Holy Week thought: Wednesday

Nothing. Or maybe... something?

Sometimes it seems like God is quiet. Take today, for example - on Wednesday of Holy Week we aren't quite sure what Jesus and the disciples did. The Bible doesn't record it, and some scholars assume this was due to them simply resting together after the long journey. What is clear is that much happened on Thursday, and so we know by default that Jesus was quite alive on Wednesday despite us not having a record of it.

Sound familiar?

How often in life do we not know what God is up to? We see a blank page that we assume is blank, or we wonder if He's up to writing something in "invisible ink." As if, "What a rascal." Maybe.

Or... maybe Jesus is quite alive and with you. Maybe His most important priority is not to say something new but to put His arm around you so you remember what is always true. Maybe He is creating a way for you to be simply resting together after the long journey.

Sure, "Thursday" is coming... much will happen "then." And maybe even then this page will remain blank as you look back on it. You won't know what happened or why it happened.

"Nothing. Or maybe... something?"

Feel free to ask those questions to Jesus. But... also feel free to embrace His embrace today. Perhaps that in itself is more than enough.

"Be still and know I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Holy Week thought: Tuesday

We can't fool Jesus... so why not instead embrace Him?

On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. They passed a withered fig tree on their way - an object lesson about how our lives are meant to produce fruit versus merely playing the part of a "tree."

It's Jesus' direct challenge to the phrase many of us drop out there - "You can't judge me. Only God can judge me." The catch? He actually will judge each of us. And He actually would rather you get right with Him today and get rooted in Him than bust you with accountability for living life on your own terms.

How easy is it for us to turn Easter into a time when we show how "religious" we are? How much more fruitful would it be to quit playing the game and letting every day be fruitful in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ?

Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins." (Mark 11)

Holy Week thought: Monday

How often are we confused, thinking we "weep" for our culture when we're actually just disappointed in our culture? Seriously, recognize the difference.

Weeping involves being changed by the ache and becoming a change-agent in the trenches. Disappointment involves being frustrated by the ache and critiquing it from a couch.

Jesus knew the difference... He took the time to weep, and then He took the time to humbly die for us. What would it look like to follow in His footsteps today?

And when Jesus drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." (Luke 19:41)

the problem and the purpose of evil

I had one of "those dreams" last night.

It was the kind where the presence of evil is somehow present in the dream in a way that "petrifies" you in your dream... and I mean that literally - where you feel frozen up and powerless in the dream for a moment, if not more.

Over the years, my conscious mind has somehow learned to force its way into these unconscious moments. I find myself in my dream sputtering out the name of Jesus - even though it sometimes comes out "J-J-J-J-Jeeeesus."

Perhaps none of that matters, because it was only just a dream.

The thing is when I woke up I realized that with it being Good Friday how little I've considered the problem and purpose of evil in relationship to Jesus being on the Cross. I've certainly recognized His sacrifice this year, but I haven't considered with any weight how much God's adversary was involved in that day.

Theologically, I know all this. 

Personally, I've overlooked it.

That's when I recalled the eyebrow-less representation of Satan as portrayed in The Passion of the Christ... the ending of this scene still gives me encouragement.

There is a problem with evil in our world... even though it can also serve a purpose. The same is true of pain and wounds.

In Eden, God poured out His love by pouring life into humanity.

On the Cross, God poured out His love by pouring out His life.

God made Adam's wife Eve from a wound in his side. 

The Church ("Bride of Christ") was made from
a wound in the side of the second Adam, Jesus.

The same is true of the Cross:

It proclaims God will let
one thing die to bring Life into everything. 

When God seems to be killing us, 
He's actually saving us. 

This is the problem and the purpose of evil.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)

"...and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

"Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30)

P.S. If you're local to me, join us at Connection Church at walking through this tonight:  http://www.connectionchurch.org/easter

the Resurrection in images and sounds

The Resurrection is not an event...

the Resurrection is a Person.

This past weekend allowed me the chance to realize that through some images and sounds that personalized my journey with God. I offer them here to give you that same opportunity.

Video 1: Something I found.

• Thought: Jesus could have received all the praise He deserved. Instead, He took on our all the condemnation we deserved... not just once, but again and again - even as we pridefully try to presume He can stop. For this, He becomes like a criminal... so we can become free.

Video 2: Something I assembled.  

• Thought: The Resurrection isn't what it is without the Cross. The Cross isn't what it is without the Resurrection. We are not who we really are unless we really have both. Don't just celebrate this - choose to experience it. 

Video 3: Something I said.  

• Thought: I was unexpectedly ministered by this - it involved listening to something I didn't plan on saying today in service, yet apparently said. A friend of mine caught it and put this together. In the event God wants to use this to speak to you as He did me when I listened to it (which is ironic, I know)... here it is.

Don't just celebrate the Resurrection. Experience it. Integrate it.

Because the Resurrection isn't an event. The Resurrection is a Person.

Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

the non-miracle of Good Friday

The most noticeable miracle of Good Friday is there was no noticeable miracle.

Legions of angels stood by and watched
as the Son took our place...

instead of rescuing Him,
they let Him rescue us.

"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)

your next 40 days

I received a great email today from someone who is looking to make the most of the 40 days that lead up to remembering the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are others they work with who were wondering how to make the most of it, and I was asked if I had any Bible verses that could be sort of a daily reading around the office.

I love it! What an awesome way to make the most of this season.

So here's a response to that via some Bible verses that just may help. Also, take a peek an another article I wrote last year for some added tips: http://www.ehow.com/how_8049745_celebrate-lent-new-ways.html

• Ash Wednesday Even Now (Joel 2:12-13) Image: ashes – as in the sign we receive on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday
• 2nd Day of Lent (Thursday) Original sin (Genesis 3:1-20) Image: an apple, or a small plastic snake
• 3rd Day (Friday) Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-12) Image: two men, one standing with his fist raised
• 4th Day (Saturday) Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6:5-13, 9:8-11) Image: picture of Noah’s ark
• 5th Day (Monday) Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18) Image: a lamb
• 6th Day (Tuesday) Jesus and Abraham (John 8:31-40) Image: a chain – symbol of the slavery Christ frees us from
• 7th Day (Wednesday) Moses and the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21) Image: picture of the two tablets
• 8th Day (Thursday) The Covenant with Abraham and Moses (Jeremiah 31:31-33) Image: an outstretched hand
• 9th Day (Friday) A New Covenant (Luke 22:15-20) Image: two hands clasped together
• 10th Day (Saturday) 2 Great Commandments (Matthew 22:34-40)Image: notice of the two great commandments
• 11th Day (Monday) Forty Years in the Desert (Numbers 14:2-4, 10-112, 17-19, 33-34) Image: small piece of bread to represent manna
• 12th Day (Tuesday) Forty Days in the Desert (Luke 4:1-13) Image: a stone/picture of a city to represent Satan’s temptation
• 13th Day (Wednesday) The Day of the Lord (Joel 2:10-16) Image: a trumpet
• 14th Day (Thursday) Jonas and the Whale (Jonah 1:1 – 4:11) Image: a plastic whale or fish, a picture of a large whale
• 15th Day (Friday)Whom Shall I send? (Isaiah 6:8-10) Image: a red coal
• 16th Day (Saturday) Trust and Rescue (Psalm 22) Image: a small globe
• 17th Day (Monday) Prophetic Role of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1: 4-8, 3:12-15) Image: a shepherd’s staff
• 18th Day (Tuesday)Story of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-12) Image: a chariot and horses
• 19th Day (Wednesday) Story of Elisha (2 Kings 4:38-44) Image: basket of bread and fishes
• 20th Day (Thursday) Loaves and Fishes (Mark 6:34-44) Image: basket of bread and fish
• 21th Day (Friday) Gabriel and the Anointed One (Daniel 9:15-24)Image: a picture of the angel Gabriel
• 22nd Day (Saturday) Anointing of David (1Sam. 16:1-13) Image: a horn or jug of oil
• 23rd Day (Monday) Anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13) Image: vial of perfume
• 24th Day (Tuesday) John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17, 80) Image: pitcher of water
• 25th Day (Wednesday) Prophecy of New Order (Micah 4:1-7) Image: a sword and a pruning hook
• 26th Day (Thursday) Fulfillment of all Prophecies (Luke 24:44-48)Image: picture of a book, the Scriptures
• 27th Day (Friday) Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36) Image: a tent
• 28th Day (Saturday) Entrance Into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-9) Image: small plastic donkey or piece of palm
• 29th Day (Monday) Zeal for your house consumes me (Psalms. 69:6-25) Image: a musical instrument
• 30th Day (Tuesday) Driving the moneylenders from the temple (John 2:13-25) Image: a knotted piece of rope
• 31st Day (Wednesday) Judas (Matthew 26:14-25) Image: silver coins – to represent Judas’ 30 pieces of silver
• 32nd Day (Thursday) The Innocent Victim (Isaiah 53:1-12) Image: a white lamb
• 33rd Day (Friday) Last Supper (Luke 22:14- 20) Image: cup and plate
• 34th Day (Saturday)Agony in Garden (Matthew 26:36-46) Image: olives – from the garden of Gethsemane
• 35th Day (Monday) Denial of Jesus (Mark 14:29-31 and 14:66-72)Image: small plastic rooster
• 36th Day (Tuesday) Crown of Thorns (Matt. 27:27 – Matt. 27:31)Image: a twig bent in a circle – the crown of thorns
• 37th Day (Wednesday) Scourging at the Pillar Image: a leather strip – the thongs of the whip used when Jesus was scourged
• 38th Day (Holy Thursday)The Two Thieves (Luke 23:32 – 43) Image: a row of three crosses
• 39th Day (Good Friday) On the Cross Image: a single die, a piece of sponge and a blue strip of cloth
• 40th Day (Holy Saturday) Death Of Jesus (Matthew 27: 45-54)Image: small stones/gravel/dirt – reminder of the earthquake

