Archive for April, 2010
What He Is Making Of Us
When you started following Jesus, what did you hope that He would do in your life?
I’m guessing you had some of the same expectations I had. Stuff like – He’s going to make me a better parent, better spouse, better student. He’ll make me nicer. Maybe it was stuff like more patient, more organized, more humble, more gracious or even more disciplined.
Or maybe like me you thought that it was part of the deal of following Jesus – you make a good solid effort to “be better” or “do better” and when you came to the end of your rope, God showed up like the cavalry and took it from there. That was my understanding of the Holy Spirit – he was God’s miracle reserve power when I got tired. And the point of all this effort was to make me a better person.
I think following Jesus does make me a better person but I’m not convinced that is His number 1 priority. In fact, I’m pretty convinced that it is NOT his main priority.
Mark 1 gives us this account of Jesus calling his first followers to himself — “If you guys follow me, I will make you to become fishers of men.”
I’ve read that story a thousand times. I’m not exaggerating. I’ve missed the point a thousand times.
Jesus’ bulls-eye target for his followers were to be people that brought other people to Jesus.
Read that again. Slowly.
The changes that come as a result of following Jesus aren’t for my benefit. They are for others. The journey God has me on isn’t so that I can write a book about it and impress other people with it. It’s to bring other people to Him. Am I more patient, gentle, humble, organized, better, nicer than what I was before I met Jesus?
Yes. But was that really the point of the whole exercise or just the benefit of following Jesus? As I read Jesus, I think the point was to bring more people to Jesus because He is that big of a deal. He’s the only one that can save them and satisfy them. The Only One. My improved morality and disposition really doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot to do with it.
Which brings me to the dangerous conclusions and questions of this ramble. Does discipleship focused more on the benefits (improvement of our character) than the point (bringing people to Jesus) produces people that look more like the Pharisees than like Jesus?
If I am not bringing people to Jesus, am I on the wrong road? If I’m not fishing for me, have I missed the point of following Jesus?
I think this is one of the key, fundamental paradigm shifts we (followers of Jesus) have to make if we want to see God do crazy stuff in our churches. Our discipleship must change its focus from the benefits (character improvements) to the point (bringing people to Jesus). How crazy would church be if that happened?
I’d love to find out.
The Irony Of A Lost MacBook
Our local mall has started putting up these wonderful signs that instills faith in the human race – “Please do not leave valuables – laptops, purses, phones – in your car. We are not responsible if they get nicked.”
Okay, it doesn’t use the word nicked but it should because that sounds cooler than stolen. And the signs are everywhere. Can’t miss them.
I pull up to the mall to redeem my free handful of awesomeness otherwise known as a Chick-fil-a sandwich, grab my laptop shove it in the backseat when I remember the signs (MJ song) and decide to take it with me. It’s a MacBook, not just a regular laptop so the odds of an envy-induced theft are high.
I get another survey for another free sandwich (I don’t know how I do it) with my order. Go sit down on one of the few comfortable benches in the mall and enjoy the most awesome sandwich ever made. Finish, throw away trash, and poke head in sporting good store to see what is ridiculously overpriced today. I walk for a full five minutes when I see another one of those wonderful signs.
That’s why I carry my laptop! I mean, what idiot would leave their laptop in the car??
Maybe the same kind of idiot that would leave it in the mall besides a bench.
I instantly become one of those people we pity when we see in public. I’m running, praying out loud, calling Amy to tell her to pray and looking at every person for my case. I didn’t think my heart could get any sicker until I made it back and saw that my laptop was gone.
I go back to the store across the hall. The only thing more ridiculous looking than a grown man running through the mall praying out loud on the cell phone with his wife is a grown man in tears asking a store clerk if anyone has turned in a laptop. You know, like it’s a hairbrush or set of keys or a jacket.
I appreciate the restraint of the clerk for not saying “Dude – haven’t you read all these signs?”
They point me to the mall security office. I walk in and explain my situation – the nice lady says “Grant? Grant English?” Um….yes. “We used to go to Western Hills. Let me make a phone call for you.”
What I don’t know – did they used to go and left before I got there or am I reason they left? In my panicked state, I don’t ask but do wonder. I don’t really have time to explore this conversation.
“I’ll send him downstairs.” She turns to me – “They have it downstairs in customer service.”
“Praise God. He does take care of fools.” She smiles. I’m probably the reason they did leave.
I get downstairs and the lady is holding my laptop for me, smiling. “Bet you feel better, huh?”
