(Author's Note: I posted this as my contribution to Faith Feet which is a group effort. Due to technical problems only the title is displayed, so I am posting it here as well - Jim)
Last week was really an incredibly challenging week for me. It was a week that kept me very busy but it also provided for my spiritual growth, as well.
Our church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School for five consecutive evenings. With the help of a friend, we alternated teaching the adult class. The other nights, I helped out where needed and took a great many photographs for the church pictorial history I maintain. This allowed me to both document and share in the lessons the children were learning and the activities designed to reinforce them.
On Thursday afternoon, the Sunday School class I teach was invited to an ice cream social at a local assisted living center for senior citizens. This was not an official church function. It was simply a chance to have fellowship with the residents and I read to them some of the devotionals I had written before closing with prayer.
When the week ended, I reflected on the fact that I had, to one degree or another, been involved with Christian education that covered the entire spectrum of ages from toddlers to senior citizens. I realized how truly blessed I was to have had such an opportunity,
The fourth night of Vacation Bible School focused the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and what it means to Christians as a whole as well as to individuals. These events are central to the Christian experience, yet this topic presents particular challenges to teachers who must factor in the age of the students in his or her presentation in order that they get the most out of it.
I am not able to go into any great detail about how this was presented to the children as I was occupied teaching the adult class at the time. I am confident that those involved teaching the children did so in a way appropriate for the age groups for which they were responsible. They clearly demonstrated this ability with other topics on other nights.
For the senior citizens, I chose to begin with two of my devotionals that had introductions with which I thought they could relate.
In my first, I began talking about my fondness for freshly baked bread. This devotional then concluded with the reminder that Jesus is the "Bread of Life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
For my second, I read to them a devotional I wrote about a picture no one wanted to buy. I found it in a second hand store covered with numerous price tags that clearly showed the history of its devaluation. I bought the picture and cleaned it because I knew its real beauty was hidden from view. I then gently reminded them that even when others fail to see our real value, the blood of Jesus cleanses us completely of all our layers of self doubt.
Revelation 1:5 (KJV) - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
By far the biggest challenge I faced was composing an hour long class on this topic for the adults I taught that evening. I wrestled with the lesson plan provided in the guide that came as part of the package we had purchased for Vacation Bible School. In the end, I opted to completely forego the introduction as I felt it was not adequately serious enough for a lesson of this magnitude.
Instead, I took my adult students straight into the five sections of scripture called for beginning in Luke chapter 22 and concluding in chapter 24.
I paused between sections to field questions and comments and there were far fewer than I anticipated.
With the time remaining, I asked my students to turn to Isaiah 53. As they turned the pages I reminded them that the words God inspired Isaiah to write were written 700 to 800 years before Luke’s account and asked them to notice how similar the two were. I reminded them that God intended to provide for our salvation all along and in in the only way possible.
Jesus had to pay the price we could not pay ourselves.
I then read them Isaiah 53 in its entirety.
After a few closing questions and comments we closed with prayer.
I said at the beginning that I felt both truly challenged and truly blessed by the events of last week and I honestly feel that I have grown spiritually as a result.
Young minds, I am certain, were presented a simplified view of God’s love for us and absorbed it quickly.
It was gratifying to take senior citizens on a journey that began with things with which they could either remember or relate. From there I led them down the road that ultimately leads to Jesus and what He did for us all.
It was particularly challenging to present the heart of the Christian experience to adults in a very serious and straightforward manner.
Young children, adults, and senior citizens have nutritional needs like vitamins, carbohydrates and protein. Yet the ways in which they obtain these nutrients vary through time.
It is the same way with spiritual nutrition.
To be fully absorbed, it must be presented in a way that can be comprehended.
Its truth, however, must never be compromised.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
No Laughing Matter
This has been both a very spiritually rewarding and spiritually challenging week.
For two nights this week I had the opportunity to teach the adult class at my church‘s Vacation Bible School.
My second night was particularly challenging.
The curriculum we had purchased called for us to focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I read through the materials provided, and the adult class guide included a rather lighthearted introduction before moving into the account of what Jesus experienced on our behalf.
As a Sunday School Teacher, I had a real problem with that.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the hub around which Christianity revolves. In my opinion, a humorous introduction was simply not an appropriate way to lead into a discussion of this nature.
There was simply no way I could consider using an iron when clearly a scalpel was in order.
I opted to completely jettison the introduction and go right into the heart of the matter.
To do that meant I was going to come up about 15 minutes short of material.
I wrestled with this for hours while the clock ticked steadily onward.
Finally, with God’s help the solution came to me.
When the time came, I read to my students the suggested passages from the book of Luke pausing between sections to give additional information and take questions. There were very few questions as everyone was really feeling the emotional weight of what Jesus went through for us.
We finished the final passage and as I expected we had about fifteen minutes left.
I asked if there were any questions and as I looked each in turn they simply shook their heads,
"Before we conclude, I have one more question for you," I stated.
"I know many of you are parents," I added. "If you have ever made sacrifices for your children, please raise your hand." Of course, every hand was raised.
"Why did you make sacrifices for your children?", I asked.
From the back someone said, "Love."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "You made sacrifices for your children because you love them. That is why God sacrificed His only Son for us! He did this because He loved us!"
I then asked them to turn in their Bibles to Isaiah chapter 53.
As my students turned the pages in their Bibles, I asked them to bear in mind that Isaiah wrote the words we were about to read some 700 to 800 years BEFORE the events in Luke‘s account.
I also asked them to notice how closely the prophet Isaiah's language matched up with the account in Luke.
I read through Isaiah 53 as they followed along. Here is a but a portion...
Isaiah 53:7-9 (NET) - He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial - but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his people he was wounded. They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because he had committed no violent deeds, nor had he spoken deceitfully.
The death, burial and resurrection should not be taken lightly. This is what our salvation depends on.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 24, 2011.
For two nights this week I had the opportunity to teach the adult class at my church‘s Vacation Bible School.
My second night was particularly challenging.
The curriculum we had purchased called for us to focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I read through the materials provided, and the adult class guide included a rather lighthearted introduction before moving into the account of what Jesus experienced on our behalf.
As a Sunday School Teacher, I had a real problem with that.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the hub around which Christianity revolves. In my opinion, a humorous introduction was simply not an appropriate way to lead into a discussion of this nature.
There was simply no way I could consider using an iron when clearly a scalpel was in order.
I opted to completely jettison the introduction and go right into the heart of the matter.
To do that meant I was going to come up about 15 minutes short of material.
I wrestled with this for hours while the clock ticked steadily onward.
Finally, with God’s help the solution came to me.
When the time came, I read to my students the suggested passages from the book of Luke pausing between sections to give additional information and take questions. There were very few questions as everyone was really feeling the emotional weight of what Jesus went through for us.
We finished the final passage and as I expected we had about fifteen minutes left.
I asked if there were any questions and as I looked each in turn they simply shook their heads,
"Before we conclude, I have one more question for you," I stated.
"I know many of you are parents," I added. "If you have ever made sacrifices for your children, please raise your hand." Of course, every hand was raised.
"Why did you make sacrifices for your children?", I asked.
From the back someone said, "Love."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "You made sacrifices for your children because you love them. That is why God sacrificed His only Son for us! He did this because He loved us!"
I then asked them to turn in their Bibles to Isaiah chapter 53.
As my students turned the pages in their Bibles, I asked them to bear in mind that Isaiah wrote the words we were about to read some 700 to 800 years BEFORE the events in Luke‘s account.
I also asked them to notice how closely the prophet Isaiah's language matched up with the account in Luke.
I read through Isaiah 53 as they followed along. Here is a but a portion...
Isaiah 53:7-9 (NET) - He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial - but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his people he was wounded. They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because he had committed no violent deeds, nor had he spoken deceitfully.
The death, burial and resurrection should not be taken lightly. This is what our salvation depends on.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 24, 2011.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Freshly Baked Bread
I am really glad my mother told me the things that she did. Whenever I am lucky enough to get a quiet moment, I fondly think of her and the memories she shared.
Mother came from a large family and she often talked about the amount of bread my grandmother baked to keep that family going strong.
Whenever I think of that I can almost smell the aroma of freshly baked bread.
There is simply no other smell like it. It is perhaps my favorite aroma in the world.
There is a restaurant near my place of business that serves excellent coffee. They also have their own bakery. Many times I have walked in intending to buy just a cup of coffee. More often than not I end up leaving with the coffee... and a loaf of freshly baked bread.
The thought of fresh bread with its wonderful aroma always leads me to think of bread’s role in the Bible and the references Jesus made to it.
