing for the quick and the strong or those with a team to help
> them.  For the man Jesus meets mercy always happens to someone else.
> He has lost hope.  He has lost faith in the possibility that he might
> know heaven=92s touch, that he might find new life.
>
> This is the danger of grief and guilt and shame and all life=92s
> misfortune =96 that we might lose faith in the possibility that we might
> know heaven=92s touch.
>
> But we are witnesses to the empty tomb.
>
> Hope is not ephemeral.  It is not the morning dew.  It is carved out
> of rock and has no door.
>
> Hope is not built on sand; it does not depend upon us.  It is not the
> fruit of our strength or skill, our ability to think positively, our
> ability to negotiate the trials of life.  Hope is not built on our
> plans and preparations but the discarded grave cloths on that empty
> rock bench.
>
> And hope is not the privilege of the few. The five loaves fed 5,000.
> The wine at Cana lightened the hearts of all.  The mercy of God is
> scattered abundantly without regard for what may fall upon the path or
> get eaten by birds.  The open tomb bespeaks a prodigal God.
>
> Before us stands the Son, crucified and risen.  Before all who live in
> death=92s shadow he stands.  And he speaks. And those who hear are
> grasped by that life which never perishes.
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "SCVLP" group.
> To post to this group, send email to scvlp@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> scvlp+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com <scvlp%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups.com>=
.
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/scvlp?hl=3Den.
>
>

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David,<div>Thanks for the encouraging word! We thank God for an eternal, no=
t a fleeting, hope! Blessings on your week.</div><div>In Jesus,</div><div>B=
ob<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 10:55 PM, Davi=
d Bonde <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:pastorbonde@gmail.com">past=
orbonde@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">=93Very truly, I tell you, the hour is comi=
ng, and is now here,<br>
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,<br>
and those who hear will live.=94<br>
(NRS John 5:25)<br>
<br>
John does not give us the name of the paralyzed man who lies at the<br>
pool of Bethesda. =A0This is not a story about one specific person, this<br=
>
is also a story about all of us.<br>
<br>
We have water in our homes. =A0We do not have to go to a public pool to<br>
get water for cooking and cleaning; it is always at hand. =A0Safe.<br>
Potable. =A0Abundant even here despite the droughts: we may not wash our<br=
>
cars, but we can always wash our hands.<br>
<br>
Water is work for most human beings. =A0And the place where water is<br>
gathered is a public place. =A0So it makes perfect sense that the lame<br>
would lay there hoping for the kindness of strangers.<br>
<br>
But this particular pool in Jerusalem is not just about the kindness<br>
of strangers; it is a place where people hope for the kindness of God.<br>
<br>
Every now and then ripples fan out across the waters of this pool.<br>
Jerusalem is an earthquake zone like ours, but where we would assume<br>
some minor tremor has stirred the water, they saw the hand of the<br>
divine. =A0For a moment, for a brief shining moment, those waters<br>
quivered with the power of the transcendent. =A0For a flash in time,<br>
heaven had touched earth, and all the radiant glory and power of<br>
heaven was there to be received. =A0For a brief moment the door was<br>
opened to healing.<br>
<br>
But it is a thin hope: it is healing only for one, only for the first<br>
=96 healing for the quick and the strong or those with a team to help<br>
them. =A0For the man Jesus meets mercy always happens to someone else.<br>
He has lost hope. =A0He has lost faith in the possibility that he might<br>
know heaven=92s touch, that he might find new life.<br>
<br>
This is the danger of grief and guilt and shame and all life=92s<br>
misfortune =96 that we might lose faith in the possibility that we might<br=
>
know heaven=92s touch.<br>
<br>
But we are witnesses to the empty tomb.<br>
<br>
Hope is not ephemeral. =A0It is not the morning dew. =A0It is carved out<br=
>
of rock and has no door.<br>
<br>
Hope is not built on sand; it does not depend upon us. =A0It is not the<br>
fruit of our strength or skill, our ability to think positively, our<br>
ability to negotiate the trials of life. =A0Hope is not built on our<br>
plans and preparations but the discarded grave cloths on that empty<br>
rock bench.<br>
<br>
And hope is not the privilege of the few. The five loaves fed 5,000.<br>
The wine at Cana lightened the hearts of all. =A0The mercy of God is<br>
scattered abundantly without regard for what may fall upon the path or<br>
get eaten by birds. =A0The open tomb bespeaks a prodigal God.<br>
<br>
Before us stands the Son, crucified and risen. =A0Before all who live in<br=
>
death=92s shadow he stands. =A0And he speaks. And those who hear are<br>
grasped by that life which never perishes.<br>
<font color=3D"#888888"><br>
--<br>
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups &=
quot;SCVLP&quot; group.<br>
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ubscribe@googlegroups.com">scvlp+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com</a>.<br>
For more options, visit this group at <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/g=
roup/scvlp?hl=3Den" target=3D"_blank">http://groups.google.com/group/scvlp?=
hl=3Den</a>.<br>
<br>
</font></blockquote></div><br></div>

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