Ostrander Presbyterian Church

04/04/2026

Saturday March 4, 2026

Today is traditionally a day of silence, often referred to as Silent Saturday. It is meant to leave us in limbo the way that Jesus’s followers were left not knowing what was going to happen next. Can you imagine the feeling of loss coupled with the fear of what might be coming for them just because they followed Him. Can you imagine the shattering of all of their hopes, the questioning, and the fear.

Luke 23:26-46
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land[h] until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed,[i] and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

04/03/2026

04/03/2026

Friday March 3, 2026

It is Good Friday, and we call it good not because of what happened on this day but rather because of what God did with it. The reality is that what happened on this day that we celebrate was not only a horrible and horrific act perpetrated on the Son of God, but also a demonstration of the depths of evil that human kind is capable of. Jesus was not the first nor the last to suffer this fate, thousands of people were subjected to it. It was a horrible and public way to die, designed to humiliate the sufferer as well as their family and friends. But we call it Good because Jesus took this symbol of oppression, hatred and pain, the cross and turned it into the symbol of a movement of love, peace and reconciliation.

Matthew 26:67-68
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
67 Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?”
Matthew 27:26-31
26 So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

04/02/2026

Thursday March 2, 2026

It has always struck me, the hopelessness that I feel in this scene. I can even hear it in the way that Jesus responds. How does one fight the charges of made up rules and angry opinions. Even those who are supposed to pass judgment do not understand why this is happening and yet they too feel hopeless to change it. There is a great engagement with despair during Holy Week, so many awful and hopeless things happening including what happens with Peter’s denial. Thankfully we know how it all turned out.

John 18:13-28
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
13 First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus
15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. 17 The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Jesus Again
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the c**k crowed.
Jesus before Pilate
28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

04/01/2026

Wednesday April 1, 2026

As we read today’s passage, let us remember for ourselves the feeling of being betrayed. We have all felt the pain of betrayal but certainly none of us to the extent that Jesus did. Yet look, and listen to how Jesus responds, even when on of his followers lashes out. May we learn form the example of Jesus, not that we should put up with being wronged, but rather that we should love our way through the difficulties we face.

Luke 22:47-54
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” 49 When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” 50 Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as though I were a rebel? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour and the power of darkness!”
Peter Denies Jesus
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

03/31/2026

As it is Holy Week, I thought we would take a look at the events of Holy Week as we lead into Easter. I invite you to read this scripture and engage in the emotions that Jesus and his friends might have been feeling in the moment. Feel the excitement and yet confusion of the apostles, experience in Jesus's words the profound nature of this moment.

Matthew 26:30-46
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
30 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter’s Denial Foretold
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night, for it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32 “But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the c**k crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what you want.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Now the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going. Look, my betrayer is at hand.”

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

03/30/2026

Monday March 30, 2026
Psalm 36:5-6
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

As we begin Holy Week, this passage is particularly poignant. I am reminded of what Jesus said to His followers in John 15:12-14, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.” And after saying this, He did exactly that, laid down His life, a perfect life for His imperfect friends. And notice that this steadfast love that the psalmist declares and that Jesus demonstrates does not only apply to those who put their feet in the same sand as He did, but to all who follow after Him. This steadfast love, that truly does endure forever, applies to all who accept and follow. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” As we travel the road to Jerusalem, the road to the crucifixion, let us be reminded not only of what Jesus did for us, but why. He did it for love.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

03/28/2026

Saturday March 28, 2026
Psalm 137:1-2
1 By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down, and there we wept when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our harps.