“There are no words.”
And now my heart rate is back to normal and I’m thankful for decent people who are still in the world and happen to shop at the West Ridge Mall.
The Imperial Cruise
Finally finished this book – The Imperial Cruise by James Bradley, author of Flags of our Fathers and Flyboys.
Not sure really where to start with this book. The premise Bradley starts out with is that this publicity cruise taken by Taft and Roosevelt’s daughter Alice was really a secret mission to solidify a secret, illegal treaty that Teddy had entered into with Japan. Furthermore, that this treaty led to Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States entering World War 2.
Bradley does an outstanding job in illustrating the racist agenda of turn of the century politics, Teddy Roosevelt in particular. Bradley adequately points out the United States failures in diplomatic relationships concerning the Philippines and Korea as well. As to the extent as to how these events directly led to Pearl Harbor and World War 2, he didn’t make as clear of an argument. Besides that, the cruise seems to be just a prop to the actual story going on between Teddy and the Japanese.
Not his usual outstanding writing but still good. It’s a harder read than his other two books.
Leadership Lessons:
Teddy Roosevelt was more concerned about his image than anything else. He played tennis but refused to have his picture taken while playing. Image will only take one so far and last so long.
He also surrounded himself with ‘yes-men.’ While that protected his image (somewhat), it was incredibly short-sighted and as a result, Teddy made some huge international diplomatic blunders. Did it lead the US into World War 2? I can see how it didn’t help, I can see how it destroyed the Philippines in the early 1900′s. I’m not convinced it completely is THE reason.
Teddy handcuffed his leaders. I use that term loosely. He withheld information from his key leaders. Many times he just used them as puppets for his hidden agenda. But full-disclosure and empowerment of leaders never happened with Teddy Roosevelt. It’s a pretty significant warning for us all.
I Can Finally Pull For Tebow
Tonight will be the first time I’ve ever pulled for Tim Tebow. I hope he gets drafted by a team that will let him learn for a year or two and give him a chance to be an NFL QB.
And that’s hard to say about a Gator.
If he lands in Denver, it will be a surprise. I doubt he will be there by the 43rd and 45th pick. I’m guessing he goes before that – probably late first round, early 2nd.
But I’m pulling for him, hope he does well.
Unless the Raiders draft him then I can go back to hoping he loses every game he ever plays.
Spiritual Markers
May 16th will be a significant spiritual marker in the lives of our graduating seniors at Western Hills. What’s a spiritual marker? Moses had his burning bush, Joshua his night alongside the Jordan with the Commander, Abram and Isaac that altar – it’s a ceremony or event that serves to encourage or deepen our faith. It is a visible reminder of the Invisible God working in our life.
And we all need them.
We’ll put our seniors on the stage and instead of hearing from them what they think they are going to do in their life (which they won’t), we (the church) are going to tell them how we’ve seen God use them, mold them, and change them. It will be a marker for them to remind them that no matter how old you are, God can and will use you. It will be a marker for our younger students as well – remind them that you don’t have to have it all together or be ‘old’ or grown up to be used by God.
It will be a marker for us older folks as well. To remind us what a child-like faith is, to show us what it means to serve and the impact it has for generations.
Lot Rewind
Yesterday we finished Lot’s story in our series on Broken Dreams. I can honestly say it was one of the heaviest messages I’ve preached. The story is the most bizarre in scripture but the principles that it teaches are the kind that just cut to the bone.
And God intersected my life with Francis Chan’s question “Has your relationship with God changed the way you lived?” last week. I think specifically for that message.
Broken fixes to our broken dreams often end up worse than the broken dream itself.
Lukewarm living for God has the same end result as outright defiance.
Lukewarm living makes us a joke with both are “friends” and our enemies.
We all eventually get what we really want. Lot’s wife really wanted to go back to Sodom, so God gave that to her. Lot really didn’t want to go back to God or Abraham, that’s what he got as well.
When we try to ‘fix’ our broken dreams instead of waiting on God, it’s a statement of how little we trust Him and that what He has for us on the other side of the door is bigger, better, and deeper than what we have on this side.
New Splinter Cell Game: Not Worth It
Rented the new Splinter Cell:Conviction game this weekend. Mixed feelings about the game.
First, I loved the ‘old’ Splinter Cell games. Chaos Theory is by far my favorite of the crew. Double Agent was the beginning of the end for me, I think. While past games demanded stealth and smarts, this was the first one that actually rewarded the shoot first, ask questions later format.
