ROOTS OF FAITH
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Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. The palm is a symbol of victory, so consider today a beginning of new hope. Join in the parade with our children who joyfully pick up the palm fronds and wave for all to see.
| TODAY: Consider this portion of a letter from Henri Nouwen to his nephew: “The mystery of the spiritual life is that Jesus desires to meet us in the seclusion of our own heart, to make his love known to us there, to free our fears and to make our own deepest self known to us. In the privacy of our heart, therefore, we can learn not only to know Jesus, but through Jesus to know ourselves as well.” |
For most of us, the roots of our faith can be traced to our baptism and Sunday School classes. Students from our second- grade class and one of our members who was a second- grader many years ago share their thoughts today.
When asked “What does 'the Lord is My Shepherd’ mean to you?” second graders offered their responses:
“The Lord is My Shepherd means he makes sure I won’t get lost. Sometimes bad things can happen. But only for a little while.” – Tommy Warwick
“The Lord is My Shepherd means I am a sheep, but not really a sheep. I am a person. Jesus will guard me.” – Stephen Oakes
“The Lord is My Shepherd means I should try and make someone’s life better.” – Scotty Fletcher
“The Lord is My Shepherd means he can find me anywhere. Even if I were invisible. He could still see me.” - Noah Zatterstrom
Dear Jesus,
Help us to be good. Make sure you see me.
Keep us all safe. Amen.
Jack Furrow experienced a very different kind of baptism than we see at Good Shepherd:
“I remember my baptism as a 10-year-old. Several girls and boys were with me that Sunday when we went before the congregation. We had had classes before that. There was a very large round stained-glass window behind the baptismal pool, which was above the choir. The congregation looked up to us. We were immersed forward three times with the minister saying, ‘I baptize you John Randolph Furrow, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.’ That marked the formal beginning of my spiritual life and my walk with Jesus.”
Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist