Today’s Readings: Psalm 22; Isaiah 52:13-15; John 18:1-19:42; Hebrews 10:16-25
Featured Reading: John 18:1-19:42
Every once in a while, my partner Mike and I find time to get our two Italian Greyhounds out to what’s called a play date. A play date is a gathering of other Italian Greyhounds (and their owners) for a time of fun and fellowship. The play dates usually occur in a kennel or boarding house where there is plenty of room for the dogs to run around. There are usually between 20-30 Italian Greyhounds running around. The very first time we went, I wondered how on earth we would be able to tell the dogs apart from each other since members of the breed look a great deal alike. I also wondered how we would get the dogs to respond to our commands since the breed is notoriously hyperactive and prone to what we human beings would label ADD (meaning their attention span is all of about 2 seconds). When we gathered together, however, my fears were immediately laid to rest - for while our dogs did look similar to some of the other dogs, it was easy to tell our two apart from the others. It was also easy to command our dogs’ attention because they were strongly tuned into our voices. Having spent day after day, month after month, and year after year together; the dogs not only recognized our voices but came when called. What a rush! I was reminded of this experience by today’s Gospel reading – for in the passage, the author quotes Jesus as saying: “I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice” (John 18:37 from The Message). Those words make a great deal of sense for me – for if we spend day after day, month after month, and year after year in the presence of Christ, we are undoubtedly going to grow in our ability to recognize and follow that voice: even if it takes us to our own version of the cross on days like this Good Friday. While you might have many voices in your life clamoring for your attention, I would invite you to spend precious moments each day listening for the voice of God as revealed in Jesus. The more time you spend listening for that voice – the more likely you will be to recognize it: especially at those critical moments of your life when you so desperately need to hear it. Til next time…
Featured Reading: John 18:1-19:42
Every once in a while, my partner Mike and I find time to get our two Italian Greyhounds out to what’s called a play date. A play date is a gathering of other Italian Greyhounds (and their owners) for a time of fun and fellowship. The play dates usually occur in a kennel or boarding house where there is plenty of room for the dogs to run around. There are usually between 20-30 Italian Greyhounds running around. The very first time we went, I wondered how on earth we would be able to tell the dogs apart from each other since members of the breed look a great deal alike. I also wondered how we would get the dogs to respond to our commands since the breed is notoriously hyperactive and prone to what we human beings would label ADD (meaning their attention span is all of about 2 seconds). When we gathered together, however, my fears were immediately laid to rest - for while our dogs did look similar to some of the other dogs, it was easy to tell our two apart from the others. It was also easy to command our dogs’ attention because they were strongly tuned into our voices. Having spent day after day, month after month, and year after year together; the dogs not only recognized our voices but came when called. What a rush! I was reminded of this experience by today’s Gospel reading – for in the passage, the author quotes Jesus as saying: “I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice” (John 18:37 from The Message). Those words make a great deal of sense for me – for if we spend day after day, month after month, and year after year in the presence of Christ, we are undoubtedly going to grow in our ability to recognize and follow that voice: even if it takes us to our own version of the cross on days like this Good Friday. While you might have many voices in your life clamoring for your attention, I would invite you to spend precious moments each day listening for the voice of God as revealed in Jesus. The more time you spend listening for that voice – the more likely you will be to recognize it: especially at those critical moments of your life when you so desperately need to hear it. Til next time…
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