Prayer of the Day/Collect for 2nd Sunday in Lent Yr B

God of life, as we journey through the Lenten season, make us ever aware of our calling to follow where

Image by GW-H 

Jesus leads us by a life of self-denial and cross-bearing. Help us to walk with you Jesus as you reveal yourself to us through the sufferings of the poor, sick, forgotten, lost, last and least in our midst and around the globe. For it is in losing life for your sake and the sake of the gospel that we gain real, lasting and abundant life; through Jesus the cross-bearing Messiah. Amen.

Antisemitic shooting in Denmark

In many European nations including, Denmark, there have been an alarming increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents. Yesterday there was a shooting at a Copenhagen synagogue during a Bat Mitzvah celebration.  The former Chief Rabbi of Denmark, Bent Lexner speaks of this sad killing of a security guard and the larger context of the Jewish community in Denmark in the following video. One of the things I observed about this video interview is the nervous, distressing voice of Rabbi Lexner. 

   Is this merely "a rare, random act" committed by a fanatic terrorist, or is this something ongoing, picking up momentum, making it impossible for Jews to live freely and safely in Europe? I hope and pray that it is not the latter! May God have mercy upon the Jewish diaspora, and protect them from such evil.  You can also read more about it here.

Ah, there's nothing like a cross-country ski outing

Today I went on my first cross-country ski outing of this winter. It was a beautiful sunshine day, minus eight, no wind, perfect snow conditions, as it had snowed last night a bit. 

   Here's a little about where I went from the website www.trailpeak.com: "Roughly following Stoney Creek there is an excellent set of XC trails right in the middle of Alberta's Blue Collar Heartland. Consisting of multiple, integrated loops in the whole rainbow of colours (Green/Easy, Blue and Black/Difficult)."

  "Built in 1990 for the Alberta Winter Games (probably), it is a completely professional, technical, and wonderful facility."

Now if I could only ski this trail every day, I'd be in great shape! 

Ancient tablets reveal life of Jews in Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon

(Reuters) - A new exhibition of ancient clay tablets discovered in modern-day Iraq is shedding light for the first time on the daily life of Jews exiled to Babylon some 2,500 years ago.

The exhibition is based on more than 100 cuneiform tablets, each no bigger than an adult's palm, that detail transactions and contracts between Judeans driven from, or convinced to move from, Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC.

Archaeologists got their first chance to see the tablets -- acquired by a wealthy London-based Israeli collector -- barely two years ago. They were blown away. Watch a short video clip and read the whole thing here.

Stories out of China

Yesterday I happened to pick up Coffee News, Vol. 11, No. 5, Feb 2, 2015, while eating lunch. In it, I found these two stories out of China. Both stories got me thinking how many in the Western world stereotype, demonize, and condemn the Chinese communist system. It is true that they need to improve-in some cases drastically!-their human rights record. However, I wonder if the following stories below reflect the more hopeful influence of Christianity in China.

   Story One-Good deeds: A heroine who has been dubbed "Chinese RedBud Woman" has been discovered in China. The unidentified female wears a bright blue mask, along with a black leather outfit. She is becoming popular in Beijing and has been caught on tape doing her good deeds. These deeds include approaching poor elderly people and the homeless to give them food and clothing. So far, no one knows the real identity of the woman who has refused to give her name when asked. Instead, she disappears into the night looking for the next person who needs help.

   Story Two-Rich street cleaner: A wealthy woman in the city of Wuhan in central China wants to give back to society. Youzhen Yu made millions in the real estate industry. She and her husband own a number of apartment properties that they purchased over the years, and instead of living a life of luxury, Yu decided to show her children that one must work hard to earn a living. So, she took a low-paying job with the city. She sweeps the street and cleans garbage cans on a two-mile stretch of a busy road. Her children have followed her example by taking menial jobs so they can learn about the work ethic.