spirituality

Saturday…

Saturday of Holy Week is – in my mind – associated with silence. For the disciples this must have felt horrible. Their friend and teacher, the one they believed in as the Messiah, was dead.

I don’t know what they went through that day, but I can imagine it was not good. I imagine them feeling like the grief was crushing them. After all, it wasn’t just the death of their beloved teacher (which would have been bad enough) it was also the death of their hope in him…their hope of heaven and new life and the Kingdom of God.

I imagine that they must have been totally bewildered – wondering how all of the miraculous power, the paradigm-shifting teaching, and the deep love they had witnessed in Jesus, could end so horrifically. They must have wondered how it could have ended at all.

When I am feeling shocked, bewildered and frightened about the future, I have certain passages of the Bible that I turn to…words that help me remember to trust that God is in charge and that and that I am safe in Him.

So for this Holy Saturday, I am sharing one of my favorite Old Testament verses, which may have brought some comfort to the disciples, if they repeated it to themselves. I have used this verse before on my blog, but as far as I am concerned, it’s a classic that bears repeating.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Tuesday…

On the Tuesday of Holy Week – the final week of Jesus’ life on Earth – Jesus was feisty. He cursed a fig tree because it didn’t bear fruit, he tussled (verbally) with the priests and teachers of the law, he prophesied about the destruction of the temple.

Some of the toughest words of Jesus are spoken on this day, as the cross looms closer and closer.

Was Jesus just cranky? Was he just feeling the pressure of the ordeal he would face at the end of the week? Was he just sick of the people who didn’t listen and didn’t understand?

I think Jesus was passionate. I think he knew his time was short, and his message was incredibly important. So his words are strong, they leave an impression. He is not just saying nice things to comfort people. He is shocking people into hearing the message of Heaven.

As always, Jesus is absolutely committed to seeing people come into a living relationship with God. He wants people to get it, and to LIVE it. And I love that about Jesus.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.”
Matthew 23:1-3 NLT

Monday…

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Holy Week has begun. Yesterday in churches everywhere palms were waved and people remembered how Jesus entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. I had the privilege of preaching yesterday and as I prepared, one of the things I was aware of was how that celebration was tinged with darker themes. The people shouted and cheered, palm branches and cloaks were laid down as a pathway for Jesus, it looked quite wonderful.

But less than 7 days later, those same people would call for the execution of the one they celebrated, the one for whom they cheered. And now, on the Monday of Holy week, I find I can’t quite shake the echos of that scene. I keep turning the world “Hosanna” over in my head. It is an exclamation of excitement, but it also can mean “Save us now” or “Save us completely.” Did the people know how prophetic their cheers were? Did they understand how desperately they needed a savior?

I don’t think so. I suspect, if they knew…if they recognized their own ugliness they wouldn’t have turned on him at the end of the week. I suspect they would have kept crying “Hosanna!” instead of exchanging it for “Crucify!”

This Holy Week I want to be one who continually shouts “Hosanna!” Both because I know I need a savior and because I am so excited about what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. I need to remember my own need for him, and celebrate the reality of having that need fulfilled.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!
Blessings on the one
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.
Look, your King is coming,
riding on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.
John 12:12-19 NLT

Breath of Spring…

Spring

I don’t think it is any huge secret that I am not a fan of winter. I do not like having to think about boots and scarves and mitts. I am not a fan of salt coating my boots. I can’t stand being cold. And then there is the darkness and the flu bugs.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was this weekend as Spring made an appearance in my neck of the woods. I spent Saturday in Toronto with a friend, walking around the city. On Sunday, I had a long drive to visit some friends. And I had to turn the heat in my car way down. Both days I got out for lovely walks with Koski. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

And it wasn’t just me. There was more traffic on the roads, more pedestrians on the streets, more smiles on faces. There is something about this time of year that is special. It is like we are all waking back up. There is new life in the air. And it is joyful.

In the letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul writes:

…their evil intentions will be exposed
when the light shines on them,
for the light makes everything visible.
This is why it is said:
Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.

Ephesians 5: 13,14 NLT

I love the theme of Resurrection that runs through this time of preparation for Easter. I love the way that Spring reminds me of the new life that Christ gives to his followers.

I hope that you experience the beauty of Spring and that it lifts your soul and reminds you that we serve a God of new beginnings, in whom death is only a doorway to new life.

Best intentions & grace…

So clearly I have fallen off my pace when it comes to blogging. Just as I have struggled with more than my fair share of illness this winter, I am now struggling with finding my stride again. Despite my best intentions I have simply not been able to keep up to the pace I set for myself as Lent began. I want to be “back to normal,” but I am not. I am more easily tired than I was in the fall. And I am seriously paranoid about getting over-tired and that leading to another cold or flu.

All of that to say I am slowly (but surely) learning to have grace for myself. It’s amazing to me that I am a passionate believer in God’s grace for me (and all of humanity, actually), but I have a hard time forgiving myself for a missed workout or a string of nights when I am simply too exhausted to blog at the end of the day.

So this week has been a lesson on how to have grace for oneself. And, though such lessons always seem to come in times of struggle, I find I am still thankful for the continued act of learning how to live this faith.

Be gracious to yourself, my friends, as you are gracious to other and as God has first been gracious to us all.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1, 2 NKJV

Light…

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C.S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun – not because I can see it, but I can see everything else.”

