Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
  human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
  and crowned them with glory and honor. —
Psalm 8:4–5


“The whole world was created for you. You were
brought to the world like a king and queen are
brought to a banquet – with everything prepared and
ready.” However, if humanity is not worthy, we say,
“You are the last, least, and lowest of all creations.
Even a tiny insect is greater than you.”

Whether we are majestic like kings and queens or
lower than a slug depends entirely on us. We
determine what we are worth by how we choose to
live our lives.

If we deny our godly nature and live a life filled with
physicality, solely focused on gaining pleasure and
power, then we are no greater than animals. But if
we live driven by service, godliness, and contribution,
then we can become nearly as great as angels.
Every day that we live, we are torn between our
animalistic drives and the soul that God placed
within us. We choose which drive will dominate our
lives, and that choice defines our identity.

Today, let’s choose God and be crowned with His
glory!

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Scripture:

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalms 122:1-9; Romans 13:11-14;
Matthew 24:37-44

"Stand ready because the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44).

In the final days of His ministry, Jesus spent much
time preparing His disciples to deal with life after
He was gone. He exhorted them to remain in
constant touch with the reality that God is in charge
-- always. He reminded them of the Old Testament
"flood story" in which a People who had lost touch
with that reality were destroyed. And in today's
Gospel Lesson He instructed them to live in the
spirit of high expectation:

"Stay awake!" He commanded. Because you do
not know when your Master is coming" (Mt. 24:42).

"Stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at
an hour you do not expect" (Mt. 24:44).

Be alert! Get ready! Be prepared to receive your Lord,
day-by-day, moment-by-moment. Expect the
unexpected!

Last month, the newswires carried the story of a
preacher who died suddenly of a heart attack. At 90
years of age, the news of his death was not shockingly
unexpected. What was unexpected was WHERE he
died. A very good and committed leader, the pastor,
who had preached throughout the U.S. and in 50
different countries during his lifetime died in the pulpit.

As we reflect on his story, we might very well conclude
that at 90 years-of-age this preacher must have
prepared his people for the day when he could no
longer lead them. We can imagine him telling his
people to remain in constant touch with the reality that
God is in charge. We can imagine him telling his people
to always remain in a spirit of hopeful expectation that
the Father's plan for their final destiny will ultimately be
revealed.

As we reflect on his story, we might very well imagine
that, while his death in the pulpit was no doubt shocking
to the congregation, his death in the pulpit was a
poignant and moving end to his ministry. We imagine
that, as a faithful and committed leader, he died with a
sense of hopeful expectation in the Resurrection Power
of God!

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:3,5-6; Psalms 40:2,4,7-10;
! Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34
"Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away
the sin of the world"
(John 1:29).

Reflection:

Recently, HBO aired a documentary featuring three
very talented and interesting photographers. The first,
Henry Butler, is also a world renowned pianist.
Butler's unique approach to photography is owed in
part to his theory that "everything gives off vibrations,
" as he says -- and that is what helps him choose
his subject matter.

The second, Bruce Hall, specializes mostly in
underwater photography. He says that his work
provides him with a sort of personal therapy. His
latest project involves taking pictures of his autistic
twin boys.

The third photographer, Pete Eckert, uses a technique
he calls "painting with light." For Eckert, "photography
isn't a hobby, it's an obsession. It's something I have
to do," he says.

Based on that short description, it sounds like an
interesting film about three very interesting artists,
doesn't it? But the clue to what moves this
documentary from the realm of the interesting into the
arena of the incredible is contained in the title: "Dark
Light. The Art of BLIND Photographers."

So with these three amazing talents in mind, let's think
about this: What is blindness, and who is really blind?

We all know the story of Helen Keller who overcame the
formidable obstacle of blindness to become one of
history's most inspiring women. When she once was
asked if anything could possibly be worse than living
without sight, she replied, "There IS something that is
worse than living without sight: it's living without vision."

There is a striking analogy between the vision of the
Helen Keller's of this world and the ongoing vision that
the New Testament writers tell us we need in order to
be spiritually alive and well. In John's Gospel, Jesus
says, "I am the Light of the World; anyone who follows
Me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light
of life" (Jn. 8:12). And in the Old Testament Book of
Proverbs it is said that “"Where there is no vision, the
people perish" (Pr. 29:18).

(The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online)