Silent Wednesday

The events of Holy Week are most clearly described in the Gospel According to Mark. And Mark doesn't have anything to say about Wednesday of the week. 

So on this silent day, we can take the time to reflect quietly on the whole barrage of activity on the other days. We do well to sit in the uncomfortable feeling of the impending doom for Jesus. We can reflect on our own failure to trust him and live in his power.

I realized just today that I need extra time these days just to sit and soak in the presence of Jesus. He helps me to be present and to listen to truth.

Real Authority

When Jesus arrived in the Temple courts on Tuesday of Holy Week, he ran into the religious authorities. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders came up to Jesus and began to question him. 

They ganged up on him to put him in his place. They had all the authority in the Temple, or so they thought. The chief priests ran the show. The teachers of the law knew the Bible inside and out. The elders were leaders among their people. Together they could expose this rogue preacher.

They demanded to know where Jesus got his authority. As for them, they could quickly show their own credentials. They had followed the protocol for being religious leaders, being selected as high priests, having studied at Jewish schools, and having taught in synagogues all around. The source of their authority was clear: their connections, education, and followers.

So where did Jesus get his authority? Jesus responded with a curveball. He asked them where John the Baptist got his authority. They could find no satisfactory answer to that question. Rather than acknowledging the truth, that John's baptism was from God, they considered the optics of the possible responses. If they said John was legit, then Jesus would call them out for not believing him. If they said he was not legit, they knew the crowds would be upset. 

It looks like the religious posse had no clue about the source of authority for John, Jesus, or themselves. All they could do was read the polls.

Real authority comes from God. Jesus had it, and didn't need to prove it.

Misusing Religion

On Monday of Holy Week, Jesus cleansed the Temple. He drove out the sacrificial animals for sale and turned over the tables of the money changers, who exchanged Roman coins for Jewish coins. 

Jesus declared that his Father's house should be a "house of prayer," but these people had turned it into a "den of robbers." 

It looks like the Passover Feast was prime time for cashing in on the religious faithful. People were using religion for unfair personal gain. Jesus did not like that.

He still doesn't like it. We can all point to some of "those people" who take advantage of religion as a way to line their pockets. But there are other ways to misuse religion. And it's not just those people.

Some use faith as a weapon to manipulate others.

Some hide from real life and stay too busy with church activities. 

Some let their politics rule their faith.

Some pay for ministers and missionaries to do faith for them. Then they don't have to feel guilty when their own faith is empty.

There are so many ways to misuse religion. Jesus comes to rescue us from our own hypocrisy. We all need some temple cleansing.

Palm Sunday

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday on the Christian calendar. It commemorates Jesus's entry in the city of Jerusalem for the Passover festival. Every year it was a big deal, and Jews from all over the world would come for the occasion. In fact, Jesus and his family regularly came to celebrate when he was growing up.

This time the energy was building for a big celebration. The Jewish people felt like this feast helped them maintain their cultural identity, in spite of the heavy hand of the Roman occupiers. It was the perfect time for Israel to announce its independence with a new, powerful leader. Jesus seemed to be rising to the occasion. He had spent some weeks ahead of Passover, canvassing the towns of Galilee, winning popular support.

There was so much anticipation that the crowds cheered wildly for the new Messiah as he rode into town on a donkey. Some even cut palm branches, waving them in excitement or laying them out on the road ahead of the Lord. Yes, it was all about to go down.

No wonder people were so excited. 

But in true Jesus fashion, Jesus had some serious twists in store.

I'm working to trust Jesus as he allows the twists in my life. It's not easy to trust him when things catch me so off guard.

Zacchaeus

Just before Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus reaches out to a most unlikely observer. You probably have heard of Zacchaeus the tax collector. We know of him as the "wee little man." He had a lot of strikes against him. As a tax collector he was viewed as a collaborator with the enemy, Rome. Not only was he working with the enemy and selling out his own people, he was getting rich in the process. He had to look pretty selfish to his fellow Jews.

We don't know what led him to a career in tax collecting, but he may have had a struggle with rejection in his life. Perhaps he was rejected because of his stature or unfortunate family connections. Maybe he was just abrasive. If he was going to be rejected anyway, he might as well get rich. He certainly did not have any friends who would clear the way for him to see the visiting celebrity. 

So he climbed a tree to get a better look. He probably wanted to blend into the scenery. But Jesus took special notice of him. He called to Zacchaeus in front of the whole crowd and asked to be Zacchaeus's guest.

Just before the last week of Jesus's earthly life he took time to reach out to a reject. 

To Jesus, no one is a reject.

Do you see it?

In Luke 13 Jesus expresses sadness over Jerusalem because the people don't recognize prophets, and they never have. 

As he enters Jerusalem (Luke 19), Jesus openly weeps for the city. "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes."

Do you know what will bring you peace? So often we do not. We think we know, and we pursue those things, and so often end up disappointed. 

The truth is often hidden from our eyes. This is why we need our eyes to be opened. 

Where do your eyes need opening?

• a relationship
• a job
• an attitude
• a decision
• a regret
• a promise
• a challenge
• faith
• trust

Let's ask God to open our eyes. There is so much we need to see!

Why so sad?

Jesus had set his sights for Jerusalem just before his death. He declared that he would encounter opposition, be arrested, be tried and executed, and rise on the third day. Huh? His disciples could not get his meaning, especially about the dying part.

On his way to the Passover showdown in Jerusalem, Jesus expressed his sorrow for the city (Luke 13:34f). He lamented the state of the city: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 

Jesus is frustrated that the people of Jerusalem were so blind and deceived. He is sad that his people would not listen to him, and that they did not recognize him. He offered them such hope and redemption, but they rejected him. 

The religious establishment of Jerusalem had a long track record of missing the message of prophets. This day would be no different. The authorities rejected and even persecuted those who spoke truth. And even Jesus's closest disciples weren't tracking. 

No wonder Jesus was sad. Their rejection would mean pain for Jesus and hardship for his people. Nobody likes rejection, but Jesus knew that it was the only way for redemption. He walked intentionally into this hardship, so that he could take on the powers of evil in all their intensity. And he knew he would overcome for us.

Losses

Life is full of losses. You can lose your keys, your shirt, or your life savings. You can lose your health, lose a relationship, lose a loved one. Some losses can be recouped. Some are permanent.

There is no way to live without losses. We work to minimize losses, of course. There are good strategies for avoiding loss in every sphere. 

Because loss is inevitable, we do well to learn ways to cope with loss. Here are some suggestions.

• Anticipate loss. Don't be surprised when it happens.
• Have a plan in place for the event of loss. You might call it a Plan B, or contingency, but what would you do if you lost your health or your spouse or your savings?
• Decide now that you will be OK, even in loss. If you learn to trust in God now, you will be better off when you have to trust him in hardship.
• Build relationships now, so that in loss you will not be alone.
• Hold onto things lightly. When you lose your looks or your health, which is almost inevitable, you can still find meaning in life.

A Better You

Some famous football coach described his job as leading his players to do what they don't want to do, so they can achieve what they want to achieve. 

Seems like this applies to life. There are lots of things we really want to do, all the time. But you can't do what you want to do all the time. You can't drive through a red light just because you want to. You can't take items from a store without paying for them. The immediate consequences might not be pleasant, and most people consider the risks to be greater than the possible benefits.

Doing hard things can lead to good things. It's a truism that nothing worthwhile is easy. Some will hear an outstanding piano performance and say, "I'd give anything to play piano like that!" No they wouldn't. They are not giving music the attention and energy required. The pianist has surely given so much to achieve that level of proficiency: time, study, practice, money, effort. 

That's what spiritual disciplines are all about. They are are an outlay of effort toward the end of spiritual development. Some disciplines may be enjoyable for some people. The discipline of fellowship can be most enjoyable, and so can the discipline of solitude. I guess there are those who enjoy fasting and scripture memory. But whether you like them or not, spiritual disciplines are effort aimed at greater goal.

Another truism is that everybody wants to be better, but nobody wants to change.

We can change our habits so that, over time, we can become a better version of ourselves. We can do what we don't want to do, to achieve what we want to achieve.

Self Denial

Why would people want to deny themselves? We don't want to. Self denial is willingly forgoing something desirable. It's choosing a course of action that goes against your normal inclinations.

Self denial goes against our (typically) selfish human nature. It's just like Jesus to instruct us to go against our selfishness. He said, "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." That sounds like a path to a lousy life, but Jesus insisted that it's the way to real life. Christians are called to live like this, and it's challenging for all of us.

There are lots of ways to practice self denial. Here are a few suggestions.

• Choose the longest, slowest line at the grocery store.
• Let the other person be right.
• Stop insisting that people understand or see your point of view.
• Give away a prized possession.
• Forego a favorite food (for a season).
• Get up early for some unselfish purpose.
• Donate money to a worthy cause.
• Offer sincere compliments, when you are in a foul mood.
• Acknowledge your short comings to God and ask for forgiveness.

The more we deny ourselves, the more our mental wiring is reconfigured, making us less self-centered and more others-centered. That's a good thing.

Wisteria

The wisteria is in full bloom here in North Carolina. Traveling across the state today, we could see the flowering vine all along the highway. 

Wisteria is one of those vines that I never notice until it blooms. It shows up on trees and fences, draping across forests. During other times of the year I don't even see the vine. 

There are a couple of life lessons. Some of life's encumbrances, like vines, seem to be a big burden. But sometimes those burdens can be beautiful. In the proper season, we can enjoy the beauty and the fragrance. 

Another way to see the lesson of the vine is that some things are beautiful in life, but only for a moment. They are really choking us out with their tentacles and foliage. But every so often these burdens look nice. The occasional beauty of the burden keeps us from freeing ourselves. And so we let the vine keep growing, even though some day it may choke us out.

Two lessons to choose from. Maybe one applies to you.

Adaptogens

I had never heard of adaptogens until I read the label of an elderberry beverage. It boasted a bodacious 6 adaptogens per serving. Well OK. Who could turn that down? So I chose that beverage with my lunch last Saturday at LOT 2540, and it was good. I have heard about elderberries having some healthy properties, boosting the immune system, and all that. 

