The "Frowning Glory"

Tag: jesus

  • January 3, 2025 — 9 Days After My Head Exploded – Where’s the Tylenol?

    January 3, 2025 — 9 Days After My Head Exploded – Where’s the Tylenol?

    “But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:11-15

    Uhhhhhhh…..does anyone else see the problem with this piece of Christmas joy? This cute mouse, thinking he or she might have a little Christmas treat, is about to find that Christmas is not the Happ-Happ-Happiest time of the year. Oh but what a metaphor for this Cranky Reverend. CR often feels as if Christmas is a trap. Do you ever see this time of year tricking you into thinking it will bring you happiness, enticing you to take your mind off of troubles – only to wake up in the New Year realizing that nothing has changed. But, even this old Cranky Reverend can remember that, unlike our Christmas mouse who is distracted by the threat of meeting her ultimate demise, Christmas is not a trap – it is the beginning of the promise.

    The Bible tells us that Jesus drew his final breath at three o’clock in the afternoon, an important time in Jerusalem, for it was the time of the afternoon sacrifice, and because it was Passover week, the Passover lambs were being sacrificed at the Temple. It was customary also for the priest to blow a horn at the time of the sacrifice—a ram’s horn, called a Shofar. So at the same time when Jesus breathed his last, the Shofar could be heard. At the sound of the horn, people would stop what they were doing and fall silent for a few moments. And in that time of silence Jesus died. As the Passover lambs were being sacrificed in the Temple, the Lamb of G-d was being sacrificed on the cross. In G-d’s plan, never again would an afternoon sacrifice be needed. This was just as John the Baptist had prophesied: “Look, the Lamb of G-d, who takes away the sin of the world”

    So yes Christmas Mouse, even if you meet your demise today, Jesus promises you life everlasting. How about that Mrs. Clause?

    Pastor Dave

  • December 6, 2024 – 18 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

    18 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

    December 6, 2024 – 18 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

    “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” Matthew 8:23ff

    Cranky Reverend was searching for the perfect ornament to place on the Cranky Tree, and here is one of his finds: ET holding flowers. Now, if you were born after 1999 you have no idea who this is – so Google the movie ET and you will find out. Anyway, ET is trying to phone home, but all he has are those flowers he brought back to life and brought along to the Christmas party. I guess flowers are the gift that keeps on giving, and if you are ET you do not have to ever buy another vase of flowers – you can keep bringing these back to life.

    Of course all ET wants to do is return home – so ET should just put the flowers down and buy a cell phone? Oh wait, there were no cell phones in the 80’s when this movie came out. Sure, he can make a universal device that will contact the cosmos using the MacGyver-esque contraption of a record player and other bits of tube, tape, and bubblegum. Look, he is an extraterrestrial being — he can’t mock up a cell phone to get a response from “home”? Really? I thought life from the cosmos was supposed to be “intelligent”?

    This text from Matthew gives us an interesting response to Jesus’ teaching, miracles, and calling to follow him. In verse 27, after experiencing Jesus calming the storm, the disciples say to one another, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” Their question just highlights how little the disciples know about the true essence of Jesus. For all they know Jesus is another ET who might one day fly into the heavens on a “fiery chariot” like Elijah.

    Of course Cranky Reverend (CR) wants to know how you would respond if you ran into ET carrying flowers coming out of the grocery store? You most likely would respond in the same way: “What sort of being is that – and why is he carrying flowers?”

    What burns Cranky Reverend’s coffee beans these days is the fact that more people believe in ET than there are people who  believe that Jesus was G-d – or that there is any G-d at all. What CR wants to remind you of is if you believe in ET, than you have to believe that someone or something created ET – and that someone is G-d.

    So we may not know why ET is carrying the flowers – perhaps he has a date. But we all have a date with our creator – that day when we will leave this earth for good. So perhaps we should stop complaining about everything and begin working on our relationship with G-d through Jesus Christ. After all, G-d doesn’t need anymore cranky people in heaven.

    Pastor Dave