Do you not know…

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:3-11 NRSV)

It is easy today when Jesus is in the tomb to get caught in the downside of our lives…

To see all of the bad that is happening all around us…

We can easily get caught in the bad and darkness that is all around us. We get a glimpse of the evil all around us and the darkness just closes in. Like in the clip here of the movie Rise of the Guardians, where it seems Pitch Black, or the Boogie Man, has finally won, and the guardians are about to be defeated.

You see it is easy to see that there is no way out and that darkness is all around us. It is easy to get caught in the trials of life and just get worn down. See my earlier post for today on this, Worn. It is so easy to not see the light that is streaming all around us.

But in the clip you will see the guardians who are worn, and beaten down, standing up for the children, to protect them, as we can stand against evil and know that Jesus, even in the tomb, is defending us in our faith…

And as in the clip Jamie, the last child who believes, stands up in his fear against the boogie man, we to can claim his words as we stand against the darkness in this life…

The scene is about 1 minute in where Pitch black asks, “Still think there’s no such thing as the boogie man?”

And Jamie replies, “I do believe in you, I’m just not afraid of you.”

So do you not know that you are a new creation and the trials and weights of this life do not have to get you down. Stand up to the darkness and proclaim loudly to evil, “I do believe in you, I’m just not afraid of you. Because in Jesus I am a new creation and I will be reborn!”

Where is the hope?

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:38-42 NRSV)

Today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus died for you..

I invite you to read the whole story from John chapters 18 and 19…

Our text above comes at the end of the story. The man the disciples had followed and learned from for the past three years was just killed, and they have no idea what is going on, or going to happen. The world is dark and evil it seems has won.

So where is the hope?

In our passage is hope. Joseph of Arimarhea and the other man…

You see Jesus spent His time teaching the people and the religious authority that there was a different way then they had known. He taught that to be right in the law was not always the right way to go about things. He showed a different way…

And Joseph was a secret disciple, because he did not want to face the scorn of his fellow Jews, and then there is Nicodemus. The pharisee that came to Jesus under the cover of darkness because he was afraid for what would happen to him in the Jewish High Council, and then Nicodemus stands up for Jesus when the council decides to have Him killed. But here both of these secret learners of the way of Christ are out in the open taking His body off the cross, and placing Him in the tomb. They have gone from hiding what they are doing to showing everyone and not worrying about the consequences. That is the hope! People have grown in their understanding of what age is asking of them, and living that life…

Is that hope visible in your life?

Love

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’ After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ (John 13:1-17,31-35 NRSV)

Maundy Thursday is the start of the Three Days that lead us to Easter…

We get the institution of the sacrament of the altar, or Holy Communion, or Eucharist. Giving thanks for the great sacrifice we have received from our Lord.

But today is also the day of the new commandment… Maundy comes from the Latin word for commandment. We are commanded to love one another. Jesus does not say to the disciples, “if you feel like it, show some love.” Nor does He say, “love those who do everything you like.”. You see Jesus had just washed the feet of the disciples, all of the disciples. That included Judas, who John paints as the bad guy. Jesus washed the feet of the man who handed Him over to be killed.

You see Jesus in the final meal with His students, He becomes the low one and takes on the role of slave, or servant and serves all. Those who did not understand His ways, or do things as He hoped they would. He washed the feet of Peter, who objected, and tomorrow will deny Him. The disciples were not the sharpest bunch, but Jesus served them and loved them.

We see in this we do not have to agree with, understand, like, or do what others do, but we do have to love them. We have to love them as Jesus loved us. He accepted us as we were…

Cross Eyed…

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NRSV)

Fix your eyes upon Jesus! He is the author and perfector of our faith.

What does it mean to be cross eyed? And no I do not mean in the sense of the medical condition. I mean what does it mean to fix your eyes upon Jesus? What does it mean to see the world thrpught Jesus?

The picture above shows the Blessing Cup from TasteWorship.com. This cup helps us to fix our eyes on Jesus by focusing on the cross. Because our little i i makes a cross…

So do you see the world through the cross?

A fool for God

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:18-31 ESV)

A stumbling block…

How many of you have ever stumbled over something? What happens when stumble or trip? Well the obvious answer is you fall, but the actual answer for most of us is that we stop and look back to see what we have tripped over.