But I had to look up "adaptogens" to see if it was really a thing. According to Google, adaptogens have benefits including: 

Reducing stress and anxiety, Improving mood and cognitive function, Boosting energy levels, Enhancing immune function, and Protecting against aging. 

Adaptogens usually come from plants, and must be natural.

I hope that knowing Christ will reduce my anxiety and maybe improve my mood. I would like him to improve my cognitive function and give me energy. He can keep me from getting sick, and I want to cooperate with that. I don't expect the Lord to protect me from aging, but maybe he can make me more mature as I age. I try to stay tuned-in to the Spirit and hope he helps me to become a better human.

But I think I will also gladly consume some adaptogens when I have the chance.

The Dogflower Legend

This week my neighbor excitedly told me that her dogwood tree is blooming. As we walked across her yard to have a look, I asked if she had heard of the dogwood legend. She had not heard of it, possibly because she is from out of state. I did my best to give her the story.

Dogwood trees always bloom right around Easter. I have noticed that even when Easter is very early or very late, the trees seem to find a way to be right on time. Of course their blooms last for a few weeks, but it's always right around Resurrection Day.

We looked closely at a blossom, and I asked her to notice the edge of the four petals. On each petal there is a dimple that resembles a nail hole. I did not elaborate further. She was taken aback at the profound testimony of nature to the death of Jesus on the cross for us.

Maybe when you see a dogwood tree in bloom this spring you will think of Jesus.

Wait for it

Lent is a time to let self denial open us up to deeper spiritual truths. We can see the ruts we are stuck in. We can see how our perspective is limited. We can discover freedom from something that took so much of our attention.

Lent practices bring us back repeatedly to the Lord. The desire to do the thing we give up serves as a reminder to pray. It's a season of intentional, high maintenance connection with the Lord.

Just like high intensity interval training puts the body through periods of intense work and relative rest, Lent serves as period of high intensity spiritual seeking. And that leads us to Easter, a high intensity time of celebration. 

For now, we are just building the suspense.

A Long Lent

Christian tradition sets the season of Lent at 40 days, plus six Sundays, for a season lasting 46 days. The season is supposed to help us dwell on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus. He suffered in the desert for 40 days before his ministry began. He suffered all the torture Evil could throw at him as he bled and died for humanity. 

This year I am realizing that 46 days is a long time to dwell on something so somber. I'm ready for the hurrahs of "Up From the Grave He Arose!" So often we have to wait. We have to wait it out. We know that things will be better...eventually. 

Maybe you are waiting for a raise, a clean bill of health, a wedding, a baby, a weekend, a vacation, a completed project, a restored relationship. We are conditioned these days not to wait. We carry devices that can answer almost any question we can pose. It only takes a few seconds. We can order almost anything we want (and can pay for) and have it arrive in two days. 

And so this season may feel exhausting. We don't like waiting. And the waiting is even worse when we are supposed to focus on mortality, deprivation, and suffering. It's all a reminder that Jesus is with us even as we go through dark, extended times.

God hears us as we cry out, "How long, O Lord?"

What was Judas thinking?

By the time Jesus had led his disciples across the countryside to Jerusalem, the air was full of revolution. They had stirred up crowds in town after town, and everyone was expecting a showdown in Jerusalem.

There would be a crowd there for Passover, just like every year. But this time, a charismatic, powerful, persuasive leader was in rare form, ready to make things right.

Judas, probably, was also cheering Jesus on. But maybe Judas became frustrated with Jesus's way of dealing with all the bad guys. Jesus just debated with the religious authorities, and he seemed to ignore the Roman occupiers. So maybe Judas wanted to speed things up. Maybe he thought that Jesus would finally show his strength if he had to. So Judas betrayed Jesus, expecting Jesus to meet the challenge by force.

But Jesus did not fight back. He didn't even let his friends fight for him. He just gave up and let the bad guys take him away.

When he saw how it played out, Judas was so overcome with remorse, he tried to return his blood money and ultimately took his own life. He even died before Jesus did.

We can only guess what Judas was thinking. 

No Facebook on Phone

I posted earlier about giving up something for Lent. But I never said what I had given up.

No drumroll needed. I just gave up Facebook on my phone. I actually do need to keep tabs on Facebook for church things and farm things, so I just do that on my laptop. I can keep up with my accounts, but all my interactions are on my computer. So I don't check posts when I'm in the waiting room or in the check out line. I kind of like the freedom.

You may wonder what I do about Twitter and Instagram. I have never checked those accounts regularly on any device, so I am already free from them. I have never gotten "hooked" on those platforms. I'm not sure why, because I have used them. There is so much talk these days about how addicting social media is, I'm just choosing to keep it at arm's length.

Truthfully, a lot of these social media apps are not very intuitive to me. I don't know how to use them, and I don't want to invest the time required to figure them out. For example, Snapchat. I get videos of my children and grandchildren there, so I do use that on my phone. And I only have three friends on Snapchat, my wife and two children. But there seems to be no rhyme or reason to replaying a video or saving it. I'm so tempted to go off on a rant about how confusing it is, but I'm surely just showing how not-with-it I am.

