Day 45: it is finished (Good Friday)

it is finished

It is finished. The day is finished, and there are many ways to recognize that the day is over–we’re in our pj’s, Kajsa is asleep, my teeth are brushed, the lights in the rest of the house are turned out, I’ve closed my laptop… and, Abby’s collar. For many years now, Jim has removed Abby’s collar every night, to give her neck a break. Don’t worry–we don’t keep the collar on super tight, but it has to be frustrating to wear a collar all the time. So every night, Abby’s collar is removed, and placed by the door, ready for tomorrow. The day is finished.

Jesus said those words, “It is finished”, in John 19:30, part of the two chapters (John 18 & 19.) read at the Good Friday service. Then he died. “It is finished” referred to more than the day. In fact, the day wasn’t finished. But for those who loved Jesus, the hope was finished, the ministry was finished, their friend and Lord was finished… and, they probably feared, they were finished.

In fact, it was fulfilled–the scriptural prophecies, the mission Jesus had from God to bring love and forgiveness. Fulfilled, but not gone. Finished, as in fulfilled and accomplished. But not gone. Far from gone…

Day 44: hands and feet (Thursday)

hands and feet

Maundy Thursday. The day in the Christian church calendar when we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples–and the commandment he gave his disciples–to love one another. Loving as Jesus loved.

Kajsa and I made these handprints and footprints the other day from chalk and water. Thursday, walking home from the Maundy Thursday service, I was touched by the amount of hands and feet, “printed” over part of the driveway. It’s fun and cute, and Kajsa loved seeing the prints–until the rain washed them away. But aside from that, it was a good reminder to me of how I, and all followers of Jesus Christ, are called to be hands and feet. We are commanded to love–and mostly the kind of love Jesus referred to isn’t simple, or easy, or fun. It’s definitely harder than chalk-prints in the driveway.

Loving as Jesus commands often includes our hands and feet–literally and figuratively. It doesn’t guarantee positive results. Sometimes it goes all wrong. But the commandment is still there.

How is God calling you to be his hands and feet these days?

Day 43: the crosses I wear

John 12:27-36.

crosses

I love the crosses I wear. Many were gifts from people I care about, several were crosses I bought while visiting somewhere special, others were simply something I liked in a store with no special significance—just a cross I like. There are some days when I have a hard time deciding what cross to wear, because I like them all so much.

Now that I’m in Holy Week, and the remembrance of THE cross is getting closer, I’m realizing something embarrassing: when I put on various crosses, I rarely think about the cross Jesus died on. Rather, I think about where the cross is from, who gave it to me, and what situation or event it reminds me of in my own life.

I’ll set aside my guilt for a moment–the guilt over not focusing on THE cross when I wear my crosses. And I’ll do a bit more reflecting over the rest of this week. The cross that Jesus carried and died upon, was from the Holy Land. It was given to him by religious leaders, soldiers, ordinary people. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it was a gift to Jesus.

The cross was, and is, a gift from Jesus. To us. Though he probably had moments of concern (12:27), this time—the cross—was the reason he came. To glorify God by saving the world.

Day 41: out of control

out of control

Out of control. No, I’m not talking about the dandelions. I’m not even going to try to get rid of dandelions. I’m talking about the child’s clothing choices for the day. It was a battle I was prepared to fight over early on in the morning… then I realized, I didn’t need to fight it. As long as she didn’t go out in public like this. Ok, some of you might be thinking, what’s the harm? so the kid insisted on wearing her tie-dyed leggings and other-color-toned-striped shirt…. big deal. Then add the cow gloves. Big deal, right? You’re probably right. (Maybe you can’t see the outfit well enough.. try going here for a better view.) And there are plenty of times when she goes out in outfits I cringe at, because they don’t quite match as much as I’d like… but, oh well. I managed to survive morning.

That aside… what does this have to do with Holy Week? This: the Pharisees said that it was all out of control. Their tactics were getting them nowhere. The crowds, the world, “everybody” was following Jesus. (This week I’m photographing/blogging about a different passage each day. Today’s is: John 12:9-19.) Try as they may, they, the Pharisees, just couldn’t seem to get things under control. This Jesus fellow was too charismatic… he raised that Lazarus guy from the dead, and now, everyone was giving Jesus a parade. What could they do?

As we know, they tried. They tried to get it under control. And they thought they had succeeded. The joke was on them, however. And by “them”, I don’t just mean the Pharisess. I mean anybody and everybody who thought that Jesus was mere mortal, only a celebrity of the weirdest, though most compassionate, kind…

Out of control? Definitely.