God’s wisdom looks as foolishness to us, because we do not understand what He is doing. We see what is happening as foolishness because it does not fit the plan we have for God’s world. It doesn’t o cur to us that God has a plan and it will not fit our thoughts on the world, but it is the way it has to be. God chose what is foolish in the world to use to move forward His love I to the world. If God chose what is foolish, and He has chosen you, what does that make you? (and me!)

So be a fool for God and allow His wisdom o be yours…

All I want for Easter…

Yesterday I took my eldest daughter to Hastings so she could go shopping. She got a gift card from Confirmation Class, and she wanted to spend it because it was burning a hole in her desk drawer…

Well actually she was on a mission. One I thought would not be fruitful, but I did not want to bust her bubble. She wanted to find Harry Potter movies 7 and 8. Her gift card was for $15, and she was hoping to get both movies on BluRay…

Well we found the movies, but the DVD versions of each was $9.99 so she couldn’t get them both. I told her, “Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring them for you.”

She then went back to some kits they had, one for calligraphy, one for drawing animals with color pencils, one for water colors, one for friendship bracelets, and others… She wanted the calligraphy, animals, and watercolors. The kits were 2 for $15. She had enough for 2…

We went and looked at books, and she picked up a few she wanted. I read the back covers and then the inside. One I vetoed very quickly entitled The Boy Book. The chapter I read was on things to do when you think you might get lucky… This is a book in the teen section of a popular book store, but I digress. She did not get that book, but found one that met daddy’s approval. So now the dilemma… She wanted the book or $2.99 and the three kits… Way more than her $15. She finally decided on the calligraphy kit and the book.

On the way home we talked about the Harry Potter movies again. I asked her which of the Harry Potter Films she had and she told me 1-4. “Well maybe you will get all the others, 5-8, from the Easter Bunny”, I told her. “If I would get all of them and the water colors and the animal kit, or even just on e of the kits, that would be awesome. That is all I want for Easter!” she said this and I was taken back. I started to cry, because I thought about all I want for Easter.

All I want for Easter is a call. Oh how I would give up anything for a call.

But I learned something yesterday, that God is taking care of me right where I am, and I am more blessed to be here and to be a father than I could ever imagine. God has blessed me richly with three beautiful, smart, wonderful young ladies to raise, and to get to have in my life. To see them smile, and learn, play, and just be kids. I get the joy and heartache of watching them grow.

So God all I want for Easter is a call, but I’m happy with what you have blessed me with already!

Tell You about it…

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:  I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. (Isaiah 42:1-9 NRSV)

I can hear a song ringing in my ear…

The Piano Man is playing a song that God is singing to us…

Tell you about it
Tell you everything I feel
I’ll give you every reason to accept
that I’m for real
Tell you about it
Tell you all my crazy dreams
I’ll let you know how much I love you
Let you know how much the world means (to me)

OK OK I know it doesn’t really work, but now you are thinking about that song… And how does that fit with the reading?

The song is all about a guy who is going to lose a really good girl and he thinks it is over, but if he could just tell her about how he feels and let her know what is happening deep down inside him, then she will realize that he really is the right guy for her…

That is exactly where God is with the world. He loves the world so much, He doesn’t think it is over, and He knows there is hope. It is us His followers that lose sight of the plan and the hope. We get stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get ourselves out of it. But…

If we will listen to His wants and desire. If we will listen to His crazy dreams, the ones He is telling us all about before they spring forth. Isaiah tells us God said “I am doing something new, the old things have passed away and new things are coming but before they spring forth I tell you about them.” Are we to stuck in a rut though to hear Him tell us of the new things? Or are we too scared when we hear the new thing we say that can not be from God?

A new thing is springing forth and God is doing it! Are you ready to hear all about it and jump on for the ride of your life?

St. Peter joke…

A man approaches the Pearly Gates shortly after his death. As he stands in line, he hears the people ahead of him telling St. Peter about all of the great things they accomplished during their lives. When it’s his turn, St. Peter looks at his ledger and says, “Your life was an unmitigated disaster. One mistake after another, one sin after another, and not a single worthwhile accomplishment to mitigate any of it. Do you have anything to say that might persuade me to let you in?” The man thinks for a moment and says the only thing he can think of that might sway the great Heavenly Gatekeeper: “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” And instantly the gates swing open.