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The great concert violinist Isaac...

Illustration
Second Sunday of Easter - A
1 Peter 1:3-9
The great concert violinist Isaac Stern described her with "affectionate respect." Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer, wrote a song for her. Arturo Toscanini, famous conductor, said her voice was "such as one hears once in 100 years." The three men were referring to contralto Marian Anderson, who broke the color barrier at the White House in 1936 and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1954. At one point, she was refused an Easter concert at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. A leading musical school in Philadelphia refused her admittance.
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Object: The object of the lesson is a gesture you will teach the children.

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Jesus warned against with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God. Through our worship today let us pledge ourselves to seek our treasure only in God.

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Jesus, sometimes we envy others because of all they possess.
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Jesus, sometimes we desire all that money can buy.
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For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.... Let those who are wise give heed to these things, and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
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How do you focus on something unseen? How can we set our minds on that which we can't touch, or taste, or verify scientifically? Most practical people want proof. Abstract propositions are difficult to get our arms around, especially if they are from another time and place.
Thomas A. Renquist
This story begins with gift -- with blessed gift -- with miraculous, blessed giftedness. And I will even tell you now the theme of the story: if you keep your eye on the giftedness of everything, then you yourself can be a gift, you can be a giver, rather than a hoarder.
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