Malcolm Guite has become a favorite for me. He posts daily during Advent and Lent. And he had a great post for the Monday of Holy Week this year. This Holy Week has been a bit strange with CoVid 19. I could so relate to his words from his own blog post and I struggled with life...

It has begun in tears: tears of frustration, tears of lament, and for so many who have been cruelly bereaves, tears of grief.

It's hard to see through tears, but sometimes its the only way to see. Tears may be the turning point, the springs of renewal, and to know you have been wept for is to know that you are loved.

'Jesus Wept' is the shortest, sharpest, and most moving sentence in Scripture.

I have a God who weeps for me, weeps with me, understands to the depths and from the inside the rerum lachrymae, the tears of things.

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

Jesus comes near and he beholds the city

And looks on us with tears in his eyes,

And wells of mercy, streams of love and pity

Flow from the fountain whence all things arise.

He loved us into life and longs to gather

And meet with his beloved face to face

How often has he called, a careful mother,

And wept for our refusals of his grace,

Wept for a world that, weary with its weeping,

Benumbed and stumbling, turns the other way,

Fatigued compassion is already sleeping

Whilst her worst nightmares stalk the light of day.

But we might waken yet, and face those fears,

If we could see ourselves through Jesus' tears.

This other poem is taken from Sounding the Seasons, a collection of sonnets that takes you through the Christian year. This one is based on the ancient idea of the four elements of earth, air, water and fire. It has both the foot-washing and the first communion, that all these elements of the old creation are taken up by Jesus and transformed in the making of the new. Jesus is both the fully human companion cleansing his friends with a gentle touch, sharing his last supper with them, showing the fullness of his love, and he is also the Word, God in his full creative and shaping power, the One in and through whom everyone in that room, and every element of the world is sustained in the beauty and particularity of its being. What we witness in the birth of the sacraments is both a human drama and a divine act of new creation. Although we cannot be in church to receive the familiar sacrament of this night, it may be, that if our eyes and ears are open we will sense Christ's all-transforming presence even through the ordinary elements of the place where we are.

Maundy Thursday

Here is the source of every sacrament,

The all-transforming presence of the Lord,

Replenishing our every element

Remaking us in his creative Word.

For here the earth herself gives bread and wine,

The air delights to bear his Spirit's speech,

The fire dances where the candles shine,

The waters cleanse us with His gentle touch.

And here He shows the full extent of love

To us whose love is always incomplete,

In vain we search the heavens high above,

The God of love is kneeling at our feet.

Though we betray Him, though it is the night.
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He meets us here and loves us into light.

Have a blessed Easter Everyone! Remember that he overcame death to bring you light and life!

This book should be considered a classic! I am not exactly sure how Sally Lloyd Jones managed to take all these overly familiar stories and write them in such a fresh and original way, but I am so glad she did.

The first thing that she does is explain what the Bible is. It is not a book of rules. There are rules to follow in the Bible, but it is so much more. 

The Bible tells a story. It tells God's story. It's about a Prince who loses his first love and then goes to the end of the earth to get his princess back. In essence, it is a love story.

And that is just the beginning.

One of my favorite Bible stories is Jonah and the big fish. This book does a top-notch job showing how Jonah got in a book going to in the exact opposite direction of Ninevah! The description of the boat and being thrown overboard are vivid. 

Jonah is in the belly of the fish and he doesn't like it down there. He spends three days in the the belly thinking about the fact that he went in the opposite direction. He begins to feel very foolish and prays to God to forgive him. The fish gets some kind of tickle in his throat, opens his mouth, and throws Jonah on shore. Where does he go?

He goes to Ninevah. He goes to tell them God's message. 

What I love about this story, and other stories, is that Sally pulls out the link between Jesus and Jonah. Jonah was hidden in the belly of the fish for three days, before he miraculously shows up on shore to do what God originally asked him to do. Jesus was also hidden from the world for three days when everyone thought he had died, and then he came back to life. 

Sally Lloyd Jones tells each story simply and deliberately. It's perfect for little ears. It's perfect for big ears. It's perfect for anyone looking for a fresh take on so many Bible stories. 

If it were possible, I would love for Sally to write about the life of Paul. He has more than a few dramatic moments and I think her writing style could handle the beauty in the life of Paul. From him witnessing the stoning of Stephen, to his dramatic conversion of the road to Damascus, three days in darkness (again, like Christ), the myriad of meetings with other churches, Holy Spirit moments, and how common sense does not make sense at the end, Paul's life is vivid.

But it was the publisher who limited the stories past the life of Jesus.

The Jesus Storybook Bible is a classic. It should be read by the young and the old and everyone in between. It should be read by you! 

Go ahead and pick it up at the nearest bookstore if you haven't! 

And remember that Jesus loves you with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love!
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Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.
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Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection;he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

I confess to wanting to read this for years!  Aidan is in grade two and the book is appropriate for 7 year olds.  What a delightful and witty book to read! The book built strong, approachable, and endearing characters. Beside the main character Louis, the old cob, the mother swan, Sam, and even Applegate all leave lasting memories.  I love Sam Beaver's character and his appreciation for nature, living things, and journaling. He's a great role model for children. I'm glad that there was a happy ending and we were able to celebrate this as our second big chapter book that we completed.  

I loved this book and the wonderful way the author handled the issue of being different and making the best of our God given gifts. A great story of encouragement for all ages, especially, for anyone with disabilities of any kind.