A Pastor’s Musings
(A Series of Devotions)
The three days surrounding Easter Sunday are a time of deep reflection and celebration. The three days begin with a celebration on Maundy Thursday. The disciples and Jesus are gathered together to celebrate the Passover feast on Maundy Thursday, they are celebrating together. From this celebration, they move into reflection as they go out to pray in the garden and Judas goes off to betray Jesus. The three days quickly move from a time of celebration to a time of reflection and mourning as Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and crucified. The three days of Easter lead us from celebration to the death of the savior. We are however not left to sit in the despair of Christ’s death as Easter brings us once again to a celebration of a different sort. The celebration of Easter brings us to celebrate not only that Christ has risen but that Christ has started something new. We now have a new relationship with God, and a new mission to spread that good news to others we encounter. The three days are meant to take us through a journey of celebrating, reflecting, and celebrating once again. As we move to and through the three days of Easter may it be a time of blessing, reflection, and celebration for us all.
Pastor Cody Blust March 31, 2022
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus, Greek Philosopher
In a week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day, a time for gathering with family to give thanks for what we have. We spend a whole day eating meals and sharing memories together as we prepare for the coming of the King. Yet, as we give thanks for what we have, the thoughts of what we could have may cross our minds. How often do we think about what we could have, especially with all of the deals that take place on the Friday after? The temptation to focus on what we could have is strong but in this time of giving thanks, it is beneficial to focus on what we have been blessed with. The quote at the top of the post from philosopher Epictetus points to the value of focusing on what we do have. The wisdom of focusing on what we have comes from being able to see the blessings that we have been given. We can see the friends and family we have, the things that we have, and the gifts that we have. When we focus on what we do not have we miss out on the bounty of what we have been given. When the people of Israel became focused on what they did not have in the wilderness they missed out on the blessings they had been given. This Thanksgiving remember the words of Epictetus and celebrate the blessings we have been given.
Pastor Cody Blust
November 18, 2021
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Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church - Evansville 