And as I write about this, I'm seeing how my Lent sacrifice is not really much of a sacrifice. But I did commit to blog posts for the 40 days of Lent. This has caused me to dig deeper into the meaning of the season. That has been worth something to me.

Big Givers

Jesus observed people giving their offering at the Temple. It was common for bystanders to observe the faithful making their offerings there. So it was easy to make a show of your offerings. Big heavy coins can sound so impressive when you drop them in the basket. You can help people see just how spiritual you are. 

The disciples were also watching the givers, and they were impressed with the big givers. But Jesus was impressed by a tiny gift of a poor widow. There was no loud clang when her tiny mites hit the pot. Jesus called attention to her sacrificial gift. It was worth more than all the noisy, gaudy offerings of the showoffs.

This widow put her money where her faith was. She had to trust God to provide for her. She was living her faith. 

I wonder what would happen if we really lived our faith. It might be really scary.

Death Thoughts

On Ash Wednesday Christians are encouraged to remember their mortality. "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

I'm using a Lent devotional that suggests that we should consider our own death at least once every day. That seems like a lot to me, but it does seem appropriate during Lent.

When I think of my own death, I consider what would happen if I were to die today. What would I leave unfinished? Who would step into the lives of my friends and family? What would be my regrets? 

I also consider my death at some ripe ripe old age, maybe 100. What legacy would I like to leave for my family? What do I want to be known for? A kind spirit, a good sense of humor, a voice of encouragement. I want to be missed because people enjoyed my company. I want my life to have made a difference.

We are made of dust, and to dust we will return. Remembering our mortality can help us live to the fullest.

And Easter reminds us that resurrection is coming. 

Why did Jesus have to die?

Easter is obviously a season when we ponder Jesus's death. But why did he have to die?

In one sense, Jesus did not have to die. He lived a perfect life and did not earn the "wages of sin," which is death.

So then, if Jesus did not have to die, why did he die? I can think of at least two reasons.

First, Jesus died to show us how much he loves us. His death and resurrection showed that he identified with humanity, even in the suffering of the human condition. He wants to be with us, and he was willing to endure hardship beyond our comprehension to do so. In his death, Jesus restored our relationship with God.

Second, Jesus suffered and died to show us the horror of sin. We may consider our sins mild or of little consequence. But we are all bent toward rebellion against God. Selfishness is part of the human condition, just as much as suffering. Jesus's death shows us that sin is no small matter. Our sin is costly in all our relationships. The sickening ordeal of crucifixion, condemnation on false charges, and desertion of friends, helps us understand how damaging our sin is.

The cross is full of meaning and significance. We can spend our whole lives meditating on his sacrificial goodness and never fully grasp his gift of himself.

Jesus the Dinner Guest

Jesus must have been a popular dinner guest. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus dines in the homes of prominent Pharisees at least three times. For some reason they wanted to spend time with Jesus.

I think the Pharisees of Jesus's day are misunderstood by us 21st century readers. We tend to see them as the bad guys, the religious hypocrites who just hated Jesus. But they weren't all bad. You might remember Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night for a shot of Jesus-wisdom (John 3). The Pharisees were sincerely trying to be obedient to God, but sometimes they fell into legalism.

Luke shows us that the Pharisees really wanted to figure out this wannabe Messiah. A man named Simon has Jesus over, but doesn't treat his rabbi guest with the most respect (7:36). He doesn't even offer to wash Jesus's feet, which was the least he could do for a guest in his home. During the meal a woman shows up and anoints Jesus's feet, weeping so much that her tears wet his feet. With her hair she dries his feet. Jesus takes the occasion to explain that someone, like this sinful woman, who has been forgiven for much will also love much. While Simon treated Jesus as second class, this woman treated Jesus like a king, with great love.

Jesus finds himself judged by a Pharisee in Luke 11:37 because Jesus fails to wash his hands before the meal. Jesus picks up on the judgment and explains that the Pharisees only cared about outward appearances. It's as though they would clean the outside of a cup without cleaning the inside. Again Jesus calls out hypocrisy. 

Then Jesus dines with a prominent Pharisee (14:1) on a Sabbath. A sick man happens to be there, and the Pharisees can't wait to see if Jesus would heal him. Healing is fine, of course, but to do so on a Sabbath would go against the Pharisees' Sabbath rules. They wanted to know if Jesus would play by their rules. Of course Jesus did not, and he publicly healed the man.

It's fine to have Jesus as a dinner guest, but expect the unexpected. Jesus challenges shallow religion at every turn. When we think we have this faith all figured out, Jesus digs deeper and shows us the heart of the Father. He cares about those on the margins, and criticizes those who use religion to prove their superiority.

When we get deeper with Jesus, he shows us his love, but he also sets us straight. 

Proving Authority

The Jewish leaders were clearly fed up with Jesus by the time he arrived in Jerusalem. He had been all over the countryside teaching subversive ideas to the masses. This movement had to be stopped. The teachers of the law and elders challenged Jesus with questions designed to trip him up.

They asked him where he got his authority. After all, Jesus had not been through the religious training necessary to be among the religious elite. 

