The Press Conference from the Cross
What’s Life Really All About?
Read the whole article here. https://mbird.com/sports/the-press-conference-from-the-cross/
From politics to sports, the press conference is generally a scripted affair. There are certain things you mustn’t talk about — namely, religion, sex and especially death. Things run smoothly when a public figure simply stands at a podium and is asked questions about what they could have done better or how best to move forward. The answers are full of catchphrases and conventional jargon about needing to focus on the right things and to “keep doing the hard work.” It is often a one-size-fits-all ordeal where nothing of substance is ever actually said. Every once in a while, however, the veil is lifted and the interaction feels all-too-human. In those times, it can feel as revelatory as a fiery sermon on a sleepy Sunday.
Two days after a heartbreaking loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA playoffs, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked how he was coping. What exactly was he doing to stave off the gloom? Was he watching movies or taking long walks? His response was astonishing. “Honestly,” he said, interrupting the reporter before the question was finished, “I met three girls under the age of twenty-one with terminal cancer. Watching a girl dying; and smiling and enjoying being with……………..
1st Week of Summer Kids Bible Club, Photos
Fun Times at the first week of summer kids Bible Club.
Fun Times at the first week of summer kids Bible Club
Chocolate Ice Cream Day at ACC
Kevin Made Chocolate Ice Cream for the patients at our center on Wednesday!
Kevin Made Chocolate Ice Cream for the patients at our center on Wednesday!
Naughty By Nature
Grace abounds precisely where sin abounds.
Read this article at this link Naughty By Nature - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
NAUGHTY BY NATURE
Grace abounds precisely where sin abounds.
The author of this page reflects on his experience of attending a concert where he was exposed to moralism and activism from the opening acts. He compares this to the biblical story of Moses and the golden calf, and argues that he prefers the pagan party over the religious law. He then discusses the problem of evil and suffering in the world, and how Paul’s writings in the New Testament offer a critique of moralism and a solution through grace. He concludes by saying that grace is the only antidote to living in an evil world, and that God’s love is shown through the cross of Jesus.
Brain Health With David Watson PsyD,
Alzheimer’s Prevention: Just Around the Corner?
Dr. David Watson, PsyD,
Certified Principal Investigator,
Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Center
Alzheimer’s Prevention:
Just Around the Corner?
Thursday Evening, June 8, 2023
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Alzheimer's Community Care
at Grace Lutheran Church
555 SW Cashmere Blvd Port
St. Lucie 34986
Seating is limited, You must Register to attend
Register at
561 683 2700
education@alzcare.org
Weird, Out of Touch, Merciless, and Absolutely Essential
The church is dead. Long live the church?
Read this article at this link Weird, Out-of-Touch, Merciless … and Absolutely Essential - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
"Weird, Out of Touch, Merciless, and Absolutely Essential"
On first glance, these words may seem like harsh criticisms of the Church. However, a deeper examination reveals that these traits are not only accurate, but are also virtues that make the Church essential to our lives.
How to Win a Rap Battle (With the Devil)
When the Devil Throws Your Sins in Your Face
When the Devil Throws Your Sins in Your Face
Read the whole article at How to Win a Rap Battle (With the Devil) - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
There’s a famous scene at the end of 8 Mile, the early 2000s hip-hop drama based on the backstory of Eminem. In a crowded basement, two rival rappers, Papa Doc and Rabbit (played by Eminem), face off in a freestyle contest, both of them trying to tear down the other’s ego in a battle of wits. The key is to reveal the other’s weaknesses. Any material that could be used to discred
We Need Less Goliath and More Bathsheba
I became like God’s child David, whom the Lord pardoned of his adultery and murder. I became like Noah, Abraham, Judah, Aaron, Gideon, and so many more wayward children.
I became like God’s child David, whom the Lord pardoned of his adultery and murder. I became like Noah, Abraham, Judah, Aaron, Gideon, and so many more wayward children.
Read the whole article at https://www.1517.org/articles/we-need-less-goliath-and-more-bathsheba-1
hen I was a kid, I roamed the alleys and nearby fields with a pocket full of pebbles and a slingshot in hand. My grandfather had carved me the slingshot from the fork of a mesquite tree. I’d even burned my name into the wood using the sun and a magnifying glass.
