Well, it's the last day of Lent! Tomorrow we celebrate our Risen Lord! It's been a fun journey of remembering, learning, growing, and sharing. I hope by next year when I do this again, I will be able to say that I steward some of what I've talked about over the last 46 days much better than I do now. I definitely feel like I have a grid and framework with which to evaluate things that I do or think more carefully after this month. It's amazing that if you think on something for a length of time like this, it actually starts to change how you think and process things because there's real intention to it.
One piece of the grid is this writing process. If there's something I'm considering doing, I'm going to write it out, and consider if it's something that is being consumed or stewarded. Does it drain me or give life? Is it wasteful or responsible? Another piece of the grid is taking areas that are important and holding them up to the Word of God to see if they mesh. If not, I really need to evaluate how much value I put in said area. Another piece of my grid is accountability. Even though not everyone comments, knowing even a few people read this everyday makes me accountable for my actions, and I have had a choice about sharing real stuff or blowing smoke so that I can look "acceptable". I've really tried to be authentic, and knowing that, I have enjoyed the accountability of others knowing me. It's so easy to hide stuff in our lives, and part of my grid is if there's something that I want to hide and not share with anyone, then it shouldn't be part of my life. These are just a couple examples of what I've taken away from this experience. There is a lot more, and it will take re-reading these posts for me to make it nice and concise.
To end though, I just want to share that this has been a very significant Holy Week for James and me and the boys. I'm so excited to be able to end the week with a celebration with my church family and my family family! I'm excited to go downtown tomorrow night with my boys and ask people how their day was and give them a meal to eat. I'm grateful for the opportunity to live my life full of life instead of skirting through half-dead like so many Christians I see around me. I pray that I will choose this attitude daily and make every moment count. What Jesus did on this week should mean everything to a Christian. Because of it, we're alive!! Let's not waste those lives, and let's make sure we're helping others find life too!!
Who but You
Could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies
And dream of me?
What kind of Love
Is writing my story until the end
With Mercy’s pen?
Only You.
What kind of king
Would chose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars
To win my heart?
What kind of Love
Tells me I’m the reason He can’t stay
Inside the grave?
You. Is it You?
Standing here before my eyes,
Every part of my heart cries
Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome;
Death has lost and Love has won
Alive! Alive! Hallelujah, Risen Lord,
The only One I fall before
I am His because He is alive.
Who could speak,
And send the demons back from where they came
With just one Name?
What other heart
Would let itself be broken every time
'Til He healed mine?
You. Only You
Could turn my darkness into dawn;
running right into Your arms
Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome;
Death has lost and Love has won
Alive! Alive! Hallelujah, Risen Lord,
The only One I fall before
I am His because He is
Emmanuel, the promised King the baby who made angels sing
Son of Man who walked with us, healing, breathing in our dust
The author of all history, the answer to all mysteries
The Lamb of God who rolled away, the stone in front of every grave
Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy’s overcome;
Death has lost and Love has won
I am His because He is alive.
