*Jack’s Winning Words 4/14/22

“One day at a time, Sweet Jesus; that’s all I’m asking of you.”  (Marijohn Wilkin)  I’ve used that song lyric more than once when talking with someone who was facing a major problem in their life.  It was that way with Marijohn: alcoholism, a broken marriage, her mother’ death!  By impulse, with tears in her eyes, she pulled into a church parking lot.  Among other things, the minister she met advised her “to take one day at a time.”  Comforted, she and her friend, Kris Kristofferson, wrote the “Sweet Jesus” song.  Thanks to You Tube, you can play it anytime you feel the need.  Remember!  “One day at a time!”  ;-)  Jack  

FROM PAIGE:  I just played that song for my husband Luke and myself as we are waking up this morning. I love it. Thank you for introducing me to such a great song for my whole family. :) Happy Easter!===JACK:  What a pleasure to hve you share this "morning" experience.  If each of could wake up and say...One day at a time, Sweet Jesus.  Oftentimes we want to bite off more than we can chew.  When I'm advising people to take one day at a time, I'm speaking to myself, as well. 

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Sweet Jesus!" 0;-)===JACK:  I see people of the AG persuasion using the Sweet Jesus term more frequently than I do.  That doesn't make it right or wrong...it's what we're comfortable with when referring to God in the human form of Jesus.  I like the term, "friend," such as, "What a friend we have in Jesus."  Of course, there are other terms, as well.

FROM DB IN GR:  Hello Jack  Just wanted to check in and let you know how much I appreciate and look forward to your emails each day. I wish that I had gotten to know you better when I was in West Bloomfield. I think we would have gotten along pretty well. I hope you are well and that all is good in your life. After retiring from WB Parks And Recreation my wife and I moved to the Grand Rapids area to be nearer our youngest son, his wife and our grandchildren. We moved many times in our married life but this has been the best move ever.  Well, keep up the good work with Winning Words. You have a big impact on people with your writings.  Stay safe.===JACK:  Of course I remember you...and think of you when I enter Marshbank Park and see the building you helped design.  You may be gone, but you have made an impact on our community.  I thought that you had moved to Gaylord, but you've probably removed since then.  I still keep in close touch with WB P&R, altho I now live 1/2 time In Michigan and 1/2 time in Minnesota.  

FROM SA IN WASH:  Music for One Day at a Time..... 

https://open.spotify.com/track/5f2btCjcN87enR8OBijRBz?si=albf0jVETZKW4H7IYSirwA&context=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A37i9dQZF1EFsCbd8LFmb6w 

I bet Jesus liked music. ===JACK:  You would have made a great pastor...but great pastors aren't always occupying a pulpit.===SA:  You are a great pastor. Luther leveraged technology (printing press) and would like how you've leveraged the latest technology to spread the Good News. You've also leveraged knowledge of applied psychology and a keen sense of factors influencing your audience's need for meaningful content delivered in a brief statement. Commendable indeed. ===JACK:  You've "nailed" it.  ...and I did it, not on purpose, but by instinct.  I always felt guilty for taking a paycheck from the Church; now I feel guilty for receiving a pension and good medical benefits.  But, on 2nd thought, that's what the Church wanted me to do...as an occupation.  Winning Words has been going on since 1992 and has produced over 6000 Winning Words...and the computer has preserved each of them.===SA:  Luther would say, "Well done pastor Freed!". 

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  .  thanks.    do you suppose Jesus thought of taking that first Holy Week  "one day at a time"??===JACK:  Jesus was truly human, but He was also truly Divine...which means:  Maybe YES, and maybe NO...in answer to your question..  ===SP:  i can live with that somewhat ambiguous answer:):)===JACK:  Maybe, ambiguous is one of the terms we should use to describe someone who is both human and divine.===SP:  i often think about the ambiguities of our faith life:   Jesus,  true God and  true Man;   bread and wine also body and blood;   the Trinity, 3 in 1 and 1 in 3;  you and me, saint and sinner at the same time;  the Bible  humanly written and divinely inspired;  God's sovereignty and our Freewill; etc. etc.  apparently  Lutherans are very comfortable with ambiguities!===JACK:  Comfortable?  I'm not so sure about that.  Sometimes my "evangelical" friends seem so sure about their faith that I wonder if I'm missing something...then,m I remember the man who came to Jesus seeking healing for his son.  Jesus asked if he believed, and he responded: "I believe; help my unbelief."  ...and Jesus did not shoo him away.===SP:  good point.  perhaps comfortable is too strong a word.   how about this:  Lutherans seem to tolerate ambiguity better than evangelicals who insist on a black and white world order.===JACK:  I think that you're right.  In writing his Catechism Luther asked, "What does this mean?"  Evangelicals tend to be literalists when it comes to understanding the Bible...not asking, "What does this mean?"  Or, maybe they do ask that question and happen to come up with answer that differs from mine.===SP:  i once saw a bumper sticker that read:  "the Bible says it,  and i believe it,  and that settles it!'   oh, if only it were THAT simple..===JACK:  A hymn lyric says, "If my faith were but more simple, I would take Him at His word, and my life would be all sunshine in the glory of the Lord."  It could be that we make things too complex...the, maybe not.

   

FROM JR IN TRANSIT:  Also love Kristofferson’s hymn (?), “Why me, Lord?”! ===JACK:  I'll have to look up more about Kris and his religious beliefs.