Joan Clark Houk

The crowd accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem
with shouts of honor and jubilation.
How quickly the mood changed
and jubilation turned to condemnation.

This coming week, Holy Week, will tell the rest of the story.

Caiaphas, the high priest, said,
“You know nothing at all!  
You do not understand that it is better for you
to have one man die for the people
than to have the whole nation destroyed.”
…So from that day on they planned to put him [Jesus] to death.
(from John 11:45-57)

Jesus, the one accused of the potential destruction of the Jewish nation,
is put to death,
and by rising,
Jesus becomes the Omega Point, the Cosmic Christ,
drawing all people and all creation into one with our God.

I am here to do your will, O God.

How easy to say;
how easy to forget;
how easy to misunderstand;
how hard to know if it is your will or my will.

Send me wisdom to know your way, O God.
I am listening.

A plane fell from the sky this week.
People traveling from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, 150 people,
including sixteen joyful German students returning home
from visiting their foreign exchange friends in Spain
who will never see their parents or village again.

How much we take for granted.  We expect to return from a trip;
we expect to wake up in the morning to spend the day in life’s routine.
A plane fell…

Life is changed in minutes.
Appreciate God’s simple blessings in your life,
especially the blessing of life itself.

Do not be afraid, Mary, for
you have found favor with God.
You will conceive a child and
he shall be called Jesus.
(from Luke 1:26-38)

When I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw all to myself,
says the LORD.
(from John 12)

Susanna
falsely accused by two lustful men of adultery
sentenced to death.
Enter Daniel
who brought the truth to light
and saved Susanna’s life.
(from today’s scripture, Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-64)

March 19, 2015, Kabul, Afghanistan
Farkhunda
falsely accused of “burning pages of the Quran”
beaten and burned to death by a mob.
Criminal investigation found her innocent;
thirteen suspects have been arrested.
But Farkhunda is dead.
Was there no Daniel in the crowd to intervene?

Friday fish fries in church halls:
process in line, your turn next
the volunteer asks
baked or fried, cocktail or tartar sauce,
what side would you like, roll or sandwich bun,
what would you like to drink?
Pay your money; take a seat at a table.
Here’s comes your tray just as you ordered.
Friendly banter at the table,
polite teens ask, “Can I get you anything else?”
Welcomed in God’s house to eat with God’s People
in the downstairs Church.

How lovely!
No one asked, “Are you divorced?”
“Are you gay?”  “Are you pro-life?”
“Do you support women’s ordination?”
No one said,
“Only practicing Catholics can come to this table.”

Questions
in the downstairs Church
in the upstairs Church
how different they are!

Joseph,
a man who did not push away the young pregnant woman,
but rather, pulled her to him in warm embrace
absorbing the scorn, ridicule and shame
transforming them into loving covenant, safety and protection.

Joseph, man of compassion, strength, self-giving
icon of God’s all embracing love.
We remember and honor you today.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
(from Isaiah 49)

The Lord is kind and merciful.  (from Psalm 145)