In fact, the word bread appears over 300 times in the King James Version.
The first time bread is mentioned in the New Testament is during the temptation of Jesus.
Matthew 4:3 (KJV) - And when the tempter came to him, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command these stones be made bread."
Jesus, of course, had a response.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV) - But He answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God."
Jesus also understood our physical needs as well. This is made evident when he taught us how to pray what has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:11 (KJV) - Give us this day our daily bread.
Also in the book of Matthew is the account of the Lord’s Supper in which bread plays a very important role.
Matthew 26:26 (KJV) - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body.
Along with this verse, there is another in which Jesus refers to himself as "the bread of life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
I love that reference.
Just as the smell of bread always make me hungry, the thought of Jesus being the bread of life makes me hunger for both Jesus and the eternal life he offers.
The smell of baking bread doesn't just effect me. It has a similar impact on those around me.
I cannot keep that aroma to myself.
In a similar way, I should share Jesus with every one I meet. That is another thing my grandmother did.
Baking bread to feed her large family was far from the only thing she did well.
She also knew how to share the "bread of life" with everyone even if she just met them.
I adore the way she did it.
She would walk right up to them and ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
I love those words, "my Jesus".
Those two words let everyone know that she had a deep and personal relationship with her savior and that they could have that kind of relationship with Him as well.
I cannot bake bread like my grandmother did.
But I can share the "bread of life" exactly like she did.
So I ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 10, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 17, 2011.
(Schedule subject to change)
Mother came from a large family and she often talked about the amount of bread my grandmother baked to keep that family going strong.
Whenever I think of that I can almost smell the aroma of freshly baked bread.
There is simply no other smell like it. It is perhaps my favorite aroma in the world.
There is a restaurant near my place of business that serves excellent coffee. They also have their own bakery. Many times I have walked in intending to buy just a cup of coffee. More often than not I end up leaving with the coffee... and a loaf of freshly baked bread.
The thought of fresh bread with its wonderful aroma always leads me to think of bread’s role in the Bible and the references Jesus made to it.
In fact, the word bread appears over 300 times in the King James Version.
The first time bread is mentioned in the New Testament is during the temptation of Jesus.
Matthew 4:3 (KJV) - And when the tempter came to him, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command these stones be made bread."
Jesus, of course, had a response.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV) - But He answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God."
Jesus also understood our physical needs as well. This is made evident when he taught us how to pray what has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:11 (KJV) - Give us this day our daily bread.
Also in the book of Matthew is the account of the Lord’s Supper in which bread plays a very important role.
Matthew 26:26 (KJV) - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body.
Along with this verse, there is another in which Jesus refers to himself as "the bread of life".
John 6:35 (KJV) - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
I love that reference.
Just as the smell of bread always make me hungry, the thought of Jesus being the bread of life makes me hunger for both Jesus and the eternal life he offers.
The smell of baking bread doesn't just effect me. It has a similar impact on those around me.
I cannot keep that aroma to myself.
In a similar way, I should share Jesus with every one I meet. That is another thing my grandmother did.
Baking bread to feed her large family was far from the only thing she did well.
She also knew how to share the "bread of life" with everyone even if she just met them.
I adore the way she did it.
She would walk right up to them and ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
I love those words, "my Jesus".
Those two words let everyone know that she had a deep and personal relationship with her savior and that they could have that kind of relationship with Him as well.
I cannot bake bread like my grandmother did.
But I can share the "bread of life" exactly like she did.
So I ask, "Do you know my Jesus?"
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, June 10, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 17, 2011.
(Schedule subject to change)
Friday, May 13, 2011
Step into the Light
One of the hobbies I enjoy is photography.
One of the keys to successful photography is understanding the interplay between light and shadow.
I was thinking about that the other day when my thoughts turned to light itself.
It is because of light or rather the specific wavelengths of light that we are able to differentiate colors.
Light from the sun, or white light, is composed of all the different colors of light.
This is made evident when the sun’s light beams are refracted by raindrops Light of different wavelengths are separated into bands of color called rainbows.
When light from the sun shines on an object like a fire engine, the paint absorbs all the colors except red and what we see is the red light reflected from the paint.
Similarly, when sunlight shines on a yellow taxi, the taxi’s paint absorbs all the colors except for yellow. Again, what we see is the yellow light reflected from its paint.