As you might expect, my favorite Sunday School story was David and Goliath. In my make-believe world, I was that boy from Bethlehem, and sparrows the Philistine giants. It felt good to be the hero who takes down the foe. I was but a boy. I was new to the world. I loved Bible stories about saints who co………………………………….
The Beautiful Irony Of The Cross
When God Was Numbered With the Transgressors
When God Was Numbered With the Transgressors
Read the whole article at The Beautiful Irony of the Cross - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
In any of the crucifixion narratives in the Gospels, the character that intrigues me most is Pontius Pilate. In many ways, he’s often cast as the villain of the story. He’s the Claude Frollo in this classic tale, with the quiet, unassuming Jesus, of course, standing as our consummate hero. But when you examine Pilate’s activity within the accounts of Jesus’s execution, he’s far more of a complicated figure than we like to remember. Especially according………………………
Crab Racing! April 23'
The Racing Crabs are Coming! May 28th 23’
The racing Craps are coming to Grace May 28th 2023
The Light has Come To Stay
The resurrection rips through all of my intellectual questions.
Read whole article at The Light Has Come to Stay - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
This reflection originally appeared in Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2.
“But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:17-18)
There is a local legend of a preacher in Jackson, Mississippi. He stood up to offer a word on Easter Sunday, simply leaned into the mic and said, “It’s all true,” then sat down. I have heard people tell this story two ways. Some people talk about that minister like he was a lazy so-and-so with little regard for the pageantry of Easter. Such a day demands a well thought-out sermon befitting the hats, lilies, and plastic eggs! And then there are the people…………..
Rise & Fall - Saul and David in Samuel (Teaching Series)
In a world where chaos has reigned, the people cry for the rule of a king, a king who will raise them into a bigger and brighter existence. However, as pride and the desire for power rise, so, too, come the falls.
In a world where chaos has reigned, the people cry for the rule of a king, a king who will raise them into a bigger and brighter existence. However, as pride and the desire for power rise, so, too, come the falls.
Reading Plan
The readings for Sunday
4/16/23
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Romans 9:1-5
Mark 13:1-8
4/23/23
1 Samuel 5:1-12
Romans 9:6-15
Luke 18:35-43
4/30/23
1 Samuel 8:19-22, 9:15-21
Romans 9:16-24
Matthew 21:6-11
5/7/23
1 Samuel 13:8-15
Romans 9:24-29
Matthew 23:13-17
5/14/23
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Romans 9:30 - 10:4
Matthew 18:1-5
5/21/23
1 Samuel 24:1-12
Romans 10:5-13
Luke 6:32-36
5/28/23
2 Samuel 1:1-6
Romans 10:14-21
Matthew 14:13-21
6/4/23
2 Samuel 7:8-16
Romans 11:1-10
Matthew 22:41-46
6/11/23
2 Samuel 12;1-13
Romans 11:17-24
Matthew 20:29-34
6/18/23
2 Samuel 18:31-19:2
Romans 11:25-36
Matthew 24:1-8
6/25/23
2 Samuel 24:10-17
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 24:36-42
![[Sunday] Grief - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1686834314419-MWSO75K85R6ZTSH6GEP6/R%26F10a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Bathsheba- Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1686320525961-SEJ40E4CQS8HCO3U523K/R%26F9a.jpg)
![[Sunday] House - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1685664450071-S7IZYOOLH9QR917HR6K1/R%26F8a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Future - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1685052434626-73KV9KG1818C0GGGHUCV/R%26F7a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Projection - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1684454086617-K5FFBWTSMHE2SCYW7AKP/R%26F6a.jpg)
![[Sunday] David & Goliath - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1683820778726-WFX3YS6PSAAD9G3Y5GZP/R%26F5a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Fickle King - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1683248946896-A2ANLKFVMK3GZUFR2ZH1/R%26F4a.jpg)
![[Sunday] We Want a King - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1682700535005-5MM2PLA1M9G3CWUIFGZR/R%26F3a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Pattern of Eli - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1681912627792-V7VCDGRLRH33HCDDYSGN/R%26F2a.jpg)
![[Sunday] Hannah's Pattern - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1681478390671-978SXY58VLMTNRU7ERUD/R%26F1a.jpg)
The story of David follows those patterns of the kingdom of God. From Hannah’s pattern of humbleness to Eli’s pattern of pride leading to a fall. But David's fall at the end of Samuel cries out into the future giving us eyes to see the pattern again in the true and better David.