Romans 3:19-28

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (v. 6)

Object: A small rug or mat to put on the floor.

Optional: Have a volunteer from the group help you by roleplaying the sick man at the pool.

The great things God’s love does. This theme is in line with the Easter celebration’s focus on the magnificence of God’s actions.

Acts 16:9-15
The First Lesson is drawn from the second half of the early history of the church attributed to Paul’s Gentile associate Luke (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11). It is particularly concerned to affirm the universal mission of the church (1:8). This lesson reports on Paul’s vision of the man in Macedonia, his subsequent travels, and Lydia’s conversion. 

Acts 16:9-15
Famed modern theologian Karl Barth notes that like the Gentile encountered in Macedonia, the lives of all human beings are in the hands of God:

Contents
“The World to Come” by John Sumwalt
“We Are There” by Frank Ramirez


The World to Come
by John Sumwalt
Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5

“And in the spirit, he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.  It has the glory of God and radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.” Revelation 21:10-11

There was some interesting correspondence in 'The Times' a few years ago, concerning their serialisation of parts of "Cries Unheard", the book by Gitta Sereny about Mary Bell, who thirty-odd years ago, at the age of eleven, murdered two small boys.

One letter said this:

Sir,

I have cancelled my order for The Times. I am not paying you, to pay a writer, to pay a killer for a story. Yours faithfully.

Another letter said:

Sir,

... and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
-- Revelation 22:2d

Where do you go when you feel hopeless? Dick learned something about that when he was 13. Dick was raised in a Lutheran Church and age 13 was confirmation time. The climax of the two-year confirmation program was the public examination. At this examination the pastor put his class on public display. With the parents of the confirmands present, the pastor grilled the students with questions about what they had learned in the course of their two-year instruction period. It was quite an ordeal!

The opening verse of this psalm echoes the blessing of Aaron found in Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." The presence of the blessing in this psalm signals a theme that will be expanded in the remaining verses. The priestly blessing celebrates the presence of God and what that presence means to God's people -- and to others!

I've never had a vision -- at least not of the sort that Paul had. I don't know personally, therefore, what you feel the next morning. But it's clear from the story that whatever Paul felt, he felt it so strongly that he and his companions changed their itinerary immediately in response to that vision.

I have never liked saying "goodbye," it always elicits feelings of finality. So I say other things like, "See you!" or "Hope to see you sometime." Most of the time I like quick goodbyes. However, when a loved one leaves there are no formalities. We embrace, sometimes through tears. It is not uncommon to cast out cliches, often with a bit of humor, to lighten the atmosphere. But in the end the word "goodbye" is bound to be spoken.