APRIL 2021 EDITION
THE WOODLANDS UMC
POINT WHEN THE CITY
A MESSAGE FROM
“When the city (Jerusalem) came into view, he wept over it, saying, ‘if you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you!’” — Luke 19:41 (The Message Bible)
PASTOR TO SENIOR ADULTS
LEE BREWER
Written by: Bishop Bob Hayes
Did you know that Mark Twain, the great American humorist and author of the late 1800’s, also considered himself to be an inventor and entrepreneur? Very few people know that Twain financed hundreds of designs and inventions, but after wasting a fortune with nothing to show for his investments, he was finally able to say “no” to a young upstart by the name of Alexander Graham Bell who wanted him to invest in a new gadget called a telephone, a device that would transmit speech by electric waves! Twain called it absurd, and missed his opportunity to become a rich man. Or, take the case of the prominent Virginia physician who refused to let his daughter marry a lowly pharmacy clerk in Waco, Texas, by the name of Wade Morrison. Hurt and disappointed, Morrison decided to name a local drink he bought and developed after the daughter’s father who jilted him, and he called the drink, “Dr. Pepper!” A missed opportunity of great proportions. I could go on and on with stories such as these, but none can compare with the greatest missed opportunity ever recorded in the history of humankind. It was the day Jesus stood over his beloved City of Jerusalem and wept because he painfully realized that the people he came to save and redeem were about to reject him. Here he was, the bread of life, coming to feed his people, but rather than eat the bread that would satisfy their hunger, they chose to starve. Here he was, the light of the world, but instead of letting his light shine in their lives, they chose to stumble in darkness. It was a missed opportunity and a tragedy waiting to happen because forty years after Jesus was rejected, Jerusalem lay in ruins. During this Lenten season that takes us from Ash Wednesday to Calvary, and finally, to the Tomb, Jesus draws near to us and gives us the chance in these 40 days to repent of our sins; to examine ourselves and clean up the mess that we’ve made inside; and maybe for the first time make him Lord of our lives and receive him as our Savior and friend! For Christ’s sake, don’t miss this opportunity that he affords us, because everything good for us can be found in him! May God’s peace and blessings be with you all.
Mark Twain once said about the longing for the coming of spring: “It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you want, but it just makes your heart ache, you want it so!” I’ve been looking at the trees and shrubs in the yard for any small sign of new buds. I’m already looking forward to the arrival of the hummingbirds that should be returning on their migration in a couple of weeks, and the glorious bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush to cover the fields. It is time for the green, the growing and the colorful to return to our lives isn’t it? We long for new life and vibrancy to return to the world. There is an even deeper longing that is within us that is also a part of this time of the year. “As the deer longs for the flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1-2) Easter is the ultimate fulfillment of the heart’s desire for new beginnings and a real encounter with the living God. The cross, the darkness at noon, the lifeless body and the cold, hard rock of the tomb, are all about to be part of the past. With Easter Sunday the darkness, doubt and death of the past is replaced by an angel with an appearance like lightning and clothes white as snow who comes to roll the stone away and proclaim that Jesus has been raised from the dead. The promise of Easter, and the promise of Jesus is, “Behold, I make all things new!” We hope for the newness of spring in this world. We long for new life and new beginnings. In Christ, we have even more than hope – we have assurance for today, for tomorrow, and forever. Anticipating spring, and rejoicing in Easter! Lee