If we want to be more accurate, what we should say is that the fire engine is non-red and that the taxi is non-yellow because each reflects, or rejects, the color we commonly associate with each.
That is kind of the way it is when we examine ourselves in the light of our own reasoning.
We can refer to ourselves as righteous.
But are we really?
Not according to the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away.
We can even claim that we never sin.
But are we truly without sin.
Not according to the apostle Paul.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Just as red reflects from a fire engine or yellow reflects from a taxi, our shortcomings reflect in an obvious way when we subject them to the light of scripture.
Yet, we are not without hope.
There is a light not of our own which we can count on.
John 8:12 (KJV) - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
That is really good new for us.
The light that is Jesus shines brightly.
That light does not merely hide our sins, it removes them completely.
John 1:29 (KJV) - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
So how do you overcome sin and unrighteousness.
Simple.
Step into the Light...
... and believe!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 20, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 27, 2011.
One of the keys to successful photography is understanding the interplay between light and shadow.
I was thinking about that the other day when my thoughts turned to light itself.
It is because of light or rather the specific wavelengths of light that we are able to differentiate colors.
Light from the sun, or white light, is composed of all the different colors of light.
This is made evident when the sun’s light beams are refracted by raindrops Light of different wavelengths are separated into bands of color called rainbows.
When light from the sun shines on an object like a fire engine, the paint absorbs all the colors except red and what we see is the red light reflected from the paint.
Similarly, when sunlight shines on a yellow taxi, the taxi’s paint absorbs all the colors except for yellow. Again, what we see is the yellow light reflected from its paint.
If we want to be more accurate, what we should say is that the fire engine is non-red and that the taxi is non-yellow because each reflects, or rejects, the color we commonly associate with each.
That is kind of the way it is when we examine ourselves in the light of our own reasoning.
We can refer to ourselves as righteous.
But are we really?
Not according to the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away.
We can even claim that we never sin.
But are we truly without sin.
Not according to the apostle Paul.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Just as red reflects from a fire engine or yellow reflects from a taxi, our shortcomings reflect in an obvious way when we subject them to the light of scripture.
Yet, we are not without hope.
There is a light not of our own which we can count on.
John 8:12 (KJV) - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
That is really good new for us.
The light that is Jesus shines brightly.
That light does not merely hide our sins, it removes them completely.
John 1:29 (KJV) - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
So how do you overcome sin and unrighteousness.
Simple.
Step into the Light...
... and believe!
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 20, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 27, 2011.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Curtain Call
As we near Easter, I was struck by a particular passage from the book of Matthew.
Matthew 27:50-52 (NET) - Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His Spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.
There are three events that took place upon the death of Jesus that were spectacular in nature, but one struck me as being the most spectacular of the three.
It wasn’t the opening of the tombs and the raising of the saints, although this was a remarkable event.
It wasn’t the shaking of the earth and the splitting apart of the rocks. Earthquakes in and of themselves can be remarkable but the timing of this particular earthquake is nothing short of amazing.
As remarkable as these two events were, I find the tearing of the temple curtain to be the most remarkable of all.
The curtain was a separator. It is what separated God from the people and the people from God.
God is both perfectly Holy and perfectly righteous.
People are neither.
There was no way that a fallen human being could be in the direct presence of God,
The existence of the curtain precedes the temple as it was part of the tabernacle design which God commanded Moses to follow.
Exodus 26:33 (NET) - You are to hang this curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony in there behind the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
Only the high priest was allowed to go behind the curtain centuries after the purpose of the curtain was defined by God.
Hebrews 9:7 (NET) - But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
Luke 1:8-10 (NET) - Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
It is clear that the temple curtain played a significant role. Its purpose was not merely decorative but served to keep separate a Holy God from a fallen people.
Please notice that the passage of scripture I opened with contains the words "Just then".
The very moment Jesus died... He died for us.
At that very moment the curtain, which separated us from God, was torn in two from top to bottom.
It was a barrier no more.
Mankind was no longer separated from God because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.
God’s gracious and merciful gift of salvation was made possible not because of anything we had done.
It was made possible through Jesus.
Why not express your gratitude to them both right now.
After all... there is absolutely nothing standing in your way.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 13, 2011.
Matthew 27:50-52 (NET) - Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His Spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.
There are three events that took place upon the death of Jesus that were spectacular in nature, but one struck me as being the most spectacular of the three.
