Jesus-Curious
by the Rev. AJ Ochart
There will be no in-person worship service this week!!
Due to weather, we will have a pre-recorded virtual worship service. Join us (if and/or when you can) for a service of worship from your home. Many thanks to Kenneth, Shannon, and the (small but mighty) choir who recorded the hymns, and to Kendra who recorded the lay leader elements (in the midst of storm prep). Be safe! See below for Russell’s excellent storm prep information.
The service is available on our YouTube Channel: Watch by clicking this link.
Sermon Notes
Today we have a dialogue between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus. This is perhaps one of the most famous verses in modern times, John 3:16.
The verse was made famous in the 80s by ‘Rock’n’ Rollen Stewart who would wear a rainbow wig (before rainbows were ‘woke’) and hold up a sign with John 3:16 at major sports events (Stewart is now in prison on eight counts of kidnapping after a 1992 standoff with police at a LA hotel, so flawed messenger).
This dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus is a little surprising due to the fact that it comes immediately after Jesus cleanses/exercises the Temple, and Nicodemus is a Pharisee. The Pharisees were a group of religious elites who were beginning to establish Synagogues outside of Jerusalem, and would become the prevalent form of Judaism after the destruction of the Temple on 70CE. Nicodemus himself is even a member of the Sanhedrin (or the Seventy) political and religious leaders of the day. While the seventy elders were established in Torah in the first century, when Judea became a Roman Provence, the Sanhedrin constituted the only Jewish authority over the Temple and religious life of the Jewish people. A power and authority that they would hold onto dearly, willing even to kill those who might get in their way.
This dialogue shows off some of the most ‘Gospel of John’ qualities of figurative language, double meanings, intentional misunderstanding, and rich metaphorical meaning.
Questions for Consideration
- How comfortable are you with asking questions?
- How willing are you to admit that you do not know something?
- What do you do when you misunderstand something?
- How do you respond to those who might be or consider you to be an adversary?
Russell’s Storm Prep Advice
St. Andrews Family, I am sharing Peggy’s and my storm prep just in the case, you see something that will help you.
Our preparation is extreme, because we’re at the foot of the mountains and live out in the boonies. We have been through this multiple times over the years with winter storms and hurricanes, so we have experience to know what to do . 
-generator with 40 gallons of gas and container containers. Never refill it until they cool down and make sure they’re at least 20 feet from the house.  get a piece of plywood to go over your generator outside if you don’t have another way of protecting it from the freezing rain. 
-extension cord cords for exterior and interior. if you can find a flat extension cord to come through the window or under a door, that’s great. If you have to run it through the window, you can put towels on either side or go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and get bone strips in the door weatherstripping hardware aisle. 
-camping lanterns that run on batteries. LED pop lights are turn on lights for camping and headlamps. test them all make sure they’re charged.
-get batteries
-check to make sure you can charge your phone somewhere. Your car makes a great charging station. 
-put plastic on both sides of on handrails on our porches in a tarp down the middle to prevent from icing up. 
-moved everything into the garage or storage building that was outside that needs protecting. 
-full tank of propane for a gas fireplace and a carbon monoxide detector. Also have fans to help blow the heat to other rooms in the house.
-a week worth of food.
-coleman two burner propane, camping stove with seven propane cylinders. Also bought a new Coleman single burner that uses butane. 
-extra water just in case my line is freeze or the water plants lose power.
You may also want to fill up bathtubs you’ll have water to flush commode if the water plants lose power or if you’re on a well and lose power.

-covering our cars with tarps ot plastic over the top of a both front doors, the windshield, and over the hood placing bricks on the plastic on the ground the hold it down. Do not lift your windshield wipers up like you’ve read.
-get all the liquid drinks out out of your vehicles because they will freeze and explode.
- enough prescription medicines that will last at least a week 
-move your vehicles and park them where they won’t be under any trees or limbs that can fall on them.
-if you’re able to protect your outside AC unit by putting some boards over it, but not on top of it. You could lean a piece of plywood at an angle over it and need it against your house.
-put covers on your outside Spicket and if you don’t have covers wrapping with towels and then plastic garbage bags.
-if you lose power, go to all your sinks and turn on the hot side only to let it drip. 
-if you lose power to keep food fresh put it in a box and either stick it in your garage or on your porch with the top open and it will be like a refrigerator and freezer.
-make sure you have food that you don’t have to cook if you do not have a way of doing so. I know a lot of stores are out of bread, but Subway in Jersey Mike’s will be open all day and you can buy some and bring home. 
-we got two 40 pound bags of salt, but we also got the rubbing alcohol and dawn detergent trick ready also. 
-kitty litter and bags of sand to help traction on on the ice.
-full tank of gas and all vehicles.
-close off all your foundation vents around your house to keep air from going underneath and freezing the pipes. 
-stay inside and do not leave your house or drive until you confirms the roads are clear. your car radios will work where you can get news and information. 
-extra blanket, sleeping bags and layers of clothes for inside if the heat goes out.
-you can take sheets and hang them from door openings and closed doors to keep the heat in one room for you.
-the terra-cotta plant pots and the small candles do help for small places just google it and it will show you how to do it. It’s just a flower pot turned upside down on two bricks with a candle in the center. 
-please test your generators and all your emergency heating to make sure you know how to operate them and they do work.
-even if you don’t have snow shovels, you probably have a regular shovel or a flat and shovel. Just make sure it’s handy. You might even want to bring it inside so you can use it to work your way outside. 
Feel to copy this for yourselves or share it with your friends. It’s all about preparation to stay safe, because once it hits it, it’s too late to prep.
Hope this helps and stay safe and warm!
Russell
