Friday, April 14, 2006

Good Morning

 

Remember that this week we will three worship services -- our two regular services at 8:45A and 11A, and a sunrise service at 6A.  There will be breakfast served after the 6A service.

 

Today is Good Friday, and is the day that Christ was crucified. More information about Good Friday is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 7:15, pages 39 - 41, stopping at "The Bliss of the Blessed"

 

-- a long passage in Barclay to make two short points

 

-- one is the subtle way that John makes the point that heaven is going to be open to all, it is for all -- the universality of salvation and service to God.  At the time John wrote this, that was a hard thing still for a lot of Jews to accept.

 

-- the other is the idea of God dwelling with these saints, or as is expressed in my translation, that he will spread his tent over them.  Again, in the midst of all this craziness in Revelation, we come across a passage of great hope and encouragement and victory.  It is often lost in the overall tone of the book, but again, a full reading of the book like we are doing helps us to find these nuggets of hope.

 

Today's Scripture (this week, passages from Luke about the Easter story)

 

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."  When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Luke 23:44-46

Today's prayer requests:   Those who are unchurched.

There are going to be a lot of people who attend church services this week who only attend once or twice a year on days such as Easter.  We need to pray for them, that they might find a reason to break that habit and to make a committment to more regular attendance and a more regular relationship with God.

Today's class member prayer:

Nicole McKinney

Jay