When pressed, Jesus posed a question to them: Where did John (the baptizer) get his authority, from heaven or from men? This was Jesus's own gotcha question for them. They realized that no matter how they answered, they would bring trouble on themselves.

If they acknowledged that John was inspired by God, Jesus would point out their hypocrisy for not believing him. If they denied he was inspired by God, they thought the crowd would stone them. There was no way to win.

So the teachers of the law just backed down. And got more mad.

There is nothing more maddening than knowing you are wrong and not wanting to admit it.

Cleaning House

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he simply looked around the city and left. He spent the nights of Holy Week in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. 

But on the next day, he got serious. He went into the Temple courts and began clearing house. The worship industrial complex was in full swing there. Some merchants were selling sacrificial animals for the worshippers who had travelled long distances. Rather than bring their animals on a long trip, these pilgrims brought cash to purchase local animals. Apparently the merchants were price gouging, taking advantage of supply and demand. They charged unfair prices because they could get away with it. 

Also at the Temple were money changers. They also took advantage of the visiting worshippers. Typically people travelled with Roman currency (denarii), which was useful on their trips. But to pay the Temple tax, Jews needed Jewish money (shekels). Money changers helped the faithful convert their Roman money into Jewish money. And they made a handsome profit in the exchange.

Jesus was grieved to see businessmen taking advantage of the worshippers. They had turned the Temple into a den of thieves, Jesus said. So he turned over the tables and drove out the animals.

I'm sure I have some metaphorical tables that Jesus needs to turn over.

Triumphal Entry

Jesus came into Jerusalem on the first day of Passover week. We call it Palm Sunday because the crowd cut palm branches and brought them as they greeted Jesus. His donkey ride made the people cheer, as they anticipated a big showdown. All the players were in town now: the religious authorities (because they were always in Jerusalem), the Romans (because they always wanted crowd control for the big Jewish feasts), and Jesus (because he was going to, well, do something big).

The tension and excitement were building. The religious authorities wanted to get rid of the upstart, rogue rabbi. The Jesus followers wanted Jesus to humiliate the religious establishment and lead a revolt against Rome. The Romans just wanted to keep a lid on it all for the next few days.

And nobody could have predicted what really happened.

What's it like when God surprises you?

Under Pressure with Friends

Peter was ready to fight to the death for Jesus. I think he relished the thought of swinging his sword to protect his Rabbi, and then watching Jesus pull some miraculous save-his-disciples stunt. 

After all, Peter was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, and would soon be crowned as king. Jesus's path to the throne was just a matter of fine print. Peter knew how it would end, with Jesus ruling. He was prepared for whatever it took to crown Jesus king.

But he was not prepared for the pressure coming his way. It was not pressure to shrink from battle, not pressure to speak heresy. His test came from the least threatening person he had ever seen. A servant girl noticed him in the courtyard, as Jesus's trial began. She simply asked if he was with Jesus. Peter's Galilean accent had given him away. Apparently Jesus also sounded like he was not from Jerusalem.

Peter, unfortunately, caved under the pressure. He denied being associated with Jesus, not once, but three times. This confrontation with the Jewish authorities was going all wrong, Peter thought, and he could not bring himself to be associated with his friend who was blowing his opportunity to rise to power.

Peter didn't get it, and so he turned his back on Jesus.

I wonder how often I don't get it, and turn my back on Jesus.

Under Pressure at Work

Pilate had a bad day. We call it Good Friday, but it was anything but good for the Roman governor. He was charged with keeping peace in the rebellious Jewish nation, and those Jews needed a heavy hand on their festival days.

He was awakened early that day as Jewish authorities brought some rebel to him for an emergency ruling. Pilate listened to the case against this man, but it didn't add up. It didn't take him long to see that these Jewish power brokers just wanted to get rid of this guy. He tried to placate them by having the rebel beaten, and then releasing him. But the Jewish leaders were not satisfied. They whipped up the crowd to call for the rebel to be executed. They shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"

Pilate found himself between a rock and a hard place. He could not condemn this man in good conscience. But he could not very well maintain peace if he angered those Jewish rulers. It could all get out of hand. The most expedient course of action would be to condemn the rebel. It would be messy, but only for a moment. Pilate had disposed of Jewish rabble many times before. What was one more Jewish execution?

The governor declared that he would take no responsibility for it, and sentenced the rebel to death. Pilate caved. He could not do the right thing with all that pressure.

He sent to death the only truly innocent man in the world.

Maybe you have pressure at work, too.

God's Irony

Anyone who digs into the scriptures will find loads of irony. Sarah was 90 years old before she had a baby. Israel escapes oppression in Egypt, only to become an empire (centuries later) that oppresses its neighbors and its citizens. David, the runt in his family, becomes a conquering king. The boldest disciple can't admit to a servant girl that he follows Jesus. Jesus wins by losing.

And at Easter time we see the death of death. In Christ, God kills death. God does so by surrendering his Son to death. Death should be the last word: when someone dies, it's all over. The forces of evil in the spiritual realm rejoiced when Jesus died. But on the third day, he defeated death. He went through death to emerge on the other side. Death had lost its power over Jesus. Death took its best shot and Jesus defeated it.

