Passion Sunday

Sometimes known as Palm Sunday because the Gospel chosen for this Sunday starts with Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem just prior to passover. Historically this is Passion Sunday in which the whole passion narrative is read as the Gospel. It is a longer mass, because all 4 scripture readings are longer and we have some additional special prayers and readings.

The 2000 year history of our faith is rich in symbolism and rituals based in our Jewish roots. Many of the prayers of the Church can easily be seen as Jewish prayers and blessings. The early Church almost immediately had to go underground because of severe persecution throughout the Roman world. So symbols and signs, like the Ichthus, and the Crucifix were identifiers to other Christians. Possessing these symbols could also bring death! However denying them would be unthinkable and many Christians that remain unnamed perished as unnamed martyrs of the Faith!

Let us never be ashamed of the Church or it's practices, many have died to bring them down to us! As Paul Says "I am not ashamed of the cross of Christ". The earliest crosses had the crucified Christ proudly displayed on them, which spoke the gospel message without words! Other symbols of Christ came later, in our history but are still revered for their connection to Jesus, of whom we should never be ashamed to identify ourselves.

As Gamaliel said of the early Church " For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5)

A reprint from The Voice Magazine Online

Pro-Life Pastor Walter Hoye Sentenced to Jail
Published by TheVoiceMag February 20th, 2009 in Breaking News and Culture.

Pro-life Pastor Walter Hoye was found guilty of violating “The Bubble Law,” a city law that provides an 8-foot buffer zone between pro-life protesters and women entering the abortion clinics. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to stay 100 yards away from the clinic where he was arrested for the next three years.

According to the Oakland Tribune, Pastor Walter Hoye, is the first person charged and found guilty of the city’s two-year-old law and must also pay $1,130 in fines and remain on probation for three years after either serving his 30 days in county jail or entering an alternative program run by the sheriff’s department.

Pastor Hoye’s case, has garnered national attention from Christians and pro-life supporters, many of whom traveled from as far as Dallas in support of the beloved pastor, who they said was having his First Amendment rights taken away. Some believe that he was especially targetted by the abortion clinics.

As reported by the Tribune, the courtroom’s atmosphere was charged and filled with both pro-choice and pro-life activists. Supporters of both groups also crammed the hallways of the courthouse before the hearing and shouted at each other as they jockeyed for a seat.

The ruling was made by Alameda Superior Court Judge Stuart Hing.

The tensions flared after the hearing. One pro-lifer wrestled with sheriff’s deputies as he shouted at the judge, condemning him for placing Hoye in jail, while others sang “We Shall Overcome.” Many Christians were shocked at the news of Pastor Walter Hoye’s arrest and believed he was convicted wrongly.

“It is my prayer that God’s name be glorified and the life of His Son Jesus Christ be revealed in me,” said Hoye while he awaited his sentence.

“It’s not an issue of pro-life or pro-choice, it’s about the ability of a man to stand up and speak his truth,” said Dion Evans, shortly before he was restrained by sheriff’s deputies as he shouted at the judge.

Judge Hing said he received stacks of letters in support of Hoye. Perhaps they helped to reduce the sentence. Pastor Hoye was facing up to two years in jail and $4000 in fines.

Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Robert Graff, who tried the case, argued that Hoye was not an innocent man standing on a sidewalk with a sign but someone who violated a city law.

“To suggest that he was merely holding a sign on the sidewalk does not speak to the totality of what is going on here,” Graff said. “This is a balancing of rights here. These people’s rights have to be balanced as well.”

Hoye’s defense attorneys, paid for by the Life Legal Defense Foundation, argued, at times with tears in their eyes, that the law was unconstitutional and that a punishment of jail was cruel and unusual.

Graff, who agreed Hoye should not be placed in jail, suggested the Judge place him on probation for 3 years with an order to stay 100 yards away from the abortion clinic. Graff said, “If Hoye did not agree to that, he should be sent to county jail for two years.”

Hing sentenced Hoye to 30 days in jail with the option of entering a sheriff work-release program that allows him to do sheriff-sponsored community service in exchange for jail time.

Hoye was warned with a threat that if he was found approaching women at the abortion clinic in the future, he would be in violation of his probation and could face additional time in jail.

Meanwhile, Life Legal Defense Foundation is challenging the city’s law in federal court.

Copied in toto from http://www.thevoicemagazine.com/blog/breaking-news/pro-life-pastor-walter-hoye-sentenced-to-jail/

NOTE: as soon as we get the information to write in suport of Pastor Hoye I will post it here!

Infant Stem Cell Research

32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me...
37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick...?
40 The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'~ Matt 25

Yesterday President Obama signed into law permission for the use of infant stem cells for research. Why do i use the term "infant" instead of embryo? Because an embryo is a tiny infant. It is human life, and to research on human life is reprehensible. It is the stuff of the most horrible science fiction of the past.

When we used to read science fiction 30 or 40 years ago about harvesting humans to feed or enhance other humans we knew instinctively that it was evil. Today they change the words and make it sound noble.

I call upon those that are diabetic or disabled in any way that could "benefit" from these appalling research methods to let it be known that they refuse to be party to the killing of the innocents.

Today's Gospel

Today's gospel reading is short but very interesting, this one never struck me before. It is the first Friday of Lent, for Catholics it is a day of abstinence from meat. This past Wednesday was a day of fasting and abstinence. We have already had psalm 51 on both days as the psalm reading, calling us to repentance and reconciliation with God. So in that light here is the reading for today:

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast." ~Matthew 9:14-15

What struck me here is that Jesus disciples never fasted! I never thought about that before. But it occurs to me that they had the power of God with them at all times. He could overcome anything that came up, He raised the dead, cast out difficult demons and with a word calmed a storm.

We however, need to set ourselves aside, away from our physical wants and to connect in a stronger way with God to see miricles in our lives. Come Lord Jesus.

Who said..

"No parent should ever have to choose between
work and family; between earning a decent wage and
caring for a child.”~Bill Clinton(you were thinking Mother Theresa weren't you?)

More on Faith

It is interesting, after going through that entire blog entry with my musings on faith, today's readings are about faith! The first reading is the great faith chapter Hebrews 11. I love this chapter. I listen to the scripture readings in the NIV when I stream them in my devotions. But the one verse i memorized from the KJV, From memory: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In the NIV it is rendered thus: 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.(ibs.org).

This chapter is an excellent summary for me. It recounts various patriarchs and how their faith in the promises of God sustained them or inspired them. Near the end of the passage there is mention of Barak. I did not remember reading about Barak. So i looked him up. He was the commander of the Israeli army under the judge Deborah. Since he was listed as a man of faith, i read the account. It seems that Barak had to trust that Deborah was truly hearing from God, and upon her word of the surety of his victory went out and attacked the army of Sisera and they were routed by God. They inexplicably fled before his troops.

All this is to say that I know that God is powerful, and that He raised Jesus from the dead and did many powerful miracles. But do I truly believe all that Jesus said? Jesus told us that we would do greater miracles than He did. And yet I am continually held back by the whisperings of the evil one in my ear "you are not good enough, God could not care for you..." In believing this am I any different than Eve? I think that God's love is not big enough to cover my faults and sins. How arrogant of me! God made the heavens and the earth. He owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. He made the stars and the whirlpool nebula!

I am reminded of a children's bible school song i learned somewhere:

He's still workin' on me
Makin' me what i outta be
It took Him just a week
To make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and
Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient
He must be
'Cause He's still workin' on me.

The psalm today is the clincher--it is psalm 145, here are some excerpts to close this entry:

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

Thank you Jesus.

Funny

more animals