I find that quote so very helpful. Jesus is the light by which I see all other things. That is what it means to live this life of faith. I don’t even know if I have all that much to say about that…maybe I just need to let that quote exist here on the blog. Maybe it will inspire you. Maybe it will help you understand your own journey. Maybe it will help you understand how you see the world.

Maybe this is a night where few words say more.

 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:12 NLT

Source…

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I’ve been struggling with the cold-that-will-not-end for most of this new year. Being sick has wreaked havoc on my gym schedule. In the fall, I went 5 days a week, almost every week. But since the New Year, I have only had one 5-day week.

Today was the first day I made it to the gym in about two weeks time. Understandably, I’ve lost ground as far as my workout routine goes. It was harder to lift what I had been lifting before I got sick. As I worked out today, I sweated more, I was out of breath more, and I trembled more. One of the things that is often heard in the classes I take at the gym is the encouragement to keep going, even when your muscles are screaming for a break. That is the point where you’re really starting to sculpt your body – to make a real difference in the strength of your muscles. So often, our instructors tell us to mentally “power through the pain.” I did a lot of that today, more than I have had to do in a while.

But the thing is, when you do keep going despite screaming muscles, you discover that you CAN keep going despite screaming muscles. Your legs won’t actually fall off, just keep moving. Willpower can overcome the weariness.

But it is different if you are dealing with spiritual weariness. Willpower alone cannot overcome spiritual fatigue. This is why I look for ways to connect to God, daily. Whether it is a quiet moment of prayer, some time spent reading the Bible, conversations with those who share my faith, or a time of corporate worship. I need those moments to refresh my spirit, to renew my faith.

Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth:

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

When I try to keep going once I am spiritually weary, I fail. Because the source of strength is outside of myself. The source of my strength is the Living God of the Universe – one who is outside of time, one who is all-present, all-knowing and all-powerful. To try to keep going on my own strength, means going somewhere other than the SOURCE.

In my gym example, if I tried to keep going based on the way my muscles feel in that making-a-difference zone, I would fail. The source of my strength in that moment is my mind, my willpower.

It is so important that we connect with the source of our strength. That we remember when we are weak, God is strong. That we rely on His strength and allow it to flow through us. Then we will not grow weak, and we will not stumble.

Encouraging…

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Sometimes when you are a church leader, you have a conversation with a congregant that makes what you do worth it. Sometimes that person lets you know the difference you’ve made to them, and it is great when that happens.

But what I find even more exciting and interesting and strengthening is when someone lets you know how they are living their faith. When, in the course of a normal conversation, the person mentions how God was faithful in the situation they are facing, or how a passage of scripture impacted their week, or how their prayers were answered.

When that happens, it truly is a holy moment. And as a leader, it is what keeps us going on the days when it feels like no one is really getting what we are trying to teach.

Jesus said:

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:13-16 NLT

That is what it is like when a congregant shares their faith journey with us, their leaders. It is like the salt that brings the flavour out in food, or like a light shining in the darkness.

These are good things to talk about, they are good thins to hear. So I encourage you to talk about your faith, to be salt and light, to honour Jesus as you do that and to be encouraging to those with whom you share these conversations.

Rest…

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Today I am tired. I had a terrible time getting to sleep last night. My brain just wouldn’t shut off and allow me the rest I needed. It was after just 3.5hrs of sleep that I got up to face the new day.

As a result, all day I have been moving a little slower and looking forward to bed a little more than normal. So this will not be a long blog entry, as I don’t want to delay my rest any longer.

Jesus said this about rest:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,   for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11: 28, 29 NIV

Today I feel physically tired, but Jesus was talking about being spiritually tired: sad or worried or stressed to the point where you just don’t feel like you can keep going. I find it so reassuring that Jesus addresses this. That he says that his way of living is the treatment for that kind of soul-weary-ness.

My physical tiredness will be easily solved by a good night’s sleep, but the bigger problem of spiritual weariness is in the hands of my maker. And He knows just what to do with it.

If you are soul-weary, I hope you will find yourself turning to Jesus, learning from him and trusting Him to give you the rest you need.

PS – The picture at the top is my girl, Koski. And like all dogs she knows how to rest better than any human being!

Thankful…

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Tonite I find I just want I express gratitude. I know I touched on that last night as well, but there are several things I am deeply thankful for today.

One is some time spent with my parents (and the reminder once again that I am so very blessed to be their child and so very blessed to have the close relationship with both of them that I have). Another is some good news that a friend is cancer free after a battle that has lasted the better part of a year. These are pretty big blessings, and it is good to stop and give thanks for them.

But the big things have a way of reminding me about the small things. So I am also thankful for good conversations, nourishing food, Cadbury’s Creme Eggs and a hot shower first thing in the morning.

On days like this it is easy to be thankful. But I love what Paul writes to the church in Thessolonica:

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

I am convinced that the difference between those who make it through hard times and this who seem to thrive and grow in hard times is the ability to give thanks in all things. Seriously.

Try it next time you are having a bad day. Stop and find something to be thankful for. Turn to God with that thankfulness. And then just watch how your heart grows and your day improves. It is really hard to be cranky or upset when you are giving thanks. I promise. And that is probably why Paul encourages the church to give thanks – he know it is good for us!

So on this day in my Lenten journey I am thankful. And I can’t stop smiling.