Conviction:
Pro – the co-op gameplay mode is awesome. I love doing Splinter Cell co-op. Just flat out awesome. New graphics are ridiculously slick.
Cons – (and there are many…) New mode darkens screen to black and out when you are out of sight, rendering beautiful graphics and artwork completely worthless. No more meter to tell, no more darkening of the screen.
Violence – lots of interrogations, blood and shooting. Not really a stealth game anymore. Most of the missions are impossible to get through without shooting somebody – which is what made the earlier Splinter Cells so much fun.
Language — atrocious. Had to turn it off. The first F-bomb was a shock but it was during the cut scene. Then the F-bombs starting being spewed during the very first mission during game play. On top of that – there was no setting (like the Modern Warefare games) to turn it off. Ubisoft – if you are going to make that kind of decision and then NOT give me an option to turn it off – I’m not buying your game.
Overall: Won’t buy it, won’t rent it again. Chalk it up as a genre ruined and hope that the next one is better.
Broncos Draft Situation
Been quiet about the Broncos moves this off-season so far. Draft is coming up and like all Bronco fans, I’ve got opinions that no one else cares about…but I want them heard.
Marshall Trade – win-win situation. He hated Denver for a lot of reasons, not all of them football (Darrent Williams) and now he goes ‘home’ to Miami. He gets what he wants. Denver gets what they want – the equivalent of a 1st round pick (2 Number 2s) and not paying an outrageous contract to a guy one slip away from NFL banishment. I like the trade.
Draft – what I don’t like is the speculation that now Dez Bryant is the number 11 pick. If that happens, guns will go off all over the city of Denver. Be listening next Thursday night. Dez Bryant is Marshall reincarnated — huge WR with massive talents, nutcase off the field.
Instead, pick #25, Rolando McClain. But McClain is a 10-year pick. It’s a Patrick Willis, Al Wilson, kind of pick. It’s a “this makes so much sense it’s stupid” pick. The Crohn’s disease? He’s handled it since high school. Proves he’s a warrior and disciplined to play at that high level with that issue. Will he be there at 11? I think so. I hope so. Almost every mock draft has him sitting there. And with Doom in a 3-4 – the meltdown of 2010 could be a thing of the past.
McClain actually covers AND tackles AND calls plays AND audibles AND hits people coming across the middle. Something a LB for Denver hasn’t done since Wilson’s days. He can play all 3 downs, he’s a gym rat, he’s smart, fast, and basically the other teams in front of Denver will be idiots if they don’t pick him.
How sold am I on McClain instead of Dez? If a WR is such a HUGE need (last time I checked, they don’t tackle or block), then I’d rather Denver sign TO for a year and draft McClain then let McClain go and draft Dez. How’s that?
The Rest of the Draft
I think if McClain is drafted at 11, the rest of the draft is gravy. As deep as the WR position is in this draft, grab one of those other WR with the 2nd rounder. Trade up and get a lineman/center in the first round. Grab a safety or DB in the middle rounds.
Tebow is an interesting pick. I know Denver worked him out and like all teams that meet him, they loved him. and if he is sitting there late in the 2nd round — heck yeah, roll the dice. If it works out, you’re a genius. If it doesn’t, well you tried. After watching Gruden’s film on the QB, I think Tebow will be a better pro than what was first thought and I think the team that gets him won’t ever have to worry about his work ethic or staying out of trouble.
He’ll be smarter with the ball than Clausen, bigger than McCoy to take the hits and with Orton — really, what is there to lose by drafting him? Worse case scenario, he’s a backup that does a great job on special teams.
Jennifer Knapp Is Back But It’s Not Gonna Be Like It Was
When Jennifer Knapp exploded on the music scene in 2000, I immediately loved what I heard. Raw lyrics that inspired without being sappy, cheesy “Christiannese.” Rare mix. At the time I honestly thought that Rich Mullins finally had a female counterpart. High praise – at least to me – and she deserved it.
She then went underground after only three years. The 2 year hiatus turned into forever until today when I ran across this article – Jennifer Knapp Comes Out, new album releases May 11.
It’s not just a new album that is coming out. She’s coming out of closet and I’m not talking about the wardrobe kind. That’s right, she is involved (in her words) a ‘same-sex relationship.’ You can read the full 6 page article by clicking the link above. It’s a pretty intriguing read, to say the least.
