Jesus FAIL

As I celebrated Holy Week, I found myself pondering the same things that I seem to do each year. There is almost a dark “real time” anticipation of the events that transpired over 2000 years ago. I meditate and imagine what the week must have been like. I imagine the lingering excitement from Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the great hope that gripped the hearts of the crowd. I imagine the celebration as the crowds gathered for the Passover. But I also imagine the thoughts that must have been going through the minds of the disciples in the upper room and on Golgotha. Messiah had finally come. The Roman yoke of oppression was just about to be cast off and Jesus was going to lead the way. "Hosanna!"  But then things begin to radically change and unravel with the washing of some dirty feet and the eating of a meal.

Hearts began to sink. Anxiety levels escalated. Tears fell. It appeared to be the end of the line as Jesus unfolded the details of what was to come. As he predicted, He was arrested and beaten. He was rejected by the same people who celebrated His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. And finally, on Good Friday, He was nailed to a cross, breathed His last breath and uttered, "It is finished." He died.  Finished? He was taken down from the cross and buried. From all practical perspectives, it was over. And as Jesus' disciples gathered together on that Sabbath before the Resurrection, the pain, fear and grief must have been overwhelming.

Was it really finished? Good Friday and Holy Saturday did not carry with them the anticipation, preparation and joy that it does for us today. For those who followed Jesus, it appeared that there was nothing to look forward to, except the same possible fate that met their friend. The end of the line, boys. "Jesus is dead!  And we're next!  You're going to get your wish, Peter!  Believe what you want, Thomas!  But your doubting ass will be hanging on a cross by sundown!"          

"Where did things go wrong?”, they must have thought. “How did we misinterpret what Jesus had been telling us over the last three years”?, they must have asked themselves. “Were we totally misled?” “Are we all fools? Morons?” “Was our mission with Jesus a complete failure?” FAIL! Their feet were clean, but their minds were cloudy as they waited. The anxiety must have felt like the weight of the world. Fear. Rejection. Anger. Confusion. All of these emotions must have been running wild as they mourned the death of their Rabbi. Their leader. Their friend. From the view of the world, this must have appeared to be the perfect failure.

Time doesn’t permit me to go on and on with the thoughts that flood my mind this morning, but I encourage you to ponder these things as well for one very simple reason. There appear to be two sides to this story. One side tells us that this was in fact, a perfect failure. This side leaves Jesus in His tomb and leaves the disciples defeated, broken, dejected, afraid and probably eventually dead. The other side of the story is victorious. Renewal. Transformation. Resurrection power. The power that took these eleven broken men that cowered in fear, and used them to transform the world. He is risen! This was not a perfect failure, but complete victory!

There are two stories to every story, isn't there? And as we observe Good Friday, each of us stand on the cusp of the breakthrough that changed humanity. From the perspective of Good Friday, and Good Friday alone, we live in a constant duality of existence. Good Friday leaves us in Chaos, fear and defeat. Good Friday blows a cold wind of disunity, rejection and separation. Good Friday leaves us isolated, cowering in fear, feeling disconnected from God and humanity. Good Friday leave us in fear of death. There is a division that exists with Good Friday, and it creeps in to pollute our communities, even with the realization of the Resurrection .      

As we walk through Good Friday, let us reflect on what Sunday will mean to us. Let us remind ourselves that the darkness of Good Friday will eventually be joined and obscured by the light of Easter Sunday. Easter brings order, peace and victory. Easter Sunday brings unity, acceptance and connection. Easter Sunday finds us in community with out fellow man, celebrating in courage as God's cleansing Spirit flows through creation and mankind. There is a oneness that exists for us on Easter Sunday as we see that Christ's victorious redemption applies to us all, without division.

But the questions remains for us all: Are we living our lives in shadow of Good Friday, or the briliant light of Easter Sunday? Do we cower in the upper room, defeated, disconnected and absorbed with grief? Isolated? Alone? He is risen, and if he is truly risen, then why do we not rise with Him? And if we truly rise with Him, do we not all rise together in complete unification?

As we celebrate Good Friday, let us remember that this shadow will pass over. Let us look forward to the unity and completion of Sunday. Death brings life. Let our vision be encompassed with the vision of Resurrection, not death. Let us join together as the Body of Christ, embracing each other as we suffer. Let us carry each others burden through Friday and journey together in unity.  All things are new, my friends!  All things are new!

Lenten Reflections: Second Sunday of Lent

"Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.<sup>"

Psalm 51:15-17


There is a profound dichotomy that lies within the season of Lent. Points of light are shrouded in darkness. Each week is a dark and cluttered hallway. Sunday is a point of light that beckons us forward. 

During Lent, we take pause to reflect on the dark places of our lives, and yet open ourselves up for times to rejoice. On Sunday, we turn our focus to the expectation, hope, joy and restoration brought about through the transforming work of Christ; both individually and corporately. We come together in unity, realizing that we are on this journey together. 

