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I'm sharing this journal entry from one of our sheep / shepherds for your encouragement and invite you to share your stories to keep us connected David
Thursday April 2, 2020: A journal entry:
JESUS WEPT.
A Morning mist of low cloud wrapped soft around the hills.
I read John 6 and tried to ponder on Jesus the living bread. But the mist beckoned and drew me outside, quickly enfolding me in its clammy embrace.
There was no pausing to choose direction. I headed straight up the hill blanketed in the foggy stillness, only birdcall echoing the inner certainty – she’s coming to pray.
Pray up the hill. I haven’t prayed up there for a while. I’ve prayed. But not there on God’s hill, my place of retreat.
At the summit, as cloud drifted and lifted, it was my heart that rained out its anguished plea, the cry for help with COVID19: LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER. Help us Jesus.
That was it. No wordy waffle. I perched on the rim of the damp bench, poised in grief and need; heart, mind and spirit turned to God, “Yet still do I praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Living God.”
A lull then settled over me, like a mute button had been pressed to hush the turmoil of my distressed thoughts and wretched emotions concerning the plight of the world’s people. Wait. Be quiet!
Jesus wept. The words from last Sunday’s reading came to mind loud and clear.
33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Judaeans who had come with her crying, he was deeply stirred in his spirit, and very troubled. 34 ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Master,’ they said, ‘come and see.’ 35 Jesus burst into tears. (John 11:33-35 NTE)
I too burst into tears, and as I wept, there at the top of the hill, I knew he was weeping with me. Weeping with all the world. Weeping for us all.
Turn to me. And I, turning, vision all awash, could see clearly, he was there. Feed my sheep. To this I shook my head, and thought, I’m no pastor. You are a minister of my word. Therefore, speak my word to others. Speak my word to one another. And suddenly understanding dawned. “You aren’t just saying this to me, are you? It’s your call to all of us: Feed your sheep. The responsibility is ours collectively.” And I pictured the scattered sheep, isolated from one another but belonging together and needing creative new ways of being church and speaking grace and hope to one another and others.
I plunged, then, down the hill, not following the worn paths but winding down the steeper slope, weaving through knee high weeds, around rocky mounds and patches of slippery flattened grass, to emerge at the wider base track.
Now is the time to forge new paths. Jesus is still the Way, the “base track” of my faith remains the same. It’s the network of familiar paths that represent how we have lived out our faith, that have fallen away, not God’s word or his kingdom, or his love.
I am thankful for this love that comes to us where we are: scattered sheep weeping in the mist of uncertainty. I’m thankful that Jesus wept and that his way isn’t set in stone. That he comes and calls us to discover a new and living way, today and tomorrow and the next day. Hallelujah! This is a new day! And the Jesus who weeps with us in our distress will renew us and lead us on beyond COVID19.
JESUS WEPT.
The autumn sun filtered a pale ray through the drifting grey. A reminder that the God who weeps, also sheds light as well as tears.
Planted by streams of grace
by Jodie Hoff
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
They are like trees planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3a).
Read Psalm 1
Psalm 1 begins with a picture of two ways to live. One way is shaped by voices that pull us away from goodness, wisdom and life. The other is quieter and deeper: delighting in God’s word, returning to it, letting it settle in us and slowly shape who we are becoming.
I love the image at the heart of this psalm: trees planted by streams of water. It is not hurried. It is not flashy. It is a picture of being rooted, nourished and quietly sustained. The tree bears fruit in its season, not all at once and not by striving harder, but because it is planted close to the source of life.
There is something gentle and hopeful here for us. So much of our daily life can feel full: decisions to make, people to care for, needs to notice, tasks to finish. In the middle of all that, Psalm 1 invites us to ask a simple question: What are we planted beside? What is quietly shaping our thinking, our speaking, our responding and our loving?
To be planted by streams of water is to keep returning to God’s grace. It is to make space for prayer, Scripture, worship, community, silence and service: the ordinary practices through which God nourishes us. And slowly, often quietly, fruit begins to grow: patience, courage, kindness, wisdom and peace.
Today, may we trust that God is tending our roots, refreshing our spirits and growing good fruit in us for the sake of the people and places we are called to love.
Gracious God, plant us close to the streams of your love and nourish us with your word. Help us grow in patience, courage and kindness and bear fruit that brings life to others. Amen.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience in Lutheran schools, Jodie Hoff brings a deep commitment to Lutheran education and the people and communities it serves. Having lived and worked in both Queensland and South Australia, she now serves as the executive director of Lutheran Education Australia. Jodie is passionate about building relationships, fostering connection and creating opportunities for people and communities to flourish. Beyond her work, she enjoys photography and the arts.
A NOTE FROM PASTOR PHIL
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, special and precious offshoots of the true and Living Vine,
I’ve got some bad news and good news: “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) Luther, shares the good news this way: ‘Jesus rescued me when I was lost and sentenced to death. He set me free from all my sins, from death and the power of the devil. It cost him more than gold or silver; it cost him his life. Even though he was innocent, he suffered and died for me.’ Wow!! Praise the Lord! May that never cease to amaze and inspire us.
God bless you, your day and your week. In Christ, the Living Vine.
Pastor Phil Joppich
Living Vine Lutheran Church
Held by hope
by Jodie Hoff
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
We are his house if we hold firm the boldness and the pride inspired by hope (Hebrews 3:6b).
Read Hebrews 3:1–6
Hebrews invites us to ‘consider Jesus’: to pause, look again and centre our attention on the one who is faithful. I find that such a gentle invitation, especially in a world that so often pulls our focus in many directions.
The writer honours Moses as a faithful servant in God’s house, and then points us to Christ, who is faithful as a son over God’s house. Our hope does not rest on our own strength, certainty, performance or ability to hold everything together. It rests in Jesus’ faithfulness.
That matters because hope can feel fragile. We can feel overwhelmed by responsibility, unsettled by change or tired from carrying what matters. We may wonder whether we have enough courage, wisdom or patience for what lies ahead.
Into that space, this passage reminds us of who we belong to. ‘We are his house.’ We are not simply trying to manage on our own. We are gathered and held in Christ, part of God’s household, where hope is shared, strengthened and renewed.
To hold firm to hope is not about pretending everything is easy. It is to keep turning toward Jesus, especially when our own faith feels small. It is to remember that God is still building, sustaining and making a home among us.
Today, may we consider Jesus again and find in him the courage to live with hope, trust and love.
Faithful Jesus, help us to consider you again when our attention is scattered, and our hope feels fragile. Hold us in your love, strengthen us as your people, and guide us to live with courage and trust. Amen.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience in Lutheran schools, Jodie Hoff brings a deep commitment to Lutheran education and the people and communities it serves. Having lived and worked in both Queensland and South Australia, she now serves as the executive director of Lutheran Education Australia. Jodie is passionate about building relationships, fostering connection and creating opportunities for people and communities to flourish. Beyond her work, she enjoys photography and the arts.