Sunday September 16th, 2018 Mark 8:27-38
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (verse 34)
When we lived in Lac du Bonnet, I volunteered in our school’s special education classroom. Their teacher, Miss Sandy, asked me to take the older boys and teach them crafts “that would appeal to them.” So, I found some 6″ x 6″ logs, and I showed my students how to use saws, chisels, hammer and nails to make a large cross for my Lenten services.
After a lot of sawdust, everyone was proud of our carpentry masterpiece. The boys helped lift and tie down our huge cross onto the roof rack of my car. I had a lot of chores to do that day, and frankly, I forgot about my cross, until I pulled into a gas station for fuel. “That’s quite a cross you got there,” the owner said. I later found that lifting it down by myself wasn’t nearly as easy as having a team lift it up.
I learned two things that day. One, carrying a cross does make you stand out, whether you want to or not, and two, big crosses are better carried by a community. Think about this and draw your own conclusions.
Lord Jesus, make us cross-bearers, not just cross-wearers. Amen. — BB
Contributed by Cross Words
When we lived in Lac du Bonnet, I volunteered in our school's special education classroom. Their teacher, Miss Sandy, asked me to take the older boys and teach them crafts "that would appeal to them." So, I found some 6" x 6" logs, and I showed my students how to use saws, chisels, hammer and nails to make a large cross for my Lenten services.
After a lot of sawdust, everyone was proud of our carpentry masterpiece. The boys helped lift and tie down our huge cross onto the roof rack of my car. I had a lot of chores to do that day, and frankly, I forgot about my cross, until I pulled into a gas station for fuel. "That's quite a cross you got there," the owner said. I later found that lifting it down by myself wasn't nearly as easy as having a team lift it up.
I learned two things that day. One, carrying a cross does make you stand out, whether you want to or not, and two, big crosses are better carried by a community. Think about this and draw your own conclusions.
