Jack’s Winning Words 6/3/21

“A drop of love can bring an ocean of tears.”  (Yiddish Wit)  Recently I saw on Facebook a Service of Farewell for a beloved pastor.  The remembrances of shared “love” brought many tears.  I’ve seen the same thing at cemetery gravesides…at graduations and weddings.  There’s a book, “When Therapists Cry.”  Therapists do cry…and so do pastors.  How about you?  What is it that brings tears to your eyes?    The Bible says that even, “Jesus wept.”  ;-)  Jack

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: i have sometimes stated that tears are liquid love.   ever noticed how good you feel after a good cry?   go back to bed, Jack:):):) ===JACK:  Did you ever cry in the presence of a church member? ===SP:  several times.   at funerals of children.  some of the saddest funerals i have ever done.===JACK:  I agree with that.  

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Interesting WW this morning, Pastor Freed.  A "drop of love" made me associate with a "drop of blood" and an "ocean of tears" made me associate with the "blood and water that gushed from the side of Jesus" and finally whenever anyone does something that demonstrates "sacrificial love" it always brings tears to my eyes.  I can really get emotional with newscasts/stories/movies/ sometimes even a powerful sermon ===JACK:  I've read of sermons have have brought people to tears.  I don't know that I've ever preached one.

FROM JLF:  I bet Jodi tells you this story - When Jodi and I went to LA we were in the audience for the filming of a live tv game show.  The audience was supposed to remain quiet.  However one question to the contestant was “What’s the shortest verse in the Bible?”  and I blurted out “JESUS WEPT!”   I had learned that piece of trivia in your confirmation class 😀 and without thinking I just shouted it out!  We thought we were gonna get kicked out.  Ha!===JACK:  Sometimes people laugh so hard that they cry.  That's happened to me. 

FROM DR J:  Well I just read the blog and Jeanne didn’t get the story exactly right. The funniest part of the story was that she said to me “don’t open your big mouth ... I know you think you know all the answers and you’re going to blurt out your answers“ and then it was Jeanne who blurted out “Jesus wept“. That now that’s a classic!===JACK:  I'd like to see the two of you on a game show.  Which one would it be?

FROM WILLMAR REV:  It doesn't take much nowadays. 0;-) ===JACK:  You seem to me to be the kind of empathetic pastor who cries easily with those who are grieving.  Right? ===REV:   More so noticeable in recent times than earlier on . . . especially now with those of my generation. 0;-)===JACK:  Lately, showing your emotions has seemed to be a sign of weakness.....for example, "There's no crying in baseball." 

FROM SHALOM JAN:  Baptisms make me cry . . . because they are the most important "incident" in a person's life, a forever incident of God's grace. ===JACK:  Various church events seem to bring tears...confirmations, weddings, funerals...I've seen people walk from the altar with tears after receiving Communion.

FROM MINDFUL MATT:  I read obituaries every day. I’m struck by the lives people led and the love that pours out. The deaths of people dying at early ages saddens me.===JACK:  It was the death of a little four-year-old girl that brought me to tears.  I still have a picture of her actively swinging from a tree limb.

FROM ANDOVER:  You might not be surprised to know I (Jens) cry at a whole lot of things, including coffee, beer and insurance commercials.===JACK:  There are some commercials that make want to yell...STOP IT!  For example, the ads promoting casino gambling.

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  Many years ago we attended the funeral for Bob’s cousin’s husband who was a mortician.  It was in a Catholic Church and the priest read a scripture reading from one of the books in the Apocrypha that pertained to “those who care for the bodies of the deceased”.  I have always remembered that Gary and his occupation were also remember in scripture readings.  It brings tears to my eyes as he was a very carrying person and died way too young!  Some hymns and some popular songs can bring tears to may eyes as well as special times in my family’s lives.  Sometimes I can cry for just no reason at all – it feels good.  I’m sure they are “love” tears.===JACK:  I had never known of that reference in the Catholic scripture.  I'll have to llok it up.

FROM GUSTIE:  Clem’s confirmation Bible verse! ===JACK:  "jesus wept."