Now in Christ, death is dead. Yes, all people will die eventually. But because Jesus defeated death, death no longer has the last word. Those who trust in Christ can know that when we experience physical death, Jesus sees us through to the other side. He walked this path ahead of us and defeated that enemy.

This is why Christians make such a big deal about Jesus's resurrection. We celebrate his victory. And we know that he gives us a taste of that resurrection life here and now. Because death is dead, we can truly live. Today.

The Sting of Forgiveness

Sometimes we get what we don't deserve...in a good way. Someone lets you into traffic, when you selfishly passed the line of cars to get ahead. A shopper lets you have the last one of that scarce item on the shelf, even though they picked it up first. You drop the ball on that work project, and a coworker picks up your slack--and doesn't tell the boss. 

Those experiences make us swallow hard, if we take time to think about it. Someone else has sacrificed for us, and we benefit. We don't deserve it. It is the kindness, even love, that gets our attention. We could rationalize and say that we really deserve those gifts of kindness: 

I was in a big hurry, and really needed to get ahead of those other drivers. 

I saw the item on the shelf first, but could not reach it before the other shopper. 

I have helped out that coworker so many times...she owes me.

It feels better if we can convince ourselves that we have earned those acts of kindness. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can't find any way that we deserve them. 

That's when forgiveness stings. All we can do is say, "Thank you." This is the kind of love that pulls us up short and leaves us speechless. 

That's the kind of forgiveness we really need, and that's the kind of forgiveness we have in Christ. Lent is a time to sit in that forgiveness, to savor the sting, and humbly thank the Lord.

Death and Digestion

When Jesus died on the cross he truly died. Some suggest that he only looked dead, and was revived. But the time frame involved shows this was no resuscitation. He was dead dead. Jesus took all the evil of the world, and it killed him. As pastor Brian Zahnd says, death swallowed Jesus, but death could not digest him. 

When sin and death hit Jesus with their best shot, Jesus took all of it. He took their best shot, and it took him out. But even death itself could not overpower Jesus. When it looked like it was all over, Jesus pull the ultimate surprise. He defeated sin and death by being raised back to life. Jesus defeated the enemy that every person must face. And he won the victory for us.

If Jesus can defeat death itself, he has won the ultimate victory. And he invites us to experience this new life with him. "Come to me," he says.

Confronted by Jesus

No one has ever confronted evil like Jesus did. While he preached his message of love and forgiveness, healing and restoring, he also confronted evil. He told a rich man to sell everything and give to the poor. He called out religious leaders for twisting the commandments for their own benefit. He challenged the religious authorities for taking advantage of the needy.

Jesus also confronted evil in the Temple. All four Gospels describe Jesus clearing the Temple of the money changers and those selling sacrificial animals. He flipped over tables and scattered coins. John says that Jesus fashioned a whip to drive out the animals. Such was the Lord's anger at the way his Father's house was misused. 

What kind of confronting would Jesus do with you? What habits, what grudges, what attitudes would he challenge?

It is during this season of Lent that we actually ask Jesus to confront us. He wants to restore us, of course. Sometimes he first has to confront us.

The Everything Test

Jesus had the chance to gain everything. In his last temptation in the wilderness, the satan offers to give all the kingdoms of the world to him. The satan claims that these have been given to him, and that is partly true. The world's systems are clearly influenced by dark forces. Wars and oppression are, sadly, just part of the human condition.

And so the satan offers Jesus complete control of all these spheres and systems. But this control depends on Jesus bowing down to worship the satan. But if Jesus were in control, he could end all the wars and oppression. He could use this power, gained by surrendering to evil, for good purposes. 

It wasn't hard for Jesus to find a Bible verse saying we should worship the Lord and serve him only. But there is so much more to Jesus's rejection of this offer. Jesus knew that the Father would give him all authority in heaven and earth. He would receive this authority only after destroying the power of sin and death. Winning this victory would be painful, as Jesus allowed all the horror of evil to destroy him. He bore physical pain as he received all the evil of religion gone wrong, government conspiracy and abuse of power, and abandonment of his best friends.

It takes a lot of trust in God to believe that he will give his goodness to you, even while you are struggling or suffering. For those who are in Christ, we have the promise that we will also inherit the blessings of God's kingdom. But it is really tempting to take things now through earthly power. Like Jesus, we have a choice.

Drama Test

Jesus's second temptation in the desert (according to Matthew) was to get dramatic. The satan suggested that Jesus throw himself down from the Temple mount. The accuser quoted a Bible verse about God protecting his servant. God would not let Jesus splat himself on the stone walkway. Everyone would see the rescue, and right away, Jesus would have proven his Messiahship. What could go wrong?

Jesus also quotes a Bible verse, that one should not put God to the test. Even as Jesus is being tested, he realizes that he should not put his Father to the test.

Again, Jesus dismisses a sure-fire, fast way to being crowned king of Israel. The fast way to success, the easy way to power, is not the way of God. Jesus knows that his crown will be of thorns, and his throne will be a cross. It will be painful. And resisting this temptation is painful.

Jesus refuses dramatic fame. His path to greatness will be through defeat.

How often do we choose the way of losing, in order to win true victory?