I am His because He is alive.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Day 44
Tonight, on this Maundy Thursday (sidebar- Maundy is Latin meaning either "new commandment", begging as in alms giving, or washing of feet . . . there are cases for all three meanings, and if you really look at them together, it's a new way of life that Jesus was about to set as the standard for followers of Him. What He's about to go through demonstrates all these things together), my family partook in a Messianic Seder (meaning "order" or "sequence") Passover meal with some dear friends (the Sloans) and their three kids. We had a roast, complete with intact shank, amazing cheesy mashed potatoes, gravy, a spinach craisin salad, and french bread. So so good, even if it wasn't 100% traditional!! We also had the traditional elements like the bitter herbs, the salt water, the Matzah bread, the lighting of candles, the grape juice/wine (with multiple refills), Haroset, and something else I'm forgetting right now. It was great fun reading the texts together and listening to prayers, hearing about the 4 cups, watching the kids search for the Matzah, and just celebrating the Passover and Christ's sacrifice in a tangible way, together as families. During the Seder Meal, Pappy Sloan explained to the families that the Haroset (ground apples, nuts, and honey) symbolized hope. JJ, said (after tasting it on Matzah bread the first time) "Can I have some more of that hope, please." (-:
We had to cut dinner a little short because we were going to attend a Maundy Thursday service at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and didn't want to be late. We arrived, took our seats, and enjoyed a beautiful liturgical service, complete with communion served with real wine! JJ said after communion "wow, I think that was my first time drinking wine, it was pretty sour." We looked at the perspective of Jonah, and how He and God weren't on the same page. Jonah was fine with God's grace when he was the benefactor of it, but he didn't want anything to do with God dispensing it to others (Ninevah). Jesus talked a bit about this in the parable of the wine vineyard and the workers. Some of the workers come on time and work in the field all day, and some of them come at the end of the day but get paid the same. The all day workers think this is unfair. Jesus points out it's the farmers' field to do with as he pleases and pay the agreed upon price to any worker that came to work. It is the same with salvation. Just because we may receive salvation at an earlier age than others or put in our time on this earth serving the Living God, doesn't mean that we get to look down on others who seem to skate in at the last second or who don't seem to deserve it. That ultimate gift of forgiveness and grace is not ours to grant, and it's what Jesus is all about. We need to get on that page!
Jesus' disciples weren't on the same page with Him either. Matthew was a tax collector, James and John were trying to vie for attention and position around Jesus, Peter was unknowingly about to deny Jesus three times though thoroughly confident that could never happen, and Judas was getting set to betray Jesus over to the pharisees. None of that seemed to be on board with God's mission, yet each played a vital role. And then in Romans, Paul talks about how all of us are sinners and fall short of God's glory. So we're in the same boat as Jonah and the disciples. How often do we gush over how God's worked in our lives and then snub our noses at those in our paths that just can't seem to get it together or who are living in sin or who deserve death and destruction? How often do we vie for God's attention over others, cheat and steal in what seems to be a harmless way that may even be part of our job, deny our Lord when it's convenient or we're scared, or flat out betray Him and His work in us by turning back to our sin rather than our God? Are we on the same page as God, or do we get what we want from Him then turn back to our old way of life. Do we really have the full love and long-term dedication to love people like Jesus loved them? Like I said, it was a great service. We enjoyed the powerful message, the liturgical elements, the different format of communion, and not having to lead for the night.
So this week is the culmination of why we observe and discipline and practice this thing called Lent. It's Holy Week. There are deep emotions that Jesus felt this week, and hopefully we can grasp, starting with a seemingly joyful entrance into Jerusalem (though I'm sure the human side of Jesus was truly dreading what was to come), moving to a period of celebration with the Passover, time of fellowship with dear friends, agonizing prayer, betrayal, indescribable pain (emotional, spiritual, and physical), abuse, scorn, mockery, death, and ultimately resurrection. Today Jesus shared His last meal with His disciples (the Passover meal as was tradition), then went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemene while His disciples fell asleep, prayed so fervently that He sweat blood, and then was betrayed and arrested. The rest of this night, Jesus went through more betrayal, denial, anguish, trials, beatings, and judgements. In the morning, when you wake up, remember that Christ was starting the process of a crucifixion . . . the thorns, the cross on a beaten back, the walk, the nails, and the cry of "forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do." Amazing love indeed! I hope that you've been able to experience it fully. If not, there's still more to come, so take the time to engage, reflect, and enjoy what Jesus did on that cross for you!
We had to cut dinner a little short because we were going to attend a Maundy Thursday service at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and didn't want to be late. We arrived, took our seats, and enjoyed a beautiful liturgical service, complete with communion served with real wine! JJ said after communion "wow, I think that was my first time drinking wine, it was pretty sour." We looked at the perspective of Jonah, and how He and God weren't on the same page. Jonah was fine with God's grace when he was the benefactor of it, but he didn't want anything to do with God dispensing it to others (Ninevah). Jesus talked a bit about this in the parable of the wine vineyard and the workers. Some of the workers come on time and work in the field all day, and some of them come at the end of the day but get paid the same. The all day workers think this is unfair. Jesus points out it's the farmers' field to do with as he pleases and pay the agreed upon price to any worker that came to work. It is the same with salvation. Just because we may receive salvation at an earlier age than others or put in our time on this earth serving the Living God, doesn't mean that we get to look down on others who seem to skate in at the last second or who don't seem to deserve it. That ultimate gift of forgiveness and grace is not ours to grant, and it's what Jesus is all about. We need to get on that page!
