MAC KIRK

    John 16:16-22   …”   A Little While and You shall see Me” 16:22 is my text. " 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."   Sorrow here is - lýpē – properly, distress, vexation; (figuratively) physical or emotional pain; heavy, heart-sorrow (grief) that brings a person down. Biblehub.com       As Christians we have the hope based on the certainty of the record of Holy Scripture that Easter is true.   But we do not live that way, do we?   We live more as the world where our lives seem empty, hopeless and bereft of the comfort of God.   We seek those things that can never give us what we need.   The things of this world are temporal but the things which are unseen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:18 .   Of course we have sorrow that our loved ones are no longer here with us.   And that is human and natural for us to have that reaction.    Jesus wept , but He also rose again from the dead.

 Shepherd Talk John 10   Shepherd Talk     Not having been raised on a farm or in a rural setting I cannot say I know much about sheep, but I have been looking at the stories of people that are Shepherds and reading about sheep as well.  You Tube has a wonderful video of a Shepherd in the hills calling his sheep in what looks like fog and they respond after he calls them repeatedly.  I learned that herding sheep is not so easy.  They have to be led to the pens with care, and be protected from poisonous plants and wolves or other predators as well as get routine medicine and vaccinations.  Shepherds also have herding dogs much like the border collie or perhaps even like the dogs we have, “welsh corgies” to get the sheep and herd them from one place to another.  It seems that it can be a very messy business but very rewarding.     Sheep are able to see color but have poor depth perception and their peripheral vision is 320 degrees.  They have excellent hearing and band together as a floc

  Peace of Easter Peace- John 20:19-23       All of us long for peace in our personal lives as well as in our world.  In this world we do not see it.  Instead we read of wars breaking out, conflicts that you and I can name as we pick up the papers.  Nearer to home , peace in our families seems difficult or uncommon.  Family abuse, violence, separation and divorce are all common, and none of us is unaffected by it.         On the Resurrection day, Jesus said it two times, v. 19 and v. 21 “ Peace be with you”  “ Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘ Peace be unto you.’  ( the original work is eirene which we get our word irenic which means peaceful)  This peace is given by the blood of the Cross.  Jesus gives us His peace which is not as the world gives, that is temporary peace.  It is eternal peace and personal peace as well.