Saturday, April 9, 2016

InSPIREd Sunday


 Westby Coon Prairie Lutheran Church
'the vanilla church'

I'm eager to share the passage (below) from a book I've just read, but first I must explain about the vanilla and chocolate churches of Westby, WI. There are several Lutheran churches in town, but this blond 'vanilla' one is part of a larger congregation made up of this church in town and its sister church, 'the chocolate church' out in the country (see photo below.)

Okay, to set you up for the passage from the book, the author is talking about Roman times, although the practice of self-promotion, tooting one's own horn, is alive and well today.

***

"It was good to be king. The way of the hero exalted many wonderful qualities: courage and excellence and persistence, overcoming obstacles, self-discipline, and self-mastery. But humility was not an admired quality. It was not considered desirable. What was desirable was greatness.

"Historian Robin Lane Fox wrote, 'Among pagan authors, humility had almost never been a term of commendation. It belonged with ignoble and abject characters...The humble belonged with the abject, the mean, the unworthy.'

"But another way was emerging.

"A poor rabbi, who never wrote, The Deeds of the Divine Carpenter, said to his friends, 'You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.'

"No Roman would have been offended by this observation of Jesus. The whole point of making it to the top of the pecking order was to peck. But what Jesus said next would offend:

"'Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

"This is what might be called 'the way of the saint.'"

From Who is This Man? by John Ortberg

Westby Coon Prairie Lutheran Church
'the chocolate church'


 "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.

"Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that 

JESUS IS LORD

to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2:6-11 


Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends!


Judy

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday
and Roses of Inspiration

24 comments:

shortybear said...

very lovely

TexWisGirl said...

cute. and now i'm craving ice cream...

podso said...

We don't hear much about humility in today's world do we? Enough said. Good quote. Wow the churches are impressive structures! We live in a city of mostly red brick churches, as this area is full of clay for making bricks so it's cheap. So I enjoyed seeing a different looking church!

Susie said...

Judy, I love seeing all the beautiful churches. Hope your weekend is relaxing. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

Preppy Empty Nester said...

Your photos just get better and better. Have a wonderful Sunday, dear Judy!

Michelle said...

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday and week ahead!

Sandi said...

I absolutely love that passage. Jesus really did upset the apple cart, didn't he? He changed everything.

Terra said...

Two pretty churches and a great Scripture passage.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, pretty churches and post! Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Thank you for this post. This is a wonderful. I will be preparing to go to Mass soon and this is a beautiful reflection. Wishing you a lovely Sunday!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

i enjoy the American flag standing out so ... gorgeous ... have a lovely weekend, Mrs. Cranberry. take care. ( :

Tom said...

boy is this one BIG

Gwil W said...

I'm back in the 1950s. I can hear Tom Walls ice cream van ringing his bell.

Graciel·la said...

Two beautiful churches, known with two curious names.
I wish you the best.

Graciel·la

(From my page of Aminus3: http://graciel-la.aminus3.com/image/2016-04-10.html )

Tired Teacher said...

Both churches are lovely: I'd love to explore the interiors.

MadSnapper said...

as i read the verse about humility, i thought these two churches do not have that humble look to them. i prefer the smaller churches that look like they personify humility. the ones i was raised in... I saw someone said they loved the flag, when i saw it i thought, wish it was minus the flag. to me a flag at a church doesn't appeal to me. separation of church and state. this just proves we all have different opinions about the same thing. others might no like the little white humble churches like i do...

Anonymous said...

Very nice photos and interesting info. The churches in our area are rather small and usually wood-framed buildings. In Atlanta, there are some pretty and historic stone churches.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Lovely churches. Have a great week ahead.

betty-NZ said...

Interesting names for the lovely buildings. Thanks for the quotes.

Lowcarb team member said...

Both churches are lovely buildings.

All the best Jan

Rose said...

The churches are beautiful, but your words and quote really make a person think.

Terri D said...

Amen, amen, amen!!

I love that the two churches are distinguished as chocolate and vanilla!!

Billy Blue Eyes said...

They are nice looking churches though the first looks likeit was taken on a cold day

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

beautiful post and churches as well :) and having the churches be FLAVORS is even better ! :)

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