May 28, 2022

Dear Road Church Friends,

This has been a long, hard week for the people of Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX, and for this Nation. Last week Buffalo was the site of the deadliest mass murder of the year until this week, when twice as many school children were murdered in Uvalde. These tragedies have weighed heavily on me. Uppermost in my mind was an echo of Jesus’ last words: My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?” Jesus’ last words were spoken while he was surrounded by a curious crowd of fellow citizens that had gathered to taunt him and watch him slowly die. His dying cry was a response to the dark cruelty and casual disregard for innocent human life that his people showed to one of their own, who had come to be their light. Sadly, there are none so blind as those who will not see, so God sent a cloud of darkness and hardness that covered their land.

My response to this present darkness is to be tender hearted toward those whose lives have been devastated by the loss their children and loved ones. I promise that the emotional wounds I feel now will not heal or be forgotten after a few weeks. I promise that my memories of the horror of these past two weeks will not be erased or buried by the 24 hour news cycle. I promise to work for a common good that puts the lives of our children and public safety above all our other personal concerns. I promise to remain repentant and open to the movement of God’s spirit in my heart, and to the spirit’s leading through my community of faith, so that I might be a light to others, and others can be a light to me.

                 SCRIPTURE:   MARK 15:33-39           SERMON:  Come, Be My Light 

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s wait and see whether Elijah will come to his rescue.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the Roman centurion, who stood guard, saw him die in this way, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

HYMN:  “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”  # 301

MARY AT THE CROSS

And Mary stood beside the cross! Her soul

Pierced with the self-same wound that rent his side

Who hung thereon. She watched him as he died.

Her son! Saw him paying the cruel toll

Exacted by the law, and unbelief,

Since he their evil will had dared defy.

There stood the mother helpless in her grief,

Beside the cross and saw her firstborn die!

How many mothers in how many lands

Have bowed with Mary in her agony,

In silence borne the wrath of war’s commands,

When every hill is made a Calvary!

O pity, Lord, these mothers of the slain,

And grant their dead shall not have died in vain.

by Clyde McGee

Blessings to all, Pastor Norm

Our Morning Service on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l-0YWUZ03sI