for the week ending March 5
A Note from the Parson’s Desk
I am looking forward to seeing you this Sunday at 8:00 central, 9:00 eastern time on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParsonJohnMaggie
Links to Sunday Services are also available at https://travelingchurch.org/videos/.
This week’s scripture readings
Gospel: John 3:1-17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Epistle: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Psalm: 75
We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;
people tell of your wonderful deeds.
2You say, “I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge with equity.
3 When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.
9 As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”
Prayer Requests
I will call on You, My God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6
We invite you to share your needs as well as your praises. Unspoken requests will be honored. To add or update this list, send updates to: eric@fairewynds.com. For private messages or consultations please contact Frank directly at parson@parsonjohn.org
Wednesday Night Bible Study
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15
Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/parsonandmaggie for a time of study, fellowship and prayer.
We are working our way through the book of 1 Corinthians.
The Parson’s Schedule for both Live and Online services
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
The sermon text will be from Romans 12
Live services will be held at the Olde Towne Trade Faire in Xenia, Ohio. Contact us for times and exact location.
Online services will go live at 9:00 Eastern, 8 Central on Facebook at https://www.youtube.com/@ParsonJohnMaggie
Our Post Script
Well, last Wednesday we started the Lenten season. For protestants like me, this meant absolutely nothing. Other than growing up I knew my Catholic friends were supposed to stop doing things. Of course since growing up I didn’t even KNOW any Catholics until I was away the summer of my 16th year I can’t say I had one clue about what they were all about. Well, except we always had fish on Fridays at the elementary school I attended and I knew why but I didn’t really care about the reason. All I knew was the fact that I hated fish so always brought my lunch that day. The closest I came to really understanding it was the MASH episode where Father Mulkahey asked Cpl. Klinger, when he came for communion, why he wanted communion-wasn’t he an atheist? To which Klinger replied: ‘I am, but I gave it up for Lent’.
When visiting New Orleans on Ash Wednesday many years ago I wondered about the dichotomy of all the tarot readers and palmists sitting around Jackson Square with the cross sign of ashes on their forehead as being good Catholics they had gone to mass that day-how they could combine God with spiritism I still wonder. But as for ‘me and my house’ we didn’t celebrate, talk or speak of any of ‘those’ things. (By those things I mean Lent, Shrove Tuesday, Maunday Thursday, Silent Saturday, Confession, Celebration of Saints, etc. etc.) I knew of Good Friday and Easter. And only Easter was celebrated. The Church of Christ didn’t go in for that ‘Catholic’ stuff.
But if we step aside and start to look at things from the viewpoint of a New Testament Born Again Believer, maybe the idea of Lent isn’t such a bad idea. It’s not scriptural, but it is based on the 40 days that Christ was in the wilderness (it starts 47 days before Easter but the Sundays aren’t counted-don’t ask me why) and is supposed to be a time for fasting, prayer and giving. And really-what is wrong with that? We don’t even have to do it as a group-heck, we don’t even have to let anyone know we are doing it, unless it is to truly encourage another believer who might be struggling. Fasting isn’t demanded-just encouraged, as is giving to the poor. But the prayer-serious, deep seeking of God prayer-that is. And mightily needed in our lives and in this age.
I’m not a good ‘prayer warrior’. So the idea of praying hard is…well…hard for me. I start strong and within 2 minutes my mind wanders over to see what else might be sitting around my brain that needs attending to. So maybe if I were to stop and consider Lent not as a ‘Catholic’ thing to do but instead take some time to consider HOW I pray and make the effort to do it then maybe, just maybe the ‘Lenten Season’ will actually help me focus more on God after all.
But I’m still not eating fish.
In Christ,
Eric
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