Jesus

Violence? Fine; Love? Forget it To the editor: By now many of you have learned about the United Church of Christ's (UCC) TV advertisement that notes that Jesus welcomed all people and that the UCC denomination seeks to do the same. Officials of two major television networks have refused to run the ad because they believe the commercial promotes gay marriage and thus is unacceptable for broadcast. The ad is about Jesus' extravagant love for and welcome of all people and implies that exclusion of any or certain groups from God's house is neither spiritually nor Biblically sound.

The real reason for Easter To the editor: Easter is fast approaching and ladies and little ladies will adorn themselves in pretty dresses and hats and attend events such as church services. Alot of children will decorate Easter eggs in which hundreds will be hidden for children to look for with their Easter baskets and the appearance of the Easter bunny. We have so many make believe visitors year round, Santa, tooth fairy, witches and goblins, the Easter bunny but less is being taught about the real reason of Easter.

tarar@herald-mail.com HALFWAY - The large crucifix that normally adorns the wall at Saint Joseph Catholic Church was noticeably missing on Good Friday. The church also had been stripped of ornaments, the door on the empty tabernacle was left open and the altar bare. All of the changes were solemn reminders of Jesus' death on the cross and his willingness to die for the salvation of mankind. Bishop W. Francis Malooly, western vicar of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, described Jesus' crucifixion during the Service of the Lord's Passion and Death as God's plan for redeeming love.

Virginia Avenue Church of God Associate Pastor Shawn Bushman, center, in the role of Jesus, plays in "His Story" Wednesday night during a special showing for members of the congregation. Public performance dates are Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. each evening. Doors at the 17306 Virginia Ave. church open at 6 p.m. Admission is free, although an offering is accepted. Because of the drama's popularity, it is not unusual for all seats to be filled, which means people must be turned away.

HAGERSTOWN -- Carli Shank was a natural for her first role in the second performance of the Easter drama, "His Story," 10 years ago at Virginia Avenue Church of God. That year, she was called upon to lie in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes while portraying the baby Jesus in the church's Easter drama. Then just 6 months old, Carli, now 10, was perfect for the role. She was tended by Mary and Joseph, portrayed that year by Paula Bushman and Steve Shifflett. The first year, the baby Jesus was a doll.

Tri-State area ministers and priests took pages from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in preparing Easter Messages for today saying the resurrection of Jesus is a call for Christians to think about a renewal of their own lives. "Easter is God's triumph over all of the things we humans believe are final, things we have no escape from, like death," said the Rev. Stan Jones, a priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in Shepherdstown, W.Va. Trinity Episcopal brought back an old tradition this year with Baptism following the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, Jones said.

The scent of evergreens, the jingle of bells, the warmth of a fire, the crinkle of ribbon, the twinkle of lights ... the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas are all around us. We're busy preparing for this holiday and are quite immersed in it, so we should be quite familiar with it. But are we really? We start to sing a Christmas carol and have to hum through the third line. Mom's cookie recipe was really basic - until it was attempted from memory. We remember the Christmas stories we've heard, but sometimes the details are fuzzy.

A reader recently complained that religion is based on "just a bunch of stories. " I replied that the stories happen to be true - not necessarily as science, history, or journalism - but as an indication of how things are and how people are meant to be. One reason adults become skeptical about religion is because their faith rests on stories they learned in childhood. Jonah and the Whale, Daniel in the Lion's Den, and Noah and the Ark are vivid tales that appeal to the imagination rather than to our intellects.