Jesus' disciples weren't on the same page with Him either. Matthew was a tax collector, James and John were trying to vie for attention and position around Jesus, Peter was unknowingly about to deny Jesus three times though thoroughly confident that could never happen, and Judas was getting set to betray Jesus over to the pharisees. None of that seemed to be on board with God's mission, yet each played a vital role. And then in Romans, Paul talks about how all of us are sinners and fall short of God's glory. So we're in the same boat as Jonah and the disciples. How often do we gush over how God's worked in our lives and then snub our noses at those in our paths that just can't seem to get it together or who are living in sin or who deserve death and destruction? How often do we vie for God's attention over others, cheat and steal in what seems to be a harmless way that may even be part of our job, deny our Lord when it's convenient or we're scared, or flat out betray Him and His work in us by turning back to our sin rather than our God? Are we on the same page as God, or do we get what we want from Him then turn back to our old way of life. Do we really have the full love and long-term dedication to love people like Jesus loved them? Like I said, it was a great service. We enjoyed the powerful message, the liturgical elements, the different format of communion, and not having to lead for the night.
So this week is the culmination of why we observe and discipline and practice this thing called Lent. It's Holy Week. There are deep emotions that Jesus felt this week, and hopefully we can grasp, starting with a seemingly joyful entrance into Jerusalem (though I'm sure the human side of Jesus was truly dreading what was to come), moving to a period of celebration with the Passover, time of fellowship with dear friends, agonizing prayer, betrayal, indescribable pain (emotional, spiritual, and physical), abuse, scorn, mockery, death, and ultimately resurrection. Today Jesus shared His last meal with His disciples (the Passover meal as was tradition), then went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemene while His disciples fell asleep, prayed so fervently that He sweat blood, and then was betrayed and arrested. The rest of this night, Jesus went through more betrayal, denial, anguish, trials, beatings, and judgements. In the morning, when you wake up, remember that Christ was starting the process of a crucifixion . . . the thorns, the cross on a beaten back, the walk, the nails, and the cry of "forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do." Amazing love indeed! I hope that you've been able to experience it fully. If not, there's still more to come, so take the time to engage, reflect, and enjoy what Jesus did on that cross for you!
Day 43
I'm very excited for tomorrow. We get to have a Seder dinner with friends and then go to a contemplative service tomorrow night with another pastor and his family at a church that neither of us go to! We, as families, get to be fed and experience this Holy Week in community. What a gift! I pray that out of the overflow of that, we'll all be able to better serve our own community and also our own churches as we usher others into the presence of God, through conversations, meals, the Stations of the Cross, a reflective Good Friday Service, and ultimately, Easter.
I love that we get to do this as a family, and that my boys get to see first hand their friends' family do it too. I love to see this lifestyle of focusing ourselves around Christ slowly take root in our boys. It's amazing to hear them, totally on their own and with zero prompting from us, come up with things to fast from until Easter this week. Yes, it's not a full Lenten experience, but come on, they're 8 and 5. 6 days is pretty great! I love hearing my boys walk around the house singing "Joyful Joyful . . . I got the joy, I got the joy, I got the joy, I got the joy," and knowing that the reason for that joy is because of what Jesus did! So again, I'm very excited to be sharing this with my boys and with friends, and I pray that we'll steward our time in community together well, we'll be an encouragement to one another, and we'll be able to model and pass on to our kids the value of sharing things of faith with others.
