The Hen Knows the Chicks are Going to Murder Her, Right?

Luke 13:31-35

31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ Sunday, March 16, 2025

Greetings Friends,

As we prepare to worship God together on this, the Second Sunday of Lent, we’ll contemplate the question from the sermon title, “the hen knows the chicks are going to murder her, right?”

I can’t help but consider the extremes that make up the majority of my work day. In tending to sick (often terminally so) children and adults, I’ve seen such displays of faith and hope. Tearful goodbyes beset on all sides by family and stories of such love and warmth; in those goodbyes I’ve seen a promise of what the Kingdom to Come must be.

But I’ve seen the other kind of extremis, too. Whether patient or family, someone sets their clenched jaw against all tears and speaks from their stomach in low and deliberate tones that, “I will never forgive them.” Whatever losses may be unveiled take the background  as ever-present and unresolved anger takes center stage.

I think about those hard-set and clenched jaws when I read Luke 13:31-35. Herod, some of the Pharisees, and even Jerusalem as a whole are all implicated as those who intend to or will accomplish the crime of murdering the innocent Jesus. In a scene like this, here or in your own life, maybe some of you have impulse to not release the anger and not forgive.  Or maybe your bewilderment will quote the movie version of the Two Towers, “what can men do against such reckless hate?”

 I am in awe of how Jesus responds.

He neither commits to frozen bewilderment or unrelenting hatred. Neither rage nor overwhelm changes the world. Rather, Jesus longs to nurture those that want to or will murder him as a hen would brood over her chicks. This Sunday’s text asks us to consider the reckless hatred of sin and look forward to transformation by Jesus’ divine longing to nurture, instead. I’ll look forward to seeing you all this Sunday.

-Zach


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Search Committee Update 3/14/25

What's happened: 

Cindi has stepped down from her position as the leadership team liaison to the search committee. This role will not be officially refilled at this time, and the search committee will remain in close collaboration with the leadership team. We are very thankful to Cindi for her leadership, commitment, and gracious service!

The search committee met Wednesday. We: 

  • posted NewDay's job opening to the ECC and NW Conference websites

  • chose seminaries outside of the Covenant denomination to send our job posting 

  • started discussing referred candidates and how to decide who to contact

  • continued discussion of how to involve the congregation in the search process moving forward


What's next: 

The search committee will meet again within the next couple of weeks to work towards next steps: 

  • decide how to use the part-time lead pastor job description being developed by the leadership team

  • update the NewDay website

  • review the candidate referrals we have received in detail and decide who to contact to determine interest in setting up interviews

  • continue to explore ways to recruit candidates from inside and outside the Covenant denomination
     

What you can do: 

  • connect us! If you would like to suggest any candidates to connect with the search committee, please contact one of us. We are happy to take name suggestions and connect with them through the official NW Conference channels. We are unable to share follow-up information about their potential candidacies

  • please pray for wisdom, patience, and creativity for the search committee and for the congregation

  • please contact any of us with questions or concerns at any time
     

Pastoral Search Committee email address: newdaysearchcommittee@gmail.com

Members and roles:
Kristi Florek: chair
Charlotte Florek: secretary
Curt Harlow: member
Jeff Hester: prayer committee coordinator
Natalie Woodberry: congregational communications liaison

Angela DickinsonComment