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We
learned a lot from our parents – and our grandparents:
They taught us how to appreciate a
job well done;
If your going to kill each
other, do it outside – I just finished cleaning.
They taught us about religion;
You'd better pray that will
come out of the carpet.
They taught us about time travel;
If you don't straighten up, I’m
going to knock you into next week!
They taught us about logic;
Because I said so, that's why.
They taught us about advanced logic;
If you fall out of that swing
and break your neck, you're not going to get to go to McDonald's.
They taught us about foresight;
Make sure you wear clean
underwear, in case you're in an accident.
They taught us about the science of
osmosis;
Shut your mouth and eat your
supper!
They taught us about weather;
It looks like a tornado swept
through your room.
They taught us about contortionism;
Will you “look” at the dirt on
the back of your neck!
Yes, we learned a lot from our parents and grandparents, if we were
paying attention. But mostly, we learned about love. In Hosea 11, we
learn that God has that kind of parental love for God's people:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and offering incense to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.” (Hosea 11: 1-4)
But
we learn the most about God's love for us in Holy Week and Easter.
God's love for the world includes love for you and me. And sometimes,
that love takes forms we would not choose, and cannot understand, but
our faith in God's love gets us through those times. That is what our
parents and grandparents would have us learn in church, why they wanted
us to be part of a faith community. From the very human reactions of
Palm Sunday, through the dark hours of Good Friday, into the dawn of
new light on Easter Sunday morning, the vivid truth of God's love for
us comes alive.
In the life and death of Jesus, love meets the world. Still, there are
countless distractions and forces at work in our world today that keep
us from seeing the strength of that love. A story out of the Jewish
tradition tells about a little girl, Rachel, who was playing
hide-and-seek with her friends. For some reason, all the kids decided
to stop playing and went off to do other things while she was the one
hiding. And nobody told Rachel. Pretty soon, she started to cry. Her
old Jewish grandfather came out to see what was wrong.
After hearing what had happened, Rachel's grandfather said, “Don’t cry
because the children did not come to find you. Perhaps you can learn a
lesson from this experience. All of life is like a neighborhood game
between God and us. Only God is the one weeping, because we are not
playing the game fairly. God is waiting to be found, but so many have
gone in search of other things.”
Perhaps this Easter season, we can find God again in our lives. There
is no better time to look
Shalom ~
Chris Grewe
PARISH NEWS
Find out what else is new in the Parish ( .pdf ) .
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Welcome
Grace and peace to you, in the name of Jesus Christ! Church family: for some people, these two words are synonymous. For others, the family in which they grew up included a particular church, the celebrations and familiar feel of church. For some, the words conjure up a closed picture of a clan you have to be born or marry into. But that is not us. At Savage Memorial, we are proud to be a church family. For us, that means people of all generations are valued and included. That means the ties of love are continually extended to include new life, new people, new experiences. Church family means we eat together, celebrate together, cry together, and grow together in faith. We welcome folks of every worldly condition into our church family, regardless of race, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, or economic condition. We are committed to the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons. We are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and as such are a worship-centered, Biblically-ordered, and Spirit-led expression of the larger church. Connections to other believers, congregations, and ministries keep us personally involved with Christ’s worldwide work. In worship, fellowship, and mission, we joyfully give all praise and honor and glory to God. Our people are connected to the world and our communities. Thoughtful awareness and genuine engagement with the workings of the world are valued here. We come from around the corner, across the country, and the world over, and we relish the diversity of a family with broad roots. Our dedication has long been captured in the line – To the Glory of God and the Service of our Community. Yes, that’s us. We invite you to join us as we offer ourselves to God and are prepared for God’s service in the world. There is a place for you at our family table. Shalom
– Susan & Chris Grewe, co-pastors |
Our Church's address:Savage Memorial Presbyterian Church 1740 SE 139th Avenue Portland, OR 97233-2311 |
 To go to the the Presbyterian Church's home page, click above icon. |