good friday - breathe

It's Good Friday, and the cross is Jesus' way of saying "I've got my nail pierced hand on you, and I'm not letting go. You have a choice to remain, or run."

Praying you don't turn away but embrace the embrace.

Breathe... just breathe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dVZAtU3SDs

reclaiming lent beyond religious baggage

Lent is a season of preparation... of opening your heart up in fresh ways to God.

Unfortunately, for many of us it's something that has religious baggage to it.

I probably need to clarify, because when I say "God" many people think I mean "religion." The two are very different.

Yet for many, Lent is a "Catholic thing" or some other denominational affiliation. Others turn it into "New Year's Resolutions Pt 2" where we try to be better or give up something for a month and a half.

At its true core, Lent is a non-religious thing... it's instead a spiritual conversation between you and God. During this "season of 40 days" (with Sundays being their own days outside of this), we intentionally reflect with God on where we may be falling short in our heart, soul, mind, strength and relationships. It’s more than changing our diet, giving up a vice or "not playing internet poker" during this season… it’s about sacrificially making room for God to grow us as we trust in His goodness to be our God (even in places it isn’t easy). All of this “preparation” is to help us make the most of when we eventually celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Instead of giving up something inconsequential, what if instead you took on something that has ripples relationally and spiritually? Here are some ideas:

• Heart: Use a notebook to daily journal thoughts about a family member you love. Write down what they do each day that encourages you, and what specifically about that day you appreciated that they did for you, themselves, another, or God. Give it to them on Easter.
• Soul: Turn your household or friendships in a prayer-based one. Put out a box or bowl with notecards next to it. Ask others to write down and drop praises and prayer requests into it, and set aside time to pray for them – be it something that happens together daily or weekly, or on your own. Use email or create a private Facebook page for relationships that may be across the miles.
• Mind: Find a passage of Scripture to memorize by yourself or with others. Pick something that is a reasonable challenge, such as all of Psalm 1 or a section of the Sermon on the Mount (Mathew 5-7). Look at the books of James or Philippians for great paragraphs full of amazing truth.
• Strength: Spend the money you normally spend on indulgences (fancy drinks, movies, etc) in a more productive place. Set it aside when you would have used it, and then give it in the name of Jesus to someone in need, a local cause, a global ministry, or a church you believe in.
• Relationships: Have the “conversation you keep putting off” with other people. Where there has been a tension, don’t ignore it and go the final 10% of reconciliation instead of backing away out of a reaction. If someone doesn’t know Jesus personally, walk across the space of awkwardness and share your story with God. If you know someone needs encouragement, stop being too busy to offer it. In every area of life, “raise your antenna” to the Holy Spirit and do whatever He asks you to do – not just what’s easy.

