Monday, May 3, 2010

Happy Monday!

When we get down to this time of year we teachers begin counting Mondays and Fridays. I think we are down to four Mondays and five Fridays. I also turned in (emailed) my final exam for the Book of Common Prayer. I so enjoyed this class and the fellow students who participated with me. Please pray for the paper, the writer and the one who reads it. May he be merciful.

Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Randy Travis sings a song with the phrase ,”Down with the old man, up with the new.” As I was working on my final test for the BCP one of the questions asked was “what was the Paschal mystery?” The “paschal mystery” refers to the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is really interesting how this word refers to “Passover.” God caused the Angel of Death to “pass over” the Hebrew people saving them from continued bondage by the Egyptians.

Jesus was crucified at Passover and with His crucifixion we were all freed from the bondage of our sins. Part of the Paschal mystery is represented in baptism. When Jesus was baptized he left His private life behind and became completely devoted and obedient to His Father as He journeyed to Calvary. When we become Christians, we, too, are called to leave our old lives behind and embrace a new life with Christ. That means a life of obedience and trying to live in the light of Christ and not to live in a life of sin.

There are times in our lives that our old habits die hard. Yesterday when I was working on my test I really wanted that popcorn. The habit I had formed was when I would write, I would have a big glass of Crystal Lite and a huge bowl of popcorn. Every ounce of my being told me to go ahead and have some popcorn, but I decided that Satan was not going to win this battle and I resisted the tremendous temptation to have some of my favorite snack.

I realize that having a popcorn snack sounds pretty trivial compared to the other habits I need to break, but I have to start somewhere. I can’t guarantee that I will always be able to resist temptation or that I will always be obedient and serve God instead of serving sin, but after reading this passage I know I will think about it when I hit a crossroads and a choice must be made.

So friends, as we walk this earth together and must make choices multiple times each day I will ask you to pray for me and I will pray for you. (Singing…) “Down with the old girl, up with the new. Raised to walk in the ways of light and truth…”

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all dear friends, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

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