Sunday is light. Tomorrow darkness returns. 

We enter another dark hallway, filled with the refuse that is our life.  

Sin reminds us to rejoice. We look to the light. 

Rejoicing reminds us of sin. We look to the darkness.

Repetitive for 40 days.

Today we rejoice. Today we bath in light. Tomorrow we walk back in the dark to reflect once again on the filth that lies within. Another long hallway awaits us, with yet another dim light beckoning to us from the end. Just enough to illumine our way. 

Today we rejoice. 

Today we feast.

Tomorrow we lament. 

Tomorrow we fast. 

Today we embrace.

Tomorrow we sacrifice. 

God, today we embrace the presence of your Spirit. Today we celebrate. Today we rejoice. But as we continue our journey of Lent tomorrow, fill us with anticipation of the hope we have in You through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen</sup>    

God's Rain

God's Spirit falls upon the earth
  like rain in Spring
Saturating all creation
  Covering all
Upon the dry and lifeless soul,
  bound by cold space
Penetrating numb resistance
  Softening stone
Running across vast location
  No direction
Ending and returning without
  Within unknown
Washing away filth and decay
  Leaving exposed
Left behind as the day of birth,
  fresh and open
Peering out at what lies ahead
  Forgotten self
Breathing in as new life springs forth
  God like the rain
quenches a thirsty creation
  longing for more.

Advent Reflections: December 13

Joy

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:18-21

Reflection

There are times in life when occasions that usually should bring joy do anything but. Two people are married for the wrong reasons. A promotion is accepted, but requires too much time away from home. A new home is purchased, but the debt is overwhelming. A child is born when the pregnancy was unplanned and unexpected. 

Most of us do our best to make good choices in life, but we all make mistakes, don't we? When those mistakes become realities, we hope and pray with all of our heart that God will transform our circumstances and forgive us in our failures. And sometimes we see that our circumstances, although not anticipated or planned for, turn out to be unexpected blessings from a loving God.

Joseph certainly did not anticipate Mary becoming pregnant before they were married. The Bible tells us that he was a righteous man, most likely making good decisions for most of his young life. But yet here he was, facing the possible ending of his relationship with Mary and the ramifications that would affect both of them for the rest of their lives. 

But being a man of God and knowing and knowing that something unusual was going on, Joseph made the best decision that his human mind could comprehend: he would divorce Mary with as much dignity possible. After all, from his perspective, she had been unfaithful.

It was only then that God stepped in to reveal to Joseph that this blessed occasion would not be a burden after all, but an event that would change the world. Joseph made the wrong decision based on his limited knowledge. God revealed that this was not his choice to make, and regardless of the unexpected circumstances, joy would rise from the birth of this unexpected child.

Prayer

God, in the midst of our mistakes, bad decisions, our failures and unexpected situations in life, help us to see the joy in all that you do through us. Help us to see that while our circumstances may be unexpected, joy can always come through our trust in you.

Amen

Advent Reflections - December 10

Peace 

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
 
1 John 4:10

Reflection

 

There is no greater emotion than love. Love can envelop an eclectic collection of emotions that often contradict each other and leave us either elated or completely confused. Love can conjure up a range of feelings from happiness, laughter and contentment, to thoughts of anger, hatred and jealousy. Love can lift us up, and love can bring us crashing to the ground. Love unites cultures and love can also divide communities. Love can conquer all obstacles of life and love can leave us utterly defeated. Love can find us included among close friends and family or leave us feeling abandoned and lonely. Love can be all, or it can be nothing.

Love also generates peace, a peace and joyful contentment that transforms the very essence of who we are. It can catapult us from the often mundane pace of life to an exciting journey that leaves us confident of accomplishing anything that we face. Love can consume us with peace, and most often that peace comes from being loved, rather than loving. Being loved by others is a confirming indication that we matter. That we are worthy of love. That the make-up of who we are, has caused another human being to be moved to this radical and all encompassing emotion: Love.

As we read these words today’s passage, we discover a very simple and yet complex and perplexing truth: God loves us. He loves me. He loves you. And all that God has done through Christ, has nothing to do with how much, or how little we love God, but how much he loves us. His love for each one of us is an overwhelming and transforming mystery; the same mystery that revolves around the incarnation. A love so massive and without limit, and yet it was contained and confined in the limited vessel of a small child. A love that compelled the God of all that is, all that has been and all that will be, to descend into the darkness of this chaotic world and live among us. This is love: Emmanuel, God with us!

Prayer
God, your love for us is without limit, without understanding and without end. In our feeble attempts to love you, God, let us receive your love through the blessings of this Advent Season. Let us rest, feel your peace and be loved by you.

Amen