From Brother Mike: 

I got this art print a few years ago at a church rummage sale. I do not know the artist or the age of this framed print. If I had to guess, I would say it is about as old as I am.

This is Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he gave his life in atonement for our sins. In the right background are Peter, James, and John, unable to stay awake to watch and pray – their spirits are willing but their bodies are weak. (The second photo is of my friend Steve kneeling and praying where Jesus knelt and prayed.)

I had been watching for a piece like this ever since I returned from my trip to Israel in 2015, because my visit to the Garden of Gethsemane had been so meaningful. The first devotional that I wrote for "The Upper Room" was about my experience at Gethsemane:
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It had been a long, cold, and wet day of touring in Israel. We were jostled by the crowds at the Church of the Nativity. We shivered in the cold and looked for shelter from the wind in a shepherd’s field east of Bethlehem. We climbed a steep and muddy hill to see Herod’s fortress of Herodion. And now we navigated Jerusalem’s rush hour traffic to arrive at the Mount of Olives and visit the Garden of Gethsemane.

As I knelt and prayed with my hand on the rock where Jesus had knelt and prayed, my mind went back to Nazareth, where we had been the day before. For the first time I realized how much Jesus is like his mother, Mary. We often think of how much Jesus is like his father, God. But in this moment I felt the power of the prayer that Jesus and Mary had prayed 50 miles and 30 years apart: “Lord God, I will do whatever you want me to do.”

Mary and Jesus did not want to do what God asked of them, but they did it anyway. God asks us to give ourselves sacrificially and we often lack the “want to.” It helps me to be in communion with others who share this struggle, and it brings me comfort to know that Jesus was following the example of his mother that night in Gethsemane.
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And here we are again doing what we have to do – not what we want to do.

Lord, give us the strength we need to do what we must do and, if it is possible, help us to have a good attitude in the midst of hardship. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be well,
Brother Mike

✝️ 
From Brother Mike:  I acquired this oil painting on papyrus in Cairo, Egypt in 2015. I bought the frame and matting from Hobby Lobby when I returned home. This piece hangs over my home altar.

I had a bit of trouble finding the right frame and matting, so I asked one of the sales people for some help. Neither one of us thought this combination would work because of the rough texture of the papyrus and the rough texture of the burlap matting. But you can see, they work really well with each other. I can see now that the color and the texture of the matting ... and the color and texture of the halos are a good complement.

Speaking of halos, have you noticed that one character is missing his halo? Who would that be? At the left hand of Jesus is Judas. It is important to note, that even though Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him, he still included Judas in the first Holy Communion. God’s grace was still available to Judas, even at that late hour. This, along with the story of the thief on the cross, should remind us that it is never too late to turn back to God.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all describe this as the Passover Meal of Jesus and his disciples. The Passover lambs were slaughtered during the day on Thursday, and then, that evening, people all over and around Jerusalem celebrated the Passover Meal. This is a ritual that observant Jews still practice today.

When the meal was over Jesus, started something new and different.

He lifted up the bread and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat this. This is my body which is broken for you.”

Then Jesus lifted up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples and said; “Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood which is poured out for many people and with it God makes his agreement with you.”

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

What a humble beginning to a sacrament that has blessed the lives of billions of people. It is hard to believe that we will celebrate Easter Sunday without Holy Communion this year ...  but the outward act of communion is only an ensign of an inward and spiritual grace, which will be even stronger this year because we must be apart.

Be faithful, my friends! Brother Mike

From Brother Mike: 

This is an olive wood carving I bought in Bethlehem back in 2015. Jesus is trying to wash Peter’s feet, but Peter is objecting (notice his left hand). This piece is in my den, on top of a small bookshelf, just below my Aggie diploma.

In some Protestant denominations Footwashing, along with Baptism and Holy Communion, is considered one of the Sacraments, acts of devotion, inclusion, and obedience, and means of grace.

A means of grace is anything through which the unearned love of God is received by a human being (or any creature – but I am only writing to human beings). A sunset can be a means of grace. A smile, a story, a joke, your children ... even a virus could be a means of grace, if that is what God wants it to be and we are able to receive it. But there are things which the Church has found to be the usual or ordinary means of grace: Bible study, prayer, worship, baptism, marriage, forgiveness and healing, and communion.

Obedience comes when we understand who God is and who we are. This understanding leads to the inevitable conclusion that it makes sense for us to obey God. In our Scriptures Jesus gives us direct commands to wash each other’s feet, baptize into the fellowship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of Jesus himself.

These are acts of inclusion, because they draw others into our group of believers, as well as binding believers from all over the world into acts of common practice. They help us to become a family – the family of God.

These are acts of devotion because they remind us of who we are – we are the sons and daughters of the living God! These acts increase our faith, strengthen our hope, and spread our love – which is just what our world needs today!

Tune in for our Maundy Thursday Worship Service to hear more about footwashing.

​Blessings,
Brother Mike

From Brother Mike: 

This artwork was inspired by the song, 'Jesus Messiah.' The words are the chorus from that song.

This piece was a gift from a young man in the church I served in Naples, Texas. His name is Sam and Sam was about five years old when I arrived in Naples. He had already lost his little brother to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and had become a deep thinker and a thoughtful young man. He liked our family immediately because we had a son named Sam too. Our Sam was 13 and they were both quite gregarious. Sam gave us this artwork when we moved from Naples eight years later.

Our Scripture for today are some of Jesus’ teachings in the week he gave himself on the cross. Jesus showed in all that he did and in all that he said that he is the Messiah, the Chosen One of God.

Here are all the words of the song:
'He became sin, who knew no sin
That we might become His righteousness
He humbled himself and carried the cross
Love so amazing, love so amazing
Jesus Messiah, name above all names
Blessed redeemer, Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners, the ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all
His body the bread, his blood the wine
Broken and poured out all for love
The whole earth trembled, and the veil was torn
Love so amazing, love so amazing, yeah
Jesus Messiah, name above all names
Blessed redeemer, Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners, the ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all
All our hope is in You, all our hope is in You
All the glory to You, God, the light of the world
Jesus Messiah, name above all names
Blessed redeemer, Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners, the ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all
You're the Lord of all
The Lord of all'

​Songwriters: Chris Tomlin / Daniel Carson / Ed Cash / Jesse Reeves

From Brother Mike: 

Here is “The Risen Christ by the Sea,” Jack Jewell’s painting of a joyful, triumphant Risen Christ surprising his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. Jewell, a seascape artist, painted it at the suggestion of a New York Fire Department chaplain who was the successor of the FDNY chaplain who was killed in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

This print is available through the folks who publish The Joyful Noiseletter, which is a bi-monthly newsletter promoting the joy and wholeness of being a follower of Jesus. I have this print in my bedroom, another print the same size in my office, a large poster-sized print hung high in my living room, and a small business-card sized print on one of my end tables next to my couch. I like this image.

I imagine that this was how Jesus looked as he rode the donkey into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. (Actually, the term “Palm” Sunday is a bit of a misnomer in that only the Gospel of John mentions palm branches. Matthew and Mark say that people put down clothes and branches. Luke says that people put down their cloaks in front of Jesus.) But, whatever they waved or laid down as Jesus processed into Jerusalem, I think he embraced the joyful celebration.

You and I need to remember the JOY of our salvation as well. Jesus has not released us from our sins and our fears to live lives of gloom and doom. He has, as our communion liturgy says, freed us for joyful obedience.

Here’s a little joyful joke from The Joyful Noiseletter: Did you know that Moses was the first person to download data to a tablet from the cloud?

​Smile! God loves you! And it never hurts to have friends in high places.

I picked up these two icons in my travels. The image of the Holy Family was created in Bethlehem and the image of Demetreus of Thessaloniki is from Greece.

Icons seem a bit odd to us Westerners. When someone like me buys an icon, we usually do it because we like the artwork. We do not understand what it means to “venerate” an icon. I think that the best way for me to explain how the Orthodox think about icons, is to compare it with how you and I might feel about a Bible. First of all, notice that I capitalize the word “Bible.” That sets it apart from a dictionary or an encyclopedia. Secondly, I would ask, “How do you feel about throwing a Bible away in the garbage?” For the Orthodox these icons are more than just artwork ... they are the stories they represent. Icons don’t just remind the faithful of the story they represent they are an embodiment of that person, that story – they evoke a visceral response. So, I hang these icons in a place of honor in my home.

For me, they represent two very special trips I have taken, to two very special places. The first was my trip to Israel. I have many wonderful photos from that trip, and I bought several pieces of artwork as well. But it only seemed right, to purchase an icon of The Holy Family – Mary, Joseph, and Jesus - when I was in Bethlehem. It is now one of several Nativities that are displayed in my home year-round.

The second is from my trip to Greece. Our first two nights in Greece were spent in Thessaloniki (Biblical Thessalonica). My son James and I spent a wonderful evening walking along the seawall in Thessaloniki and then enjoying dinner watching the sun set over the bay. We also toured the church that was named Aghios Dimitrios. So, when I saw this icon of Demetreus of Thessaloniki I wanted to have it.

Demetreus was a Roman born in Thessaloniki in 280 AD to Christian parents who were part of the Roman ruling class. Demetreus became a soldier and then proconsul of Thessaloniki. In 306 AD, he was killed for his faith in Christ during the persecutions of Galerian. In this icon Demetreus is depicted subduing the gladiator Lyaeus, who had killed many Christians.

In our Scripture passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us that these bodies we have - and this life that we lead - are just “images” or “icons” of the much greater reality that will be. Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life!

​Thanks be to God!
Amen.

​Daily Devotion from Brother Mike:

This piece always hangs over our front door, inside the house.

I cannot remember when, where, how, or from whom we got this piece, but it serves well as a benediction for our guests who leave through our front door.

This is the beginning of the Aaronic Blessing found in chapter 6 of Numbers. This is the blessing that Aaron and his sons and the priests that followed them would give to the people of Israel. I learned these verses as the UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship) Benediction:

"May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace,
both now and forever more."

This is a beautiful blessing that I have used many times for weddings and for funerals. The imagery is outstanding:
"May the Lord make his face shine upon you." (What would it feel like to have God’s face shining on you? This makes me think of John vision of The New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:23 – “The city did not need the sun or the moon for the glory of God was its light and the Lamb was its lamp.”)

"May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you." Translation:  May the Lord look at you face to face. (God is going to look us straight, eye to eye, and we are going to see the love in God’s eyes and the joy on God’s face. And we'll know that God thinks of us as God’s own dear, sweet child. This will, of course, give us peace – the now and forever kind of peace.)

So, the next time you come over to my house and you are about to leave, look up and receive this blessing:
"May the Lord bless you and keep you ..."

Brother Mike

​Daily Devotion from Brother Mike: 

This is the smaller of two pieces I bought in Bethlehem at the Nissan Brothers’ Bethlehem New Store in 2015. This is hand-carved olive wood. (The Nissan Brothers are Palestinian Christians who also have a kiosk in the Katy Mills Mall.)

 In the Bethlehem store, and I assume also at the kiosk, you can choose pieces with more or less detail of carving. This, of course, depends upon the skill of the carver. Those who can carve with more detail get a higher price for their products.  Likewise, larger carving cost more than smaller carvings. This is a smaller carving with a medium amount of detail.

Carving wood takes a lot of skill, patience, and flexibility. The ability to pick a good piece of wood is a primary skill. Not all wood and not all pieces are suitable for carving. Once you have picked a piece of wood and begun carving you need the flexibility to change what you are carving depending on what you find inside the wood. Patience plays a major role in the amount of detail the artist is trying to achieve.

My interpretation of this piece is that this is Jesus, on the right, sitting in the back of the boat watching two brothers, either Peter and Andrew or James and John, haul in a net.  The passage from Luke 5, that you just read, comes closest to describing this scene, though only Jesus and Peter are mentioned by name. 

So then, if this carving illustrates what is going on in Luke 5:1-11, then this is Peter and Andrew hauling in such a large catch of fish that their nets are beginning to tear. They are going to signal their partners, James and John, to come help get the fish into their boats. It turns out that the fish fill up both boats to the point of almost sinking them.

Or . . . this is Jesus watching you and I fish for people.

We are supposed to be doing that, right? fishing for people? spreading the good news of Jesus Christ? Have you ever thought of yourself as being in the same boat as Jesus? Guess what, we're in that boat, with Jesus, not because of anything we have done or accomplished ... but simply because Jesus has promised to be with us always.

So this a good image for us to keep – you and I working while Jesus watches over us. Jesus is not the kind of guy who would sit there and tell us everything we are doing wrong. He is not a knit-picker. Jesus is right there if we need help, or advice, or an encouraging smile. He has living water for when we get thirsty, and the bread of life when we are hungry. And when the storms of life come along ... and the wind and waves go wild, “sometimes he calms the storm and other times he calms his child.”

Be calm, the Lord is with us! Brother Mike

​Daily Devotion from Brother Mike: 

This 24-piece Noah’s Ark set was given to our family as a gift.

We have had this ark and menagerie for 10 or 15 years now. It is usually placed somewhere relatively low, so that it can be seen ... and so that our younger visitors can get their hands on it. I’m quite impressed that we still have all of the original characters!

This past February, when I finally got around to putting away my Christmas decorations and putting out all my “normal” stuff, I got the idea of arranging my Noah’s Ark just a little differently to illustrate our passage from Isaiah. Can you see how I did this? (Hint: I switched two sets of partners.)

There is an often repeated pattern in Isaiah’s prophecy: trouble is coming but trouble will not last forever; there are better times coming as well. The Word of God through Isaiah illustrates this promise in a number of different ways: here in chapter 11 with a word picture of peace; in chapter 28 with a reminder that a farmer does not always plow but also plants, tends, and harvests the crop; and, in chapter 65, with a description of a new heaven and a new earth.

The old saying is: “This too, shall pass!” Yes, times are hard right now. No, we don’t want to do what we have to do. But, this time will pass. Our people have lived through worse. If God is for us then coronavirus is not an obstacle ... it is an opportunity to shine.

So, remember, this is not how things will be from now on. Will we be able to go back to our normal lives? Yes. If by “normal,” you mean different – because this year was never going to be the same as last year. April 2020 was never going to be just like any April we have ever had. The future we are going to was always going to be different than the past we have lived. 

Our adjustments always come in degrees – how different is this April going to be? We will have to wait and see. Be patient my friends. God is good . . . all the time!

Brother Mike