John 3: 1-17 Way back in the beginning, Lent was a season of preparation for new Christians, who would be baptized on Easter Sunday. The typical Lenten discipline was the fast. It was taken very seriously. Usually, fasting was observed Monday through Saturday, when they were permitted only one meal at the end of the day – a vegetarian meal. Sundays were exceptions, because every Sunday is considered a little Easter – a feast day, a celebration of the resurrection. It is rare now for Christians to observe such a strict Lenten discipline. When we think of a Lenten fast, we might think of giving up sweets or caffeine. We consider it optional. And, very likely, we are not really sure what the point of it is. This is probably why many Christians now embrace the idea of taking something up rather than giving something up during Lent – that feels more purposeful, somehow. Yet the Lenten fast is a […]
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Acts 16:6-15 There is a picture, some abstract shapes all in black and white, with four tiny dots in the middle. And if you focus on the four dots for 30 seconds and then close your eyes, you will see Jesus. That’s what the instructions said, so I did it. And, sure enough, that is what happened. When I closed my eyes an image that I recognized as Jesus appeared before me. It’s an optical illusion. These are fun things to play around with. There are some that have two different images in them – like the one with an old witch and a young woman, or the one with the musician and the girl’s face. Usually you see one of them to start with, but to see the other image it is like your brain has to switch tracks to get a different perspective. I find that I need […]
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