It wasn’t the opening of the tombs and the raising of the saints, although this was a remarkable event.
It wasn’t the shaking of the earth and the splitting apart of the rocks. Earthquakes in and of themselves can be remarkable but the timing of this particular earthquake is nothing short of amazing.
As remarkable as these two events were, I find the tearing of the temple curtain to be the most remarkable of all.
The curtain was a separator. It is what separated God from the people and the people from God.
God is both perfectly Holy and perfectly righteous.
People are neither.
There was no way that a fallen human being could be in the direct presence of God,
The existence of the curtain precedes the temple as it was part of the tabernacle design which God commanded Moses to follow.
Exodus 26:33 (NET) - You are to hang this curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony in there behind the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
Only the high priest was allowed to go behind the curtain centuries after the purpose of the curtain was defined by God.
Hebrews 9:7 (NET) - But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
Luke 1:8-10 (NET) - Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
It is clear that the temple curtain played a significant role. Its purpose was not merely decorative but served to keep separate a Holy God from a fallen people.
Please notice that the passage of scripture I opened with contains the words "Just then".
The very moment Jesus died... He died for us.
At that very moment the curtain, which separated us from God, was torn in two from top to bottom.
It was a barrier no more.
Mankind was no longer separated from God because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.
God’s gracious and merciful gift of salvation was made possible not because of anything we had done.
It was made possible through Jesus.
Why not express your gratitude to them both right now.
After all... there is absolutely nothing standing in your way.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 13, 2011.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Big Deal
I had a new experience Sunday.
We celebrated Holy Communion in my church.
The celebration of Communion is certainly not new to me, but this time, I was to be called upon to help serve it.
I knew this day was coming and was more than a little nervous about it.
Please understand that I am a man who seldom finds himself in a state of worry.
I know that Scripture reminds us time and again to "fear not", so I try to approach life confidently and normally succeed in the attempt.
Yet there was something about being on the serving side of this equation for the first time that caused me more than a fair amount of apprehension.
I confided my concerns to a few friends and colleagues.
There was a recurring response I received that caused me perhaps even more distress than the thought of serving for the first time.
That response usually began with "Don’t worry about it", and ended with "It’s no big deal."
To avoid being judgmental, I will assume that such a response was merely an attempt to ease my concerns and that those who gave me such a response did not mean to be taken literally.
I say this because it really is a big deal.
In fact, the sharing of Communion is one of the most important parts of the Christian experience.
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NET) - and after He had given thanks he broke it and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, He also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this every time you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Clearly, the elements are important in what they represent.
Yet, it goes far beyond that.
1 Corinthians 11:28 (NET) - A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup.
Scripture reminds us to examine ourselves first before we partake of this meal.
It therefore stands to reason that those who serve this meal must do likewise.
That is why the response "it’s no big deal" bothered me to the degree that it did.
Obviously, it still does.
By the way, with God’s help, the role I filled in this service transpired without incident.
Having now served in this capacity, I doubt that I will be as apprehensive when called upon next time.
But, it will still be "a big deal".
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, April 8, 2011 and April 15, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, April 22, 2011.
We celebrated Holy Communion in my church.
The celebration of Communion is certainly not new to me, but this time, I was to be called upon to help serve it.
I knew this day was coming and was more than a little nervous about it.
Please understand that I am a man who seldom finds himself in a state of worry.
I know that Scripture reminds us time and again to "fear not", so I try to approach life confidently and normally succeed in the attempt.
Yet there was something about being on the serving side of this equation for the first time that caused me more than a fair amount of apprehension.
I confided my concerns to a few friends and colleagues.
There was a recurring response I received that caused me perhaps even more distress than the thought of serving for the first time.
That response usually began with "Don’t worry about it", and ended with "It’s no big deal."
To avoid being judgmental, I will assume that such a response was merely an attempt to ease my concerns and that those who gave me such a response did not mean to be taken literally.
I say this because it really is a big deal.
In fact, the sharing of Communion is one of the most important parts of the Christian experience.
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NET) - and after He had given thanks he broke it and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, He also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this every time you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Clearly, the elements are important in what they represent.
Yet, it goes far beyond that.
1 Corinthians 11:28 (NET) - A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup.
Scripture reminds us to examine ourselves first before we partake of this meal.
It therefore stands to reason that those who serve this meal must do likewise.
