The Bungee Cord 12-7-20

Hello, 

 

Well, it is the third week of Advent.  As I have for the past two Bungee Cords, today I bring you along on my Advent journey, inviting you to light three candles, read the Psalm, and say the prayer.  The increase in candles brings with it an increase in light, a sign that when the light comes into the darkness, the darkness does not overcome it, but rather the light overcomes the darkness!

 

ADVENT 3

 

Psalm 139

⁷ Where can I go from your spirit?
   Or where can I flee from your presence? 
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
   if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
   and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
   and your right hand shall hold me fast. 
¹¹ If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
   and the light around me become night’, 
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
   the night is as bright as the day,
   for darkness is as light to you. 

 

 

We give you thanks, Almighty God, that you fill the darkness with your presence.  As we await the day when your presence is wholy unveiled….when every gate of sin has been thrown open, when every moat of guilt and shame has dried up, when every stone of life’s burdens has been cast down….enlighten us with a glimpse of your power and love so that our days might be brightened with courage and peace.  Amen

 

Light one Candle

 

Cubic Zirconia…continued, part 3

  (all three parts can be found in one place on my Facebook page)

 

 

 

A couple of months later they saw a poster in the music store that read, “Battle of the Bands , High School Gym, Audition Tapes Welcome”.  So before the next practice they all went over to Old Lady Rogers’ house to see if she would work the computer to record them.  Surprisingly enough, she said, “Sure, I’ve been working on “Garage Band” for years with my singing.”

 

So, as weird as it might seem, Old Lady Rogers joined them for their practice the next afternoon, and they laid down a few tracks. “Not bad,” said Old Lady Rogers as she sent the songs off over the internet to the radio station sponsoring the battle.

 

A couple of days later, she got an email from the radio station that said, “Loved your tape.  You’re in.  You’ll be the third act.  Bring your equipment and set up early.  Good luck.”  She threw on her Michael Jordans (she usually just wore them around the house) and ran over to the garage that was vibrating with music.  She pulled up the door and said, “You’re in!”

 

This time, no silence, but cheers that could be heard all around the neighborhood, because they yelled into the mics.  Really motivated now, they set their minds and wills to get ready for the battle.  Practice.  Practice.  Practice.  That is how you get to Carnegie Hall, and that is how you win the battle contest.

 

The day of the Battle of the Bands arrived and Cubic Zirconia was psyched!  They had practiced and practiced and practiced, and they were ready.  The first two groups were pretty good, but they were sure that they were better.  Then they heard, “Let’s hear it for the next group, Cubic Zirconia!”  A less than rousing response came from the crowd, and the guys all walked on stage, dressed in their finest Neil Diamond wear.  It was hard to decide which song they were going to do, but they all felt that “Forever in Blue Jeans” was their best.  The music cued, they started singing, they sang with Neil Diamond motions and zeal, and when they finished the crowd erupted….well not really….a smattering of clapping, and they saw a lot of their peers laughing.  When they walked off the stage, they heard one of the judges say to another, “They didn’t sound like Neil Diamond at all.”

 

(to be continued next week…..)

Have a great week,

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger