Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh […]
Waiting – the Day in the Tomb Read More »
They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.
Good Friday – Crucifixion Read More »
Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told
What is “Maundy Thursday”? Read More »
Announcing… a new initiative this year, which we are calling “In Search of Dignity.” I’d like to tell you about a new initiative this year, which we are calling “In Search of Dignity.” I have come to believe that dignity, and its opposite, indignity, sum up the heights and the depths of what our lives
Shootings in schools, movie theaters, shopping centers, and elswhere have traumatized the nation. But the face of violence is not just about shootings. Bullying in the schools, domestic violence, elder abuse, sexual abuse and other forms of violence are rampant.
What Can Be Done About Violence? An Open Forum Read More »
So many roads, so much at stake So many dead ends, I’m at the edge of the lake Sometimes I wonder what it’s gonna take To find dignity. Bob Dylan A small group of children see me taking photos of their school building and scamper to jump in front of the camera.
In Search of Dignity Read More »
Here is where faith begins. “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator…” You are not an accident. You are not merely the best mutation in the neighborhood. You are not merely a species who is really good at avoiding getting eaten by another species. You can seek design and purpose in your life because
I Believe in God, the Creator Read More »
What do you really see when you look in the mirror? You probably notice the lines that were not there a year ago. The scar just beneath your chin from when you went head-first over your bicycle when you were a kid and they stitched you up with little thought to “cosmetic” effect. Your eye
What Do You See in the Mirror? Read More »
In many doorways of the Roman Empire there was a depiction of a god with two faces pointing in opposite directions. Janus was the god of transitions. He looked ahead and he looked behind–to the past and the future. He was a kind of doorkeeper, a minder of the gate. And so our calendar’s first
New Year, New Door Read More »
It was Christmas Eve in Wauwatosa. In the early hours of the morning. Most of the citizens were asleep in their beds, warm, comfortable, safe. The Wauwatosa Police Department was on the job patrolling and protecting. A solitary squad car made its way on quiet streets past the Christmas lights and the Santa signs, a lone officer at the wheel. Jennifer Sebena, 30 years of age, two years on the force had wanted to be a cop for as long as she could remember and when she set her mind to something she pursued it with diligence. No surprise she graduated top of her class at the academy. She was on patrol.
Meditation for a Fallen Police Officer Read More »
After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. –Luke 2:20 At the birth of Jesus, amidst the dirt and straw of a stable, millennia of promises, prophecies,
On December 24, 1968, three astronauts gave a Christmas greeting to more people on earth who had ever listened to a broadcast in history, as they orbited the moon. Here are their exact words: Bill Anders “We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8
Christmas Greeting to All of Humanity Read More »
Learn how “Spiritual Influence” works. Take the survey now! While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. – Luke 2:6 On the night before Jesus was born, the shepherds would have seen the night sky the way they had seen it thousands of times before. That was a quiet night,
This is post #23 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.”Read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen
After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. – Luke 2:30-32 The winter solstice on December 21, the darkest day