Good Friday

   Why is Good Friday called, “Good” Friday? The Friday that immediately follows Maundy Thursday is the day we all know as Good Friday. As paradoxical as it may sound, there are reasons for this day to be referred to as “Good Friday.” There has been much confusion in the minds of many about the term, for the day marks the crucifixion and death of Christ. The main reason behind this day being referred to as “good” is due to what took place shortly thereafter. When the events of Friday are seen through the eyes of Easter Sunday than Friday becomes good for it speaks of the One who conquers life’s greatest enemy, death.

-Jesus rose from the tomb.

- The sins of his children have been completely atoned for.

- We shall rise with Christ.

- Friday is good because of Sunday.

   No tragedy, not even death, is so big that it can overshadow the love and grace of God.

Living on an Island

   What is it like living on an Island approximately 550-600 miles from the nearest point of land? Well, the first thing I can say is that it is not a good place to get Island fever better known on the mainland as cabin fever! Bermuda has been my home for the past three years plus and I must say that it has been a great experience. When you add our time here with the time spent in the Bahamas you come up with a little over six years surrounded by nothing but water! Shortly after moving to Bermuda an elderly bishop in a sister church made the comment; “You know that Bermuda is built on an ancient volcano.” He then we on to say; “Every night we pray that God will keep the lid on it.” It was comical but certainly made one think of how far we are from our neighbors should an Island wide emergency occur.

   What is it like to live in Bermuda? Well, I always like to tell our visitors that one of the most beautiful things about the Island is our beaches. There is nothing like the pink sand on a Bermudian beach. One of the great challenges about living here is getting to the beach! There is nothing like driving on the Islands roads. First, unlike Canada and the US we drive on the left side of the road. To make driving a bit more interesting we keep our roads very narrow, very twisty and as an added bonus we don’t really have any places where one can pull off the road!! The top speed limit on the Island is supposed to be 23 mph! Because Bermuda only allows one car per household there is an abundance of motor scooters. The increasing number of scooter has resulted in what Bermudians call the “third lane.” What is the third lane you ask? Well, the third lane is that narrow space of pavement between two lanes of traffic travelling in the opposite direction! Due to the lower speed limits you might think that we seldom if ever have any serious accidents. WRONG! There are lots of accidents and many of them are fatal. Why? Well, no one abides by the speed limit, there are no real passing zones and that third lane has a nasty tendency of becoming narrower and narrower. If you happen to live off Island and are planning a vacation to Bermuda you don’t have to worry about driving a car on the left side of the road with no pull-overs. The reason for this is that we don’t allow foreigners to drive cars on our Island. You can’t even rent a car here. Have no fears though because we will rent you a motor bike! Plan to rent a bike? Make certain that your insurance is paid up!

   Next time I will tell you about shopping in Bermuda.

Your Friend:

Rev. John

                                                   This Is Your Captain Speaking


Anyone who has been on a plane has heard the familiar words; “Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking.” Sometimes it is simply followed with; “welcome aboard we are glad you are flying with us.” While at other times the greeting might be used to introduce something of far greater importance. Last Monday evening Jill and I were flying home from a conference in Florida. We were halfway to completing our journey when the captain said; “Ladies and gentlemen we are flying on the very tip of some storm clouds and we will get a few bumps for the next 10 minutes so I am going to turn on the fasten seat belt sign.” Jill looked out the window and said; “wow, we are flying over some very dark clouds.” Just then the plane did run into some turbulence and I anxiously waited for the next 10 minutes to “fly by.” Before the 10 minutes was up though the plane did receive a few good jolts from the storm clouds. When a good size jolt hit I said aloud; “O Lord.” Where do you suppose God is when you are being shaken up a bit while flying at 37,000 feet?

I am reminded of the scripture lesson at today’s worship (March 3rd, Luke 8:22-25). The disciples are in the boat with Jesus and they are doing at evening crossing of the Sea of Galilee. A storm sweeps down from the mountains and turns the sea into a raging tempest. The disciples although they are seasoned fishermen are afraid for their very lives. They feel certain that the boat is going down and they are still a long ways from shore. “Where is Jesus?” “Doesn’t Jesus care?” “Wake up Jesus because we are all going to drown.” You see Jesus had fallen asleep in the stern of the boat. Jesus woke, turned first to the wind and said, “Be quiet,” then to the waves and said “be still.” Luke tells us that there was immediate calmness. The wind ceased and the sea was ever so still with little more than a ripple. Jesus then turned to his disciples and said; “Where is your faith?” The disciples who should have been relieved that the storm was over were even fore frightened. They had in their boat no mere man but God himself whose very word the wind and the waves immediately obeyed.

If God is at the centre of your life then the next time you experience a storm of whatever nature it might be just remember who is in your boat, or plane, bus, train, car or whatever. He never leaves his children alone wherever they might be even if they are 37,000 feet in the air! We arrived home safely.