The Dreams of a King

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, 

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.  So the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams.

Daniel 2:1-2 [NRSV]

In the ornate bedroom of the mighty palace in the capitol city of the most powerful kingdom on earth, King Nebuchadnezzar had a startling dream – one which robbed him of his sleep, but was mysteriously lost from his memory.  Something stirred within his heart that this dream was of great importance, but he could not summon a single detail.  When the dawn slipped over the palace walls, the king was already in his throne room, determined to discover the meaning of the message in the night.

The Bible says, “A wise man has many counselors” [Proverbs 11:14].  Nebuchadnezzar was wise as well as powerful, and called in an eclectic group of his greatest advisors to provide the information he desired:

• Magicians:  soothsayers; priests; readers of horoscope; drawing lines on the ground
• Enchanters:  conjurers practicing enchantment; users of sacred names to get information from the gods; practitioners of white magic
• Sorcerers:  users of spells and enchantments; practitioners of black magic
• Chaldeans:  intellectuals; rationalists, the Ph.D’s of the group.

The summons came to these men a bit early in the day, and they may have been a tad groggy as they stood before their monarch, waiting to discover his pleasure.  The first few words out of his mouth, however, snapped them wide-awake, their minds frantically scrambling for a way out, their very lives now on a very thin line.

…for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,

 and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Isaiah 29:14 [KJV]

Jesus Walked...

…but we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste 

death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:9

As the Director of Music, it is my responsibility to provide elements of worship that include but are not exclusive to music.  I am always searching for unique ideas that will bring freshness to the worship service. We are one week away from the beginning of Lent, and I was delighted to find a wonderful component that I believe will have great meaning for our Lenten services.

During the season of Advent, we have a beautiful wreath at the front of the sanctuary, with three purple and one pink candle to represent the four Sundays of Advent, with the Christ candle in the middle.  Each week one candle is lit representing the imminent arrival of the Light of the World.  On Christmas Eve, the Christ candle is lit in honor of His birth. 

During this Lenten season, we will again have a wreath at the front of the sanctuary, but it will be a crown of thorns.  There will be six purple candles representing the six Sundays of Lent, again with the Christ candle in the middle.  All candles will be lit before the service begins.  During the reading of the Lenten message, one candle will be extinguished each week, representing the slow eclipse of the precious Light, until the Christ candle is snuffed out on Maundy Thursday.  Rather than some meaningless pageantry, I hope that we will experience a potent reminder of the path that Christ traveled to the cross – for you, and for me.

Jesus walked this lonesome valley,

He had to walk it by Himself.

Oh, nobody else could walk it for him,

He had to walk it by Himself.

Winter, winter, go away...

Rise up, my love, my fair one.

For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of the singing of the birds is come…

Song of Solomon 2:10b-12a [KJV]

It was 81◦ in Richmond, Virginia yesterday.  It has gradually been getting warmer after what can only be described around here as a brutal winter.  Yesterday was a day to celebrate, and the sights and sounds of reawakening were everywhere in my neighborhood:  lawns were being mowed, cars were being washed, pansies were blossoming anew, and the sound of a few birds wafted through the warm air.  I was able to get out and walk – an activity that had pretty much come to a standstill during the bitter cold of winter.

The late afternoon brought warm rain—gentle at first, then a rousing downpour.  The rainfall immediately cooled the temperature, which dropped further during the night. This morning it is 37◦, with the high only going up to 55◦, but yesterday’s promise of spring has ignited our hunger for sunny days and mild nights, for green grass and fat robins. Yesterday was a harbinger of God’s pledge that when the fullness of time has come, spring will burst forth in all her glory.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair,

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.