I love that we get to do this as a family, and that my boys get to see first hand their friends' family do it too. I love to see this lifestyle of focusing ourselves around Christ slowly take root in our boys. It's amazing to hear them, totally on their own and with zero prompting from us, come up with things to fast from until Easter this week. Yes, it's not a full Lenten experience, but come on, they're 8 and 5. 6 days is pretty great! I love hearing my boys walk around the house singing "Joyful Joyful . . . I got the joy, I got the joy, I got the joy, I got the joy," and knowing that the reason for that joy is because of what Jesus did! So again, I'm very excited to be sharing this with my boys and with friends, and I pray that we'll steward our time in community together well, we'll be an encouragement to one another, and we'll be able to model and pass on to our kids the value of sharing things of faith with others.
Day 42
"The greatest day in history . . ." That's the beginning line of the song our kids are singing on Easter Sunday. I've been thinking about that line for a month or so now, and I gotta be honest, there are many Christians who are more concerned with Easter eggs and baskets on that day than Jesus conquering a little thing called DEATH. Oh, and with that, saving our lives. It's weird to me. It's baffling that for many many many years, I was the same way. I know everything surrounding Easter is significant and important to all Christians, but honestly from the outside looking in, I'm pretty sure people would think we're more about the candy, egg hunts, and presents than celebrating the death and resurrection of a living God. As long as we sing the right songs, say the right sayings ("He is risen indeed"), maybe even have the right sunrise service, and do our appropriate amount of reflection on what Christ did for us, we call it an amazing Easter service. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with that . . . PEOPLE, WE'RE ALREADY SAVED!!! If this is truly the "greatest day in history," why the heck aren't we spending our day telling others that God is waiting for about it?
I so badly wanted this Easter to look different. I desperately wanted our church to get outside ourselves and serve rather than do the typical Easter routine. Change takes time. I know this and continue to learn. I hope that someday a really old church steeped in tradition can get to the place of hanging out with the least of these on a day that is so great, but for now I can at least help my kids put action into the song they're singing and make it come alive for them and hopefully some others God puts in our path. Because it truly is a "Happy Day!"
I so badly wanted this Easter to look different. I desperately wanted our church to get outside ourselves and serve rather than do the typical Easter routine. Change takes time. I know this and continue to learn. I hope that someday a really old church steeped in tradition can get to the place of hanging out with the least of these on a day that is so great, but for now I can at least help my kids put action into the song they're singing and make it come alive for them and hopefully some others God puts in our path. Because it truly is a "Happy Day!"
Monday, April 2, 2012
Day 40 & 41
Whoops, so I missed a day! Sorry! I was so caught up finishing painting the kitchen that I didn't get to bed till 2 am, and forgot all about this! I'm enjoying my boys and doing some projects and visiting with friends this week since it's spring break, so I'm out of routine. I'm looking forward to celebrating Holy Week all this week, so tomorrow I'll write more about that.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Day 39
Wow, this month has gone by fast, but when I think back to when I started this, it seems like a long time ago. Crazy space time!
So I'm gonna be brief tonight, because it's late and I have to get up early, but today and yesterday have been wonderful testimonies to God's grace! A beautiful baby girl was born yesterday who is going to have a great story. I know this, because at one day old, she already has a great story. Her entire life so far has been surrounded by grace. What a way to enter the world!! And what a joy to be part of that story! As I've painted tonight and had time to reflect, I'm reminded of other kiddos in my life who have had similar beginnings, and I'm just so overwhelmingly grateful for those kids, the parents who chose them, the families that supported them, and the God who created them. I pray that all that come to know these kids and hear their stories will act similarly to Barnabus in Acts 11:23, "When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." May we set the example for this kind of behavior and steward the children in our lives well!
So I'm gonna be brief tonight, because it's late and I have to get up early, but today and yesterday have been wonderful testimonies to God's grace! A beautiful baby girl was born yesterday who is going to have a great story. I know this, because at one day old, she already has a great story. Her entire life so far has been surrounded by grace. What a way to enter the world!! And what a joy to be part of that story! As I've painted tonight and had time to reflect, I'm reminded of other kiddos in my life who have had similar beginnings, and I'm just so overwhelmingly grateful for those kids, the parents who chose them, the families that supported them, and the God who created them. I pray that all that come to know these kids and hear their stories will act similarly to Barnabus in Acts 11:23, "When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." May we set the example for this kind of behavior and steward the children in our lives well!
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