Although we may not really understand what the psalmist is talking about here, Psalm 137 is a song of lament over the Jewish exile in Babylon. This psalm captures their deep sorrow, their homesickness, and also their anger and frustration with their captors. This passage captures a beautiful image of flowing rivers and willow groves but casts it as a place of morning. Although most of us cannot resinate with exile, I wonder if we can resinate with the feeling of being separated from what we love. I think that we all have times in our lives when we are separated from loved ones, or times where we have to live in a place that we do not call home, but there is one sort of exile, a self chosen one, that hurts us the most. It is the separation that we choose for ourselves from God. As Paul says in Romans 8:38-39, “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And I will add, that nothing can separate you from the love of God, not even you. But we do something to ourselves, we choose to believe that there is no possible way that God could love us, and so we ignore what is in front of us, ignore that God has blessed us, is with us, and loves us even at our worst moments. Perhaps another way to look at it is that we must be willing to forgive ourselves for what we have done and said in our lives in order to get that out of our way of seeing and feeling the tremendous love of God that is always steadfastly there.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

03/27/2026

Friday March 27, 2026
Psalm 143:8
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Yes, God, let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning so that I might start my day with a fresh sense of who you are, but importantly let me be capable of listening to what I hear from You. How often do we read the words of scripture and walk out of our door cursing the world. How often do we remind ourselves to love our neighbors and yet we struggle with driving to work without being aggravated by those who share the road with us. As we pray that God would speak to us, let us also pray that God would give us ears to hear, minds to listen, and hearts to serve.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.

03/26/2026

Because I know that we had technical difficulty with the message I thought I would post it here so that anyone who wanted could watch.

03/26/2026

Thursday March 26, 2026
Psalm 131:1-3
1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore.

As I read this I am reminded once again of the passage from Micah 8 which I have had ringing in my ears for months. Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And it is that last line that resonates with this passage for me. Walk humbly with God. There psalmist wisely likens our existence to that of a small child, both independent from it’s mother, and also reliant upon her. We are granted the free will of decision making by God who could easily direct our every step. And yet, God allows us to make those decisions for ourselves, often decisions that do not work out well. But like a good parent, rather than grabbing our feet and placing them in the right position, God guides us along the way. Although we have the free will to make decisions that get us in trouble, we also have the resources to seek out what God wants from us, and to live into the call that God has placed upon us. To live into that essence of God that has been placed in each of us by our creator. Those resources are the words of scripture, yes that is true, but also a great resource is prayer. Prayer of listening, prayer of meditation, which allows us to hear better what God is wanting from us and for us. Along with the words of the text, we must pray and ask God what this means for us right here and right now. Seek God’s “Davar” God’s words, God’s will, God’s ways.

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us

03/25/2026

Wednesday March 25, 2026
Psalm 119:147
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

Wow, this passage hits home for me right now. I feel like when I wake in the morning, that before my feet hit the floor I am already acknowledging my need for help. An to be clear, I am frustrated with what is going on in the world, but it is also that I very often feel woefully prepared for what the day holds. First let me acknowledge that I am struggling with the hateful rhetoric in our country and in our world, I am frustrated that as we call ourselves a Christian nation, that at the same time we have found excuse after excuse to not live into what God calls us to do. So yes, I am frustrated and I constantly ask for God to assist me as I navigate what it means to be a Christian in today’s world, and perhaps even more difficulty what it means to be a pastor in today’s world. But on a personal level, let me explain what I mean by feeling woefully prepared of the day. It is not that I think that my seminary training falls short of giving me necessary skills and tools, that is not the case at all. But rather I find myself tired, struggling with my own agenda getting in my way, and feeling frustrated when one more obstacle, or one more task gets added to my day. And so I find myself soft of naturally saying what we read from the psalmist today, Lord before I rise in the morning, I already cry out for your assistance but my hope for getting through today and every day is your word, your will, and your way. Which by the way the word for “word” in this passage in Hebrew means word but also way or concerns. And I guess there is why I find myself so renitent with today’s passage, because I know what my prayer should be, and sometimes I am actually able to get it out of my mouth, and that is “Lord I need your help, make my ways your ways, make your concerns my concerns, get me out of my way so that I can serve as you would wish.”

Gracious heavenly God grant that in this season of Lent that we might draw ever closer to You, and that we would become truly grateful for what You have done for us.