Over the course of the interview, she relives why she initially quit the industry and why she’s okay with her new lifestyle and she hopes that it will be a new start, how she is going to continue to pursue her faith in Jesus as well as her ‘same-sex relationship.’ (As a side not — I’m not sure why this phrase was used as opposed to ‘gay’ or ‘homosexual.’ Is it a sub-conscious thing? Is this the ‘new way’ we are supposed to talk about this issue? Is this some kind of conspiracy to soften the edge off of what it is? Not sure…)
As a Jennifer Knapp fan, I’m wrestling with a lot of different emotions right now. I think her answers illuminate for me something I wrote about a few days ago. Somewhere along the way we lost the plot of God’s ultimate story and made it about ourselves and our happiness factor. I’m not sure how that happened but God’s ultimate desire for us is not necessarily to be happy…it’s to be transformed to be like Him.
Over and over again, Jennifer hints at this desire for joy is the justification for her lifestyle choice. I feel for her. I just don’t think comparing eating shellfish and wearing mixed fabric clothes to homosexuality is comparing apples to apples. Neither did Paul in addressing a similar situation in Corinth concerning meat sacrificed to idols and homosexuality.
Having said that, I think she is going to get all the justification she wants by the reaction of the Christian community. There will be enough hateful remarks to fill the ocean when this is all said and done. I have a feeling we’ll get to see the worse of our sub-culture in how she is treated…and that’s not exactly right either.
I wish there was a safe place for her to figure this out. A place that would walk with her through the mess, a place that would speak both truth and grace to her. Would she even be open to that? Or maybe that’s what the 7 year sojourn was for her and this is where she landed.
I appreciate the way Christianity Today handled the situation and wrote the article. It was respectful without being enabling, it was loving without being condoning. Very difficult to pull that off in person let alone in print.
I still love Jennifer Knapp even though I don’t agree with her conclusions or decisions. I’m also of the opinion that her story isn’t finished yet, that God is still working on her and in her. Will she continue to give God an opportunity to speak to her or will the wounds she is about to receive be so painful that she’ll quit listening? Time will tell.
Boundaries in Ministry
Got asked this question today from a seminary student — How do you keep boundaries so that your still a father and husband AND do ministry?
Here’s what I wrote him…
Great question. Boundaries are hard to maintain and keep. This issue is not just a clergy issue either. I think all highly relational professions have this problem.
From the outset, this is why it is so important that the spouse is ‘called’ to the job as well. If the wife (spouse) isn’t on the same page in ministry as the other, it sets the family up for a disaster of a train wreck. Any new minister that is thinking about ministry, I ask that question first – where is your spouse in this decision? What does he (or she) think? Are they on board with this? Are they going to be a help/partner with you in this ministry?
If the ‘other’ isn’t on the same page, it’s doubtful they are called in the first place. Furthermore, it will be next to impossible to define and keep the idea of boundaries. It sets up the very real possibility of jealousy and bitterness entering the relationship because ‘he spends so much time with them and not the family.’ (Or she as the case may be.)
Having said that, there are some tips that I wish someone had taught me earlier in my career. It would have saved us some headaches and heartaches. Here are my thoughts — in no particular order.
1. You can’t save/help/mentor everyone. It’s a physical impossibility. Jesus couldn’t do it either. He picked a core ring of 12, then 3 out of those. You do the same. Take people who are learners and WANT to go on the journey with you. It’s okay to tell people – “No, I don’t have the resources to help, guide, mentor you at this time.”
2. Have a day off. A FULL DAY. TAKE IT. Don’t answer the phone, email, text — anything. Get lost. Recharge, rethink. Fish, walk, ride, do something.
3. Date your spouse. Once a week — do something together, just the two of you. Ideally, at least once a month this needs to be a real, go out date. And buy flowers for no reason every now and then.
4. Have a curfew. Student pastors’ houses are havens for kids. They should be. It’s cool and awesome. But have a curfew and keep it. Also have ‘no- kid’ hours. Kick them out at 11 or midnight. Have a weekend (or two) a month where they know your house is off limits.
5. Only disciple students as the same gender as you. Only counsel students as the same gender as you. Many guys have found themselves in an ‘oops’ position of being too close to a student of the opposite sex. And just because it didn’t end in adultery or sex doesn’t mean it was a healthy relationship.
6. Have dinner with your family at least 4 to 5 times a week. Sit down, real plates, face to face, tv off, prayer, talking kind of meal. All of the family around. This will teach boundaries for the WHOLE family, kids included. “Can I go play? Or go to this activity?” “Not right now, we are eating dinner as a family” is a great answer.
7. Make it a family thing whenever you can. Doing ministry, we’ve tried to take the whole family whenever we can. We can’t ALWAYS do that but as often as I can, I try to make it a family.
The last thing I’d say is this, there are going to be seasons where the wheels are off the wagon. Life is busy. The emergency or crisis didn’t happen during office hours. That’s life. Roll with it. And understand that kind of thing doesn’t just happen in ministry either. That’s why it’s so important that the marriage really is a partnership where both are called to ministry.
What else would you add?
Legalists Will Kill New Christians
Guess who said this?
The problem with legalists is that not enough people have confronted them and told them to get lost. Those are strong words, but I don’t mess with legalism anymore. I’m 72 years old; what have I got to lose? Seriously, I used to kowtow to legalists, but they’re dangerous. They are grace-killers. They’ll drive off every new Christian you bring to church. They are enemies of the faith.
So, if I am trying to force my personal list of no-no’s on you and make you feel guilty if you don’t join me, then I’m out of line and I need to be told that.
Really, guess.
You’ll never guess.
Okay, give up?
Chuck Swindoll. Ed Stetzer was interview him and that is what he said. Howard Hendricks also chimes in on the subject, overall a great read.
Why Channel 13 Were Idiots
I posted/tweeted those words on Monday night during the NCAA Championship game.
Here’s why. They broke in the best NCAA basketball game in years to tell us about rain and a tornado 150 miles away….for an HOUR!!!!!
Look – I get it. Tornado coming, pop on tell the community tornado is coming, then pop off. Don’t stand in front of a green screen with circa 1980 graphics telling in all the cool cloud formations and what they mean for the next 55 minutes. We don’t care. If we are in the tornado’s path – we’re not listening anyway, we’re hiding in the basement.
So either way – it makes no sense to crash into programming for an hour. None. Throw up the picture in picture screen, do the annoying non-HD scroll announcement on the bottom since your station is too cheap to have HD – even though this is a capital city. Do anything except what you did.
And don’t stand on the TV and justify WHY you are not going back to the game and giving me score updates. All that does it make me angrier. Because it means YOU are watching the game while I have to watch YOU.
This is why Google is not coming to Topeka.
There — I feel better.
I’ll Admit It – I Watch Dancing With The Stars
This post comes with a confession. I watch Dancing With The Stars (referred to as DWTS by those in the know.)
Why do I watch this show? I have a secret desire that one day I will be a dancer. Not just any dancer…but a great dancer – elegant, smooth, charming. Think Gene Kelly. Think of the guy that shows up in a tux and somehow knows exactly how to tango and waltz at the ball in front of everyone just before he defuses the bomb and saves the world.
Which brings up an interesting question, why do all spy movies have a ballroom/dance scene in them? Is that part of spy school? Can you not work for the MI6 without being a good dancer?
But I digress. I think the biggest reason I would have this dream is because everyone looks happy when they dance. (Except for Kate Gosselin but that is a whole other issue and I’m not sure if she is ever happy.) And I like to be happy. And I think stars get on this show because they think it will fun and they’ll be happy and very quickly they realize – this is the hardest I have ever worked in my life and I’m not happy and I’m not real fond of my professional dancer either.
And some quit. Not totally, but sneakily. They don’t practice as long or as hard as they should. They don’t listen or give the effort they should. They want the fun and end result of being a good dancer but they don’t invest the time, discipline, sweat, study, or trust that it takes to get to that level. Instead, they wallow in self-pity and eventually they get voted off the show and they blame the public for not voting for them.
See where this is going, don’t I’m going with this?
“God wants me to be happy.”
I’ve been hearing this a lot lately. The thinking goes something like this – I like being happy. God must want me to be happy. And it makes me realize that these people have never watched DWTS.
The professionals don’t want their ‘stars’ to be happy. They want them to be good. They know that ultimate happiness will come as a result of them being good dancers. And to be a good dancer, you are going to have to work. It is astonishing that after so many seasons and so many behind the scenes clip more stars don’t get this when they sign up for the show.
God doesn’t you or me to be happy either. He wants us to be holy, like Jesus. And He knows that true happiness (joy may be a better word at this point) will come as a result of being closer to Jesus, becoming transformed by Jesus to be like Jesus. AND that will only happen when we invest the time, discipline, sweat, study, and trust.
And all of us will need a coach, teacher, trainer along the way. All of us.
So my new advise for folks who say that they think God wants them to be happy? Catch an episode of DWTS…then we’ll talk.
Tuesday Morning with Mark 12
The first Tuesday of the month is our Church Council’s time to get up early and study God’s word together. Right now we are going through the book of Mark. I didn’t get a chance to post this last time Council met for our study and tomorrow we meet again. Below are the not so organized thoughts that flew around the table concerning Mark 12:1-17.
Parable of the Tenants
It’s God’s vineyard, not ours. He did all the work – built it, dug the well, built the watchtower. Then he invited others to share in the maintenance and benefits of it. And the tenants forgot who they were working for. What does that look like for us?
This is my biggest fear. I’m okay with making mistakes, trying things and them not working. I’m okay with hitting the pause button if we don’t have clarity. All of those things I know God has, can, and will work through. Forgetting who really is the boss, doing things out of selfish ambition, losing focus on WHO really does the work – not sure how recoverable those mistakes are.
Another instance where Jesus points his harshest words at the religious. Could it be that since He knows that their disease – turning everything into a rule, losing focus of the relationship, forgetting WHOSE they are – is so contagious and so hard to cure that He wants to make sure His followers don’t fall into that trap? Or the cure to break someone out of that disease just has that harsh of an edge to it?
Paying Taxes
If you are going to enjoy the benefits and privileges of Rome and use their money, play by their rules. Pay the tax. Whose image is on the coin? It’s Caesar’s coin. He ‘paid the price’ to put his image on the coin, the coin belongs to him, we just use it until he claims it back.
The same economy should work with the thing that has God’s image on it, right? That would be us. He paid the price, we belong to Him. It’s an act of worship to render to God what is God’s.
And it’s all God’s.
Tomorrow we tackle rest of chapter.
Why Not Every Sunday?
Life Group last night offered up probably one of my favorite moments of the whole weekend.
My good friend, who is a new believer, offered up this gem – “The most powerful words of the service this morning were “He is risen” then hearing the everyone say “He is risen, indeed.” I’d never heard that before. I just stopped in that moment and was just completely blown away by the reality of that statement.”
“Why don’t we do that every Sunday?”
The entire Life Group just stopped. Out of the mouth of babes…. I have absolutely no good reason as to why we don’t do that every Sunday.
Here is this new follower of Jesus and what he is going to remember most about that service – what had the most impact on him – was not the songs, the stage set-up, the sermon but the simple declaration of why we worship every Sunday, not just Easter.
This is another reason why I believe every spiritual leader needs to be in a discipling relationship with a new believer. They have so much to teach us.
After The Journey To the Cross
I’m finally home after cleaning up the Journey to the Cross. It’s 11.00 pm on Good Friday. I’m tired. The sermon for Sunday isn’t quite done. I’m supposed to be writing it but the kids and Amy are out…the house is quiet save for the loud clock in our kitchen. The 12 stations are cleaned up and the rooms and the sanctuary are pretty much back to normal.
I doubt any one who went through the experience is back to normal.
I waited at the exit tonight to catch folks as they were leaving. I wanted to see and hear how it touched them, changed them. The life-change stories were incredible. Here are some of the comments that stuck with me:
“I needed this. My soul needed this. I’m ready for Easter now than I’ve ever been.”
“I cried through the last 5 stations. I’m humbled that God loves us this much.”
“This has been the most meaningful Good Friday experience I’ve ever had.”
“There is enough here for me to think on and meditate on until next Easter.”
“The perfume of Mary I will keep with me to remind me…”
One of the stations was a cross to nail sin on. I have a love-hate relationship with the cross. This station refreshed this reality inside me.
I hate the cross because it’s death. I hate it because it is proof positive that no amount of rationalizing cures my sin problem. I hate it because it’s a reminder of what I really deserve…what I’ve done…what I’m capable of doing. I hate it because it is inescapable.
We all may find Jesus differently but all those ways intersect at the cross. No one gets to God with out the cross. No one.
As I read the story again tonight of the events of the cross, I walked away even more convinced Jesus was God’s son. It could only be God to endure that unjustly. It could only be God to see beyond the moment to the greater reality that awaited. It could only be God to withstand that kind of weight.
But there is no Easter without the cross. There is no resurrection, ascension, return. There is no explosion of grace and no world changed without the cross.
And I’m glad He reminds me of that every now and then.