That is why the response "it’s no big deal" bothered me to the degree that it did.
Obviously, it still does.
By the way, with God’s help, the role I filled in this service transpired without incident.
Having now served in this capacity, I doubt that I will be as apprehensive when called upon next time.
But, it will still be "a big deal".
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, April 8, 2011 and April 15, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, April 22, 2011.
Friday, March 11, 2011
On the Face of It
Some people are really good with names and faces.
I, unfortunately, am not one of those people.
Try as I might, it takes me a while to associate new names with new faces.
A few years ago I had an encounter with an older gentleman who was good with names and faces. Really good.
A new store had opened up along my daily commute about fifteen miles from where I live,
I stopped there on my way home one evening to pick up a few items and to check out then new store.
I said hello to the greeter on duty as he handed me my shopping cart and then proceeded to do my shopping.
I did not purchase very much so I determined there was no need for me to take my shopping cart outside.
I would simply leave the cart with the greeter on my way out.
As I prepared to exit the store, I noticed that the greeter I originally encountered was no longer on duty and another had taken his place.
I removed my bags and handed the now empty cart to the greeter and said, "Thank you. See you next time."
I was about half way to the door when the man said rather loudly, "Hey!"
I stopped and turned to face him.
He said, "You’re a Pokorny. Aren’t you?"
"Yes," I replied as I wondered how it was that he knew my last name.
He then named my parents and asked if he was correct.
I told him that he was indeed correct.
He then identified me by my first name and asked that was correct.
I replied that he was and asked how it was that he knew this about me.
He told me that he used to live in the town I still call home.
He then told me the year that he moved away and that he remembered my parents and me.
I was amazed.
This man had not seen me in decades!
The last time he saw me was when I was a child less than ten years of age.
Suddenly, decades later, he spotted a middle aged man with a full beard among a crowd of people filing out past him and was able to make a connection between the man I am today with the child that I once was!
We talked for a few more minutes about how much time had gone by and how much things have changed.
That incident still amazes me to this day.
As impressive as this man’s ability was, there is one whose ability surpasses even this.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NET) - The LORD said to me, "Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations."
Luke 12: 6-7 (NET) - Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
There are about six billion of us currently alive.
Billions have preceded us.
An untold number are yet to come.
Yet God knows each of us individually.
Now that’s impressive!
Why not take a moment now and get to know Him better.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, March 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, March 25, 2011.
I, unfortunately, am not one of those people.
Try as I might, it takes me a while to associate new names with new faces.
A few years ago I had an encounter with an older gentleman who was good with names and faces. Really good.
A new store had opened up along my daily commute about fifteen miles from where I live,
I stopped there on my way home one evening to pick up a few items and to check out then new store.
I said hello to the greeter on duty as he handed me my shopping cart and then proceeded to do my shopping.
I did not purchase very much so I determined there was no need for me to take my shopping cart outside.
I would simply leave the cart with the greeter on my way out.
As I prepared to exit the store, I noticed that the greeter I originally encountered was no longer on duty and another had taken his place.
I removed my bags and handed the now empty cart to the greeter and said, "Thank you. See you next time."
I was about half way to the door when the man said rather loudly, "Hey!"
I stopped and turned to face him.
He said, "You’re a Pokorny. Aren’t you?"
"Yes," I replied as I wondered how it was that he knew my last name.
He then named my parents and asked if he was correct.
I told him that he was indeed correct.
He then identified me by my first name and asked that was correct.
I replied that he was and asked how it was that he knew this about me.
He told me that he used to live in the town I still call home.
He then told me the year that he moved away and that he remembered my parents and me.
I was amazed.
This man had not seen me in decades!
The last time he saw me was when I was a child less than ten years of age.
Suddenly, decades later, he spotted a middle aged man with a full beard among a crowd of people filing out past him and was able to make a connection between the man I am today with the child that I once was!
We talked for a few more minutes about how much time had gone by and how much things have changed.
That incident still amazes me to this day.
As impressive as this man’s ability was, there is one whose ability surpasses even this.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NET) - The LORD said to me, "Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations."
Luke 12: 6-7 (NET) - Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
There are about six billion of us currently alive.
Billions have preceded us.
An untold number are yet to come.
Yet God knows each of us individually.
Now that’s impressive!
Why not take a moment now and get to know Him better.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, March 18, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, March 25, 2011.
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