A Hungry Test

Before he began his ministry, Jesus went into the desert to be tempted by the satan. He had been fasting for 40 days when the tests began. Jesus had must have felt, let's say, uncomfortable. But he had been praying for 40 days, so he was spiritually prepared.

The satan's first temptation came like this: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Surely Jesus had the power to do so. His 40 day fast was almost over. Matthew (4:2) tells us that indeed he was hungry. 

This is a powerful temptation for a hungry man. He could satisfy his physical desire, and he could also prove to himself and the satan that he truly was the Son of God.

But he could also use this power to feed the world. Jesus would return to villages full of hungry people, those on the margins who suffered want because of unfair circumstances. What better way to announce the kingdom of God than to offer free bread, supernatural bread, bread from heaven? Jesus would immediately have a following who would stand with him against corrupt Temple leadership and against Roman oppression. 

But Jesus declined. "It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Jesus would provide bread in his ministry, but not to satisfy his own hunger or to buy the support of a mob. 

Every day we are tempted to take short-cuts. We can get what we want and look like we are helping people in the process. We can gain popularity or power. But Jesus knew the power of self-denial. When we practice self-denial, we open ourselves to the real power of God.

Fast Ideas

What should I give up for Lent? If you haven't yet chosen something to give up for Lent, it's not too late! The whole point of the Lenten fast is to draw closer to the Lord. It's never too late for that. Remember, self denial makes us more sensitive to the truths Jesus would reveal to us.

So here are some suggestions of things to give up for Lent. You could give them up entirely, or give them up in certain circumstances. For example, I am giving up Facebook on my phone, but I am checking it with my computer occasionally.

• Social media
• Some type of meat
• Coffee
• Alcohol
• A selected TV streaming service
• Online shopping
• Snacking between meals
• Ice cream
• The shortest line at the grocery store (choose the longest one)
• Video games
• Hitting the snooze button
• Processed food
• Swearing
• Makeup
• News consumption
• Binge watching
• Taking the closest parking place
• Using AI
• Looking at every mirror
• Obsessing over weight
• Removing certain apps from your phone
• Ear buds

Why do Christians need a calendar?

The Christian tradition includes a pattern for teaching important events in the life of Jesus every year. The year begins with Advent, the season of anticipating Jesus' birth. It concludes (usually late November) with Christ the King Sunday. One of the seasons in the life of Jesus is Lent, which ushers in the celebration of Easter.

Long ago church leaders wanted to make sure that their teachings covered all the important stories. They devised a calendar, prescribing certain Bible passages and stories that should be taught. You can find the current church calendar here. 

I have to admit that I don't know a lot about the calendar, but I do know that I need regular reminders. In the season of Lent, I need to remember my own mortality, need for the grace of God, and the great sacrificial love that Jesus gives to me.

Why Fast?

One of the traditions of the Lenten season is fasting. Back in the early days of the Church, believers decided that preparation for Easter should include fasting. One could fast on Ash Wednesday, on Good Friday, and abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent. If you wanted to have one last fling before Lent, you could overindulge on the day before Ash Wednesday. We call that day as Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras.

But fasting is a form of self denial. It is a way of acknowledging that life is not all about meeting our every desire. We can gain greater perspective from unsatisfied hunger pangs. And those pangs serve as reminders that Jesus endured indescribable pain as he approached the cross. His pain was emotional, as his friends deserted him; it was physical as he was beaten, nailed to the cross, and left to bleed until he suffocated; it was spiritual as he bore the guilt of the world's sin. He suffered because of his love for us, and his suffering defeated the power of sin and death over us.

Many Christians are fasting now, and that fasting can take many different forms. Some are avoiding certain foods, some taking a vacation from social media, some abstaining from alcohol. Tradition says that you can take a break from your fast on Sundays during Lent. So the 40 days do not include the six Sundays in the season, and the whole season is 46 days.

But when we deny ourselves, we find freedom from things that demand our attention. Even those good things (that we may resume after Easter) no longer have such a strangle hold on us. We have perspective. We have choice. We have freedom. We also have greater intimacy with the One who really suffered.

Ash Wednesday

On the Christian calendar, today is Ash Wednesday. It is the first day of the season Christians call Lent. We get the word lent from the Old English word lencten which simply means spring season. We all know what Easter is about, and early Christians realized the value of preparation for it. They chose to set aside a period of 40 days of preparation (or 46, if you include the Sundays). On Easter we celebrate the resurrection, Jesus's defeat of death. But to appreciate the joy of Easter, we need to remember the suffering and pain that put Jesus in the tomb. In his suffering, Jesus took on the world's sin. That means he took on my sin. For me to appreciate the depth of Jesus's love for me, I need to take a sober look at my own sin. That's what the season of Lent is all about.

This season begins with Ash Wednesday. Many Christians attend church services today in which they receive a cross-shaped smudge of ashes on their foreheads. The cross shape obviously reminds us of the Lord's death for us. But the ashes remind us of our limitations and mortality. 

After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God told Adam, 

By the sweat of your face

You shall eat bread,
Until you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”

God made humanity from the dust. At the end of our days, we all return to dust. There are limitations that no one can overcome. Our time on earth is limited by death. So during the season of Lent we make a special effort to remember our limitations. 

