Pick an apple off its tree, and you have a great source of antioxidants and fiber. Pluck the fruit of an orange tree. It provides the daily supply of vitamin C. If you are fortunate to live in a climate where avocado trees grow, you get to eat that tasty fruit packed with healthy fats, B6, and potassium. Different trees with different fruits and different health benefits.

Image a tree that produced a fruit that enabled you to live forever. Such a tree once existed. It stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. When mankind fell into sin, tainting all creation with the stain of death, God banned access to that tree. He did not want us to live forever in a world as broken as this one. But today, we see that through the work of Christ, access to that life-giving tree has been restored. We conclude our series on Christmas Trees by looking into paradise restored. There we find the Tree of Life, given to us once again by our gracious God. Eat up!

The Triduum (TRID-oo-um, “three days”) refers to the time from worship on Maundy Thursday until the final worship of Easter Day. The “Three Holy Days” of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire church year. It is over these days – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter – that we celebrate God’s redeeming love in the dying and rising of His Son, Jesus, and still see that love today. The Triduum is a single celebration. Once we have begun the Triduum on Maundy Thursday, we do not “leave” it until Easter Sunday. It is one continuous celebration of dying and rising, with Christ.

The Three Holy Days of Christendom continue on Good Friday with a service that focuses our attention on the words Christ spoke while on the cross. In these words we see the depth of our Savior’s suffering as well as the depth of His love for us.

Welcome to worship today at Morrison Zion Lutheran Church.  We exist to glorify God.  We… read more