A few other ideas:

• Money-free Mondays: Go through your entire day without spending money on anything.
• No-TV Tuesdays: Keep the TV off (or any screen where you watch things for entertainment or play video games on). Invest into something else that nurtures friendships, such a board games.
• Weird Wednesdays: Try new foods individually or as a household that you normally wouldn’t. Recognize and celebrate the creativity of God as you do.
• Thumbs-Free Thursday: Give up all cell phone activity, including text messaging.
• Friendship Friday: Pay attention to those who may often get overlooked, and seek them out in friendship through your time and encouraging words.
• Something-New Saturdays: Do something productive/guilt-free that you haven’t ever done before.
• Sacrificial Sunday: Make a sacrifice to grow with God. Be consistent in an area you aren’t, like being a regular part of a church community or making prayer more personal. Or take a bold step in a new way of worshiping or relating to Him, like finding some new songs to sing out to Him in praise.

Obviously, it's easy to look at those lists and say "THAT ONE!" But again, that's not the point. Lent isn't about finding something religious to do, but using intentional choices to better connect with God. Giving up desserts or your favorite television show is not at the heart of this season, but if giving up something helps you to become more receptive to receiving the gift of deeper life from God, then, by all means, give it up.

Which leads to the true purpose of Lent. It's "emptying ourselves." We need to let go of whatever is clogging up the space God wants to live in our lives. Many of us have allowed random "neutral" things that steal our time (Facebook, gaming, TV, texting, etc) to push out any open space in our lives. Others of us have rebelled on purpose and are taking part in things that turn our hearts and minds away from God.

That's why Lent seems to always track back to Matthew 4 where Jesus fasted for 40 days before beginning His active ministry on earth. During the tail end of that time, the devil tempted Him with some short-cuts to power, fame and prestige. Each time, Jesus gave up those temptations to make space for something better.

I invite you to do that, just as I am and many I know. Whether or not today means "Ash Wednesday" or "Lent" to you, or if it's simply something you've labeled as a "religious activity," let go of your past experiences with this and jump into something amazingly authentic.

"But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Jesus, Matthew  6:17-18)

resurrection

Everybody believes something about God... and for many yesterday was simply a day of religion. But when does it become something more - the core of your life versus a piece of the calendar?

This four minute video captures what our service was about yesterday - Life where there was lifelessness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjXYlwvS5LY

something I wrote for the paper this week

If you have a moment, I want to invite you to read something I wrote for the newspaper this week.

Consider it a personal invitation... thanks!

http://www.connectionchurch.org/tony/033110.pdf

seeing Jesus

Imagine what it must have been like to see Jesus.

What if some of the greatest things we could learn about Him are found in the eyes of a crippled man... who isn't crippled any more?

Or a woman caught in adultery... who finds forgiveness?

Or a young man by the cross watching his Friend day... who later stands in an empty tomb just before seeing that Friend again.

What was it like to have seen Jesus?

That's the question that drove me to put this together.

something old, something new

Last year I jotted a few thoughts down on this week. I don't mean to repeat myself, but it's been a busy week and I don't have time to write something new.

And yet... I feel like I should. Weird.

So let me try both:

• Some thoughts on Maundy Thursday.
• Some thoughts on Good Friday.
• Some thoughts on Holy Saturday.
• Some thoughts on Resurrection Sunday.

As far as something new, all I can really share is this...

I'm still in awe of the Resurrection.

I'm still thankful that death doesn't get the final word.

I'm still wowed by the person I could be right now if Jesus wasn't real.

So maybe that's not new if "I'm still" all those things.

Yet somehow to me... that is something new. Weird.

resurrection sunday: R I S E N !

J E S U S - I S - R I S E N !

J E S U S - I S .

J E S U S . . .

As one poetic Christ-follower put it...

maybe in this there has been a glimpse of the kingdom

a foretaste

a hint

a promise

let it hold you and let it send you

so you will never be at peace

until all are fed

until all know home

until all are free

until justice is done

until peace is the way

until grace is the law

until love is the rule

until God’s realm comes

until God’s realm comes

until God’s realm comes…

Amen.

~ Cheryl Lawrie

Today I will raise up the name of Jesus...

and somehow by Jesus being raised up...

I, too, am raised up.

holy saturday: s i l e n c e

Today...

G O D - I S - S I L E N T.

Or is He?

As the day on the calendar between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, this day - "Holy Saturday" - is often ignored - mainly because we don't know what to do with it. On Good Friday we remember the Passion of the Christ... on Resurrection Sunday, we recognize the fact that Jesus is risen ("He is risen, indeed" - that's what we say, right?).

But then there's today. What are we supposed to look at? A big stone? A scattered group of wanna-be followers? Guards posted, keeping us away from all that we hope for.

This is a hinge day, much like an "Act 2" of a great play where things get really dark... darker than the previous act.

And there is S I L E N C E.

At least, there seems to be.

Imagine yourself as a disciple, wondering what was going to happen. Or what was happening. Or what had just happened.

"Something strange is happening on earth today, a great silence, and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep." - Eugene Peterson

Sometimes God can seem quiet. Jesus’ disciples no doubt experienced this when He was in the tomb, perhaps wondering if they’d ever hear from God again. What they didn’t realize, though, was that by remaining in the tomb until the right time Jesus was speaking to them—essentially saying, “I am doing something right now for you… just wait… Sunday’s coming.”

When Resurrection Day came, suddenly they began to understand.

But today... S I L E N C E.

Or so it seems.

Where in your life is God seemingly “quiet” right now?
And yet...

what might He really be telling you behind the stone? 

At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:41-42)
"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." (Matthew 27:65)

good friday: my sacrifice

A few years ago, a band that used to be cool (and maybe still is) put out a song called "My Sacrifice" - perhaps you've heard these lines...

Hello my Friend, we meet again
It's been awhile,
where should we begin?
Feels like forever

Within my heart are memories
of perfect love
that You gave to me
Oh, I remember

When You are with me, I'm free
I'm careless, I believe
Above all the others we'll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My Sacrifice

A couple of hundred years before that song was written, another piece was penned by George Herbert called "The Sacrifice." It is the source of the hymn "My Song is Love Unknown," playing on the paradoxes of Christ's suffering. There is some old school English in this, so work your way through a few of these lines...

Behold, they spit on me in scornfull wise,
Who by my spittle gave the blinde man eyes,
Leaving his blindnesse to my enemies:
Was ever grief like mine?

My face they cover, though it be divine.
As Moses face was vailed, so is mine,
Lest on their double-dark souls either shine:
Was ever grief like mine?

How amazing is this love?

Through a sacrifice,
further sacrifices were no longer needed.

Through a death,
further death was conquered.

So today is a day that marvels at the passionate love Christ demonstrated for us and His Trinity so that we might all be restored to each other through His once-and-for-all sacrifice. Although we remember on this day a time of great persecution for the Lord, we call it "good" because of His humble and undeserved goodness toward us and all of creation.

Don't skip over to the resurrection... stare into the Blood and Body today. Not just from a past perspective, nor even a future "heavenly" one - but also from a present "What does this mean for me?" mindset.

Perhaps this is hard because we don't like spending time in the uncomfortable concept of dying to self. Jesus lived it and also talked about it, and I wish that He meant that we should deny ourselves "something." That would mean that all I would have to do is to give up something for Lent or sacrifice a certain habit and then I'd be free and clear to do whatever I wanted.

But Jesus wasn't talking about giving something up. He talked about denying ourselves - to stop living as if we were the center of our lives. He says that only in sacrificially dying to ourselves do we discover true life.

This is what it means to follow Jesus.

If this messes with us - and it should, because it's going to cost us - Jesus also gives the other side. Some have suffered incredibly as a result of obeying these verses, but they would never go back because they're living with more freedom and life that was ever possible before. Jesus wants to take us to these places of liberation only dead people who have been resurrected can go.

So sacrificial living that I follow Jesus, no matter where he leads, and no matter what it costs… and consequently I get to discover true life. I stop relying on myself and give my life - all of my life – to God. So when I'm talking about finances, I'm not really talking about finances but the place God has in my life... or when I'm talking about time I'm not really talking about time but the place God has in my life.

Which is why this day of remembering is so important.

We read in the Bible about a guy who was arrested... but really, it's about more than an arrest. Not to mention a beating that happened where blood was shed... but really it's about more than the blood. And humiliation... and a cross... and insults... and a cry out.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:33-34)

When Jesus says this He is quoting a part of a passage from the Scriptures and expects His disciples to understand the rest of the passage. It’s a teaching technique rabbis use called "remez" (or "ramez") – it saves time. There’s more in Psalm 22… more of what Jesus is saying and more of what He is fulfilling. You might want to read it and pay attention to the way He is fulfilling a slice of the Story told about years earlier.

Much like when you and I die to self we fulfill a slice of the Story told about years earlier.

A few years ago I began writing a song I never finished... or maybe I did and it's just this simple.

With a heavenward face…
Lord, You hung in my place
With Your eyes on my soul…
You were making me whole
With the thorns on Your head…
and the holes where You bled
You allowed through Your pain…
a new life I might gain

maundy thursday: a kiss

Have you ever been at either end of a kiss gone wrong?

One-sided? Too soon? Kind of smelly? Very, very wrong?

There’s always a risk in a kiss... and a cost in a kiss.

Whenever you reach out you face the possibility of rejection or the possibility of forming a bond. Most of the time it has to do with how the other person responds... which is perhaps why these verses are so interesting.

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." (Matthew 26:47-50)

And so Judas walked straight up to Jesus and kissed him.

So much risk tied up in that one kiss...

• Judas risked his political career, believing he could force the hand of the Son of God into achieving his desire for freedom from Rome.
  
• Judas risked the life he had known for the past three years.
  
• Judas risked his community by giving up his friends.
  
• Judas risked his life... physically and spiritually.

Maybe he didn't think about any of this or sit down and calculate the risk.

Maybe he should have.

Yet for some crazy, beyond-us reason... Jesus received the kiss.

He did not walk away.

He did not turn his head.

He stood and allowed Judas to come close, so close his breath touched His face as his lips brushed the cheek of Jesus.

There’s always a risk in a kiss... and a cost in a kiss.

Perhaps you want to jump ahead to Sunday... but let's not overlook this moment.

Two friends... affectionally acknowledging a betrayal.

What about all the times God has allowed me to come so close, only to feel the sting of rejection in the same breath when I hold back from Him? In allowing me to come close, Jesus acknowledges the risk and the cost... the path that laysahead. He knows that I will hurt Him with betrayal repeatedly whenever I choose my own way, path, or lesser-lover.

Still... He does not walk away.

He does not turn his head.

He stands and allows me to come close, so close my breath touches His face as my lips brush His cheek.

There’s always a risk in a kiss... and a cost in a kiss.

The name "Maundy" comes from the Latin words "it is commanded." This is in remembrance of the "new" commandment given by Jesus in John 13:34-35 as He was celebrated His last Passover with His disciples.

This is when He said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (NIV).

And so when someone leans in for that kiss... someone whom I know will betray me...

how do I in that moment not walk away...

nor turn my head...

but just stand and allow them to come close, so close their breath touches my face as their lips brush my cheek?

There’s always a risk in a kiss... and a cost in a kiss.

tales from the crypt

According to all the hyper-sensationalism of this story, I guess plans for Terminator 4 fell through for James Cameron.

Alright... let's place our bets, folks... place our bets.

1. How long before Outreach Marketing picks up this one just in time for a last-minute 2007 Easter campaign you can buy in a box for $777? (Man... just when I was wondering if we should recycle those oversized Da Vinci Code cards.)
   


2. How many advertisements of books will we see in the next 30 days (that will be written and published in the next 30 days, as well) to refute these claims?
   


3. I know Cameron is making a documentary, but is there enough time for Tom Hanks to grow out his hair again for a feature version?

Place your bets, folks... place your bets.

Disclaimer: In no way do I believe we shouldn't share the archeological facts that take care of all this sensationalism simply by being the truth. Obviously, the Easter season is a time when Christ-followers get to present the Good News of the Resurrection to people and so this will more than likely be something I'll have to address in our services.

What I do have a problem with, though, is how quickly we look for a hook to market our beliefs by being anti-something.

Then again...

I guess I just did that in this post, didn't I?

(tip of the hat to Scott)

a bit lost...

Sometimes the greatest test of faith lies deep beneath the surface.

Take Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, for example, and how it leads up to the birth of the church.

"Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:35-36)

Below the surface - a confrontation.

You're confused and afraid...
so where do you turn?

Do you listen to your head?
Or do you follow your heart?

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)

A Father separated from his son.

A call for help.

An act of desperation.

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)

A new day dawns... and the same threat remains.

And as conflict with the others grow closer, some questions may be answered.

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45)

When it's all on the line, where do you stand?
Do you listen to reason? Or rely on faith?

How do you know?

What do you do when your faith is put to the test?

Trapped in the hatch and no way out, whom do you trust?

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:1-2)

In crisis comes discovery... but where does it all lead?

Can you survive on faith alone?

Or do you take matters into your own hands?

To right what is wrong... what would you do?

so how was your easter, peeps?

So this morning I had the chance to share the Easter message using Scripture, stories, art, video, music, the Gospel of Judas, archeology, the Da Vinci Code, and... Marshmallow Peeps.

Peeps have an interesting history.

• Back in 1953 it took 27 hours to make a peep… now modern technology can make 2-4 million a day.
  
• It used to be said that the eyes were made out of tar, but it’s not true – they’re made out of wax.
  
• Would you believe 30 percent of people who eat peeps like them stale? Ew!
  
• Some freeze them, roast them, or microwave them. Some even use them for pizza toppings. Double ew!
  
• Each peep has 32 calories with 7 grams of sugar a peep (but they're "fat free" so eat up).
  
• The company that makes Peeps is called “Just Born’s” and is located in the city of Bethlehem, PA.

When I was a kid I used to yearn for Peeps. In fact, when I got my first hard earned paycheck it was right around Easter time… and so I remember going out to the store and buying a bunch of peeps, some comic books, and a watermelon (these were all things that were usually special treats). And I remember sitting under a tree on a nice hot day, reading my Superboy comics while eating watermelon (and the watermelon juice would drool down into the comic books), and then finishing it off with a glob of peeps. (Aren’t you hungry, now?)

The catch was that back in the day Peeps were a special treat because they were seasonal… you couldn’t get them except at Easter. These days, though, we can get them year round. There are Easter peeps, as well as Christmas peeps, Valentine’s Day peeps, Halloween peeps, patriotic peeps… you name it! Peeps are available all year round… not just during the Easter season. Even though most people assume so.

Similarly, we find the same issue with Easter. Is Easter just a fluffy event on the calendar? You know, where we start wearing pastel colors and buy a new outfit and attend a church service and sing some songs about the resurrection of a guy who walked the earth 2,000 years ago? Or is there a context for Easter that is available all year round?

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5, NASB)

When you read that, I imagine you’ll respond in at least one of three ways…

• Convinced (your life seems to glow it)
• Believing (your mind seems to know it)
• Skeptical (your questions seem to show it)

Which raises a question about questions… are they okay to have? There are a lot of questions about Jesus these days… a lot of alleged “scandal.”

• The Gospel of Judas asserts to be "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week three days before he celebrated Passover.” Essentially, it tries to soften the blow of who Judas was by stating that Jesus asked Judas to turn him in because he needed help getting rid of the outer shell of his body so he can really be who he's supposed to be.
• An FSU scientist claims that when Jesus walked on water it was actually ice. That’s an interesting theory when you consider the boat of disciples. Unfortunately, he said "I get hate e-mail on the average every three minutes." s a side note, this kind of reaction to someone with questions makes me a bit sick… this isn’t how Christians are called to respond.
• The Da Vinci Code is also very popular and questions the very foundation of the church’s history and perspective. Basically the idea is a big conspiracy theory that the church had a secret agenda to protect itself and its beliefs, and so a number of theoretical clues are hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. It claims that he belonged to a secret society (that he never actually did belong to), and that Jesus had a wife.
  
