Holy Saturday March 26

One Hour - Mark 14:37 (NIV)

 "Then [Jesus] returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?"

I have lunch with the elders of our community on a weekly basis.  On this particular day, I sat near an elder who began to admit his shortcomings to me.  He knew the Law of God quite well, and in a way, he had been and still was convicted by it. 

For the last few days, news feed have been inundated with stories of Lexi Page, the little girl who was taken from her foster parents home after 4 years to be returned to her Choctaw family. Stories from the foster parents are everywhere, many claiming she's being moved because she's native, but there are far fewer stories explaining the Native side.

As with everything, it's always best to know both sides of the story before making a decision.

Good Friday March 25

The Thief on the Cross - Luke 23:43 (NIV)

"…Today you will be with me in paradise.”

People respond to the sufferings they endure in life in different ways.

Some blame, even curse God for their circumstances much like the unrepentant thief. Others, like the repentant criminal, acknowledge that they are sinners deserving of their fate and look to Jesus for forgiveness. We see this in the way the repentant thief acknowledged to his partner in crime, “We deserve what we are getting.” Those who would be saved know they are sinners in need of God’s grace.

Amid machines with flashing lights and rhythmic beeping, Deacon Tom (Ioway) and Deaconess Cathy (Cherokee) Benzler sit hand in hand with a Native elder of one of the many Olympic Peninsula tribes with whom they serve. Though nurses come in and out, checking numbers and fixing tubes, the atmosphere of the room is peaceful. This man, a close friend of the Benzlers and a regular at their home Bible Study, is secure in his salvation and determined to face his final days with courage and faith, which he hopes will draw his family members and community nearer to Christ - family and friends who come in large groups to be with him, hear his stories, and soak up his wisdom.

Wednesday March 23

Still “Thee Light House” - Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

“The Lord is My Light and my salvation --- whom shall I fear?”

High above Lake Superior at almost ten thousand feet the view was spectacular.  Far below we could see a big freighter pushing its way toward the harbor at Duluth.  We had just circled the Apostle Islands at lower altitudes and were in wonder of God's beauty.