There's a lot to learn about ourselves and our Lord this season. Happy Ash Wednesday!

OK, God, can we trust you?

Where God guides, God provides. If God was truly leading me and my family to move to Stokesdale and start a new church, he would have to make some provisions along the way.

First we needed a stream of income. The wave of church planting was in its infancy, and there were not many avenues for funding. I had to find the right channels and ask the right people. With the Lord's help, we found financial help to get the ball rolling. Our local association of churches, the Baptist State Convention of NC, and three local congregations agreed to provide monthly assistance for our first year. 

In some ways the money was the easy part. More importantly, we needed people. But first we had to move into the community.

 

Now buying a house is never easy. But we had no equity, having lived in parsonages for ten years. And I had no job either. I was planning to create a job. These are not stelar points on a loan application, even in 1999. And so we went house shopping anyway. After considerable angst, we found the perfect house, affordable and functional. Just before closing, the bank balked, but finally came through when we got a co-signer. 

Once we moved to Stokesdale in September 1999, we began inviting people to our home for cookouts and Bible studies. Slowly we gathered a handful of friends who wanted to be part of a new church. 

It took time, prayer, and patience, but God provided what we needed.

But that's scary...

Who leaves a stable job for a position that doesn't exist? I had to ask myself that question in 1999. And I had another question for God himself. My reading through the Gospel According to Matthew kept drawing me toward a grand adventure.

In Matthew 14 we find Jesus walking on water, catching up to the disciples who are frantically rowing their boat. When they see Jesus, they freak out, understandably. But Peter seizes the moment. He wants in on the action. He shouts out, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus answers, "Come." Peter steps out of the boat onto the water, and walks toward Jesus.

So my question for the Lord was, "If it's you, call me to step out into church planting." I normally hear crickets when I ask such things of God. I expected to get a sense of, well, nothing in particular. Silence, maybe. But that's not what I sensed from God. I felt him say, "Come." 

That was scary. 

I was perfectly ready to abandon the whole idea and stay put a little while longer. But now I had to pursue the opportunity. I had to make actual plans, find actual funding. I had to find a house for my family. I had to find a place for a church to meet.

Somehow I missed the rest of the story, when Peter looked at the storm and freaked out himself. He started sinking and cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus reached out and grabbed his most famous follower and saved him.

I would soon find myself praying this prayer over and over. "Lord, save me!"

Are You talking to me?

In 1999 I sensed that it was time for a change. Life and ministry seemed flat at the church where I served. I was 36 years old. I felt like I was a bona fide grown up, and it was time for me to make a difference in the kingdom of God. I had read Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Church, and I dreamed of planting a church. From that book, it all seemed pretty straight forward, and I wanted to give it a shot. But starting a church from scratch would mean jumping ship from a stable situation. I would have to quit my job. That's not easy with a wife and two preschool children.

If I was going to make this move, I needed some assurance that God was in this whole thing. I was leading the missions team for a group of churches in the area, and for months I had tried to spark some interest in a church start in Stokesdale. That town had experienced considerable growth, and was poised for much more. Our denomination had no church in the whole town. It looked like a gap to be filled. Further, I had enough experience in church world to know that many small churches in small towns tend to be closed systems--friendly to new people, but not open to the change that comes with new members.

But I needed more than favorable circumstances to make a move. I wanted to hear from God. 

I happened to be reading through the Gospel According to Matthew at the time. In chapter 8 a leper comes to Jesus, falling at his feet. He tells Jesus, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus responds, "I am willing." Jesus heals the man.

I followed this leper's lead. I prayed, "Lord, if you are willing, you can help me plant a new church." I listened for his response. I didn't know what to expect. Such boldness with God was a new thing for me. I really expected silence from God, or a sense that I needed to wait. But soon--maybe within minutes--I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, "I am willing."

This was scary. I didn't know what to do. I had to pray some more. My new journey was just beginning.

Quarter Century Reflections

Next month Crossroads Community Church will be 25 years old. We launched as a church on February 13, 2000 with our first public worship service in the Stokesdale Elementary School cafeteria. We had imported some musicians from Burlington and some attendees from a sponsor church in Eden. As people gathered to worship, I didn't know who was borrowed from our mother church and who was a potential member of Crossroads. There was so much I did not know...

We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary on February 16, 2025 in style! We have guest speakers, special music, and a few surprises to commemorate the day. We also will serve a fully catered meal to the whole crowd. Everyone is invited, of course, but we especially want to see people who have been blessed by Crossroads over the years. It will be like a family reunion!

Although our first public worship was in February of 2000, there was a lot of work behind the scenes, months before that event. A small handful of folks had come together, believing that God would empower us to start a brand new church. Our core group included a wide range of disciples, including a retired rocket scientist, a single mom, a high school dropout, and my family. Looking back, I'm amazed at what God could do through some very naive and idealistic Christians. 

As we approach our birthday, I want to share some reflections about this whole journey. I'll be posting some thoughts over the next couple of weeks, looking back on lessons learned and the grace of God. Forgive me for being nostalgic, and let's take a trip down memory lane!