  Jesus does have a wife, by the way… the church. And he’s never cheated on his bride.
  
  I can give you a bunch of facts as to why the claims in this book are false, but I’d rather point you towards a resource a couple of friends of mine wrote: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE DA VINCI CODE
  
  As a side note, The Da Vinci Code is a very fun book and has a lot of historical facts twisted into fiction, much like a movie many of you may have seen called “National Treasure” starring Nicholas Cage. That’s a movie that claims that our society is built upon secret codes that are found on our money and the constitution, to name a few.
  
  Sound familiar? Yet no one went out after watching that and started denouncing the government… at least, for that reason. No one started looking at their money as a secret treasure map.
  
  I really am excited about the fact that we are going to have the chance to have conversations with people about Jesus because of something happening in our culture.

Have you ever noticed these things always happen before Easter? If we never open the door up to ask questions then we never get the chance to pursue truth.

Author Dan Brown says: “My hope for the Da Vinci Code was, in addition to entertaining people, that it might serve as an open door for readers to begin their own explorations and rekindle their interest in topics of faith.”

The possibility that things may be happening out of our control is disturbing. The idea of a conspiracy theory is comforting because it suggests that human agencies are at work... and so we have somebody to blame or somebody to join. It’s almost easier to accept that we made it all up than it is to believe in a God who is crazy about us and loves us in spite of our sin… and longs to redeem us.

A nice side benefit of all of these alleged scandals is that people today are getting back to the roots of their truth. People are open to and looking for a new interpretation of Christianity… not just the historical one that says it all started in the first century A.D.

The story of Easter actually begins a bit further back than we think.

• In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
• So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
• Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:6)
• When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6)
• And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. (Genesis 3:22-23)
  

Let’s hit pause for a moment… for many of us, this is where the story ends. We feel this disconnect with God and don’t know why. God could have left the story there… But He decided to do something else and it’s pretty stunning.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103: 8-14)

That’s what you want in a God when you have messed up your life. A God who proclaims, “I want to forgive you and I want to wash you clean… even thought your hands are so dirty… and I want to call you child and I want you to call me Father. And I want you to know what real love is all about… real justice is all about…”

And so time went by… many prophets came along, telling us that one day rescue would come… and some became skeptical, some believed, and some were convinced of it… And all of creation waited… and waited… placing faith in hope… waiting as God prepared the landscape.

And one day a baby’s cries were heard in a cave in Bethlehem…
And that baby became a boy and that boy became a man…
God became like us so that we could become like him.

And on Thursday… we remember that he ate his last supper with his best friends – one of which betrayed him according to ancient prophecy…

And on Friday… his body was broken and blood was spilled… and he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

And on Saturday… silence…

And then... Sunday. Resurrection. Hope. Redemption.

This day - Easter - didn't just happen one time 20 centuries ago nor is it just something we’re to recognize on the calendar. Easter is always happening… it’s not seasonal but is available all year round. God knew we'd blow it in Genesis 3 and yet he still chose to make us in Genesis 1 & 2. In other words, Good Friday and Easter were always a part of his plan because he is absolutely crazy about you and I and longs for us to stop feeling disconnected… regain our place as a child of God… and be able to call God our Father again.

If you’re like me I need a God who can get into the mess of my life. I need a God who can show up in the midst of pain and suffering… brokenness and sin… when relationships are struggling or you’re up to you ears in little kids and have lost every bit of control you can have… a God who enters into reality and makes a difference in our life.

I challenge anyone with a shrunk down God and a little itty bitty Easter to decode the real conspiracy story… that God gave his only son so that our lives could be a part of his great story.

He knows your name… and he’s been calling your name this whole time.

That may make us feel a bit smaller than we’d like… but he gave his only son so that our lives could be a part of his great story.