The Pharisees had less control over Jesus than I have over Kajsa’s outfit matching tomorrow morning… or of dandelions not coming up in our yard next week.

(p.s. for those who think I should let Kajsa wear whatever she wants, however poorly it matches: don’t worry… some days I will. And for those who think I should do a better job of setting out matching choices before she gets to her clothing drawers: don’t sorry… some days I will.)

Day 40: you’re taking me where?

youre taking me where?

Donkeys are supposedly stubborn. At least that’s the stereotype. So I wonder how much resistance the two disciples met with, when they untied the donkey/colt from wherever it was tied up, and took it to Jesus. I don’t know that I’ve ever been responsible for leading a donkey anywhere…. I can’t think of a time. But obviously the donkey ended up going on the journey, carrying Jesus into Jerusalem. So, stubborn or not, the donkey played a key role in what we call “Palm Sunday”.

I’d love to know (a) what that donkey was thinking as it was being led to Jesus, and (b) what it had to say after the day was over. And, maybe (c) if Jesus and the disciples talked to the donkey at all. or rubbed its nose… or fed it anything.. or scratched its ears…

Day 39: save now

Save BIG. Big savings. Save now. Save 10%. Save 50%. Save more than the other place. Save by doing ______ now. Save, save, save… savings. Even before our economy went downhill, our culture loved savings. And we still do. But I wonder if we would truly understand the significance of shouting out, “Save us now, Son of David!” As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the bystanders shouted, “Hosanna!”, which means “Save now…”

We in this century can look back to that era and recognize that Jesus’ audience wanted saving from the Roman superpower. So it’s easy for us to say, “Wow, were they wrong!” But what do we hope to be saved from? And how much are we hoping to be saved from? Sometimes I think that we’d be happy if Christ would come and save only 25% of our lives, and that’s a big enough “savings”… because it would be too difficult for Christ to save our whole life. Too much work on our part.

Though God is more than a slogan, or a gimmick, we know that God does save. BIG. Now–and whenever we give our hearts to him.

“Hosanna!” the crowd called out. Save now!

Alright… Jesus might say. Hang on a few days, and you’ll get your saving. 100% salvation, for all who believe.

Day 37: alarming sound

alarming sound

I think this is what happened. In the early fall of 2009, when Jim and I visited Harleysville for the first time, we were riding around in Carolyn’s car, and were stopped at a stoplight. Right then an obnoxious, alarming, deafening, frightening sound went off–very close to us. Of course, if we had been alone, we would have eventually figured out what it was. But fortunately Carolyn was driving, and was able to explain that to us that we happened to be quite close to a township siren–so there was probably a fire somewhere. I still think of that sound often–not every time I drive by the siren, which is pictured here, but often.

I imagine that for the crowd on that first Palm Sunday, the sounds of “Hosanna” aimed at the man on the donkey weren’t so alarming. For some, maybe, but not for most. After all, crowd mentality takes over, and you simply jump in. But for the religious authorities, who were trying to do whatever they could to get rid of the guy… this would be alarming. It would further confirm their need to take action against Jesus. Little did they know that their actions would only help fulfill scripture, some of the very scriptures they claimed to subscribe to.

Before we get too down on the religious leaders, though, let’s remind ourselves that we don’t always like the sounds of Jesus. We don’t mind the ones like “Hosanna”, which mean “Save, please!” And we don’t mind the nice, gentle-Jesus… but the one who challenges us beyond what’s comfortable, the one who suggests that we need to live differently… the one who even would die on the cross? Sometimes these “sounds” of Jesus are a bit too jarring, alarming, and somewhat frightening.

Day 35: needed

needed

Lord and donkey–those are two words that I would not typically think go together. But then again, Lord and sinners, Lord and manger, Lord and cross, Lord and empty tomb….none of these word pairings fit our stereotype of what a Lord might be. Yet, Jesus doesn’t fit our normal stereotype anyhow. Never did, never will.

This Sunday’s Palm Sunday gospel passage, from Matthew 21:1-11, illustrates this even more. Jesus sends two disciples on an errand to get a donkey. If it’s not shocking enough that the Lord sent for a donkey, Jesus instructed his disciples to tell anyone who asked about it, “the Lord needs it.” Needs? If Jesus is Lord, why does he need anything? can’t he snap his fingers and have things appear? A regal horse, perhaps, instead of a lowly donkey? Why send the two disciples?

It’s part of the Christian faith that I both appreciate and am puzzled at, at times: the fact that God needs people. Including me. God needs us to help carry out the mission he began while Jesus was on earth. Talk about risk-taking. It seems much easier to do things oneself, than to leave it in the often-erring hands of humans. But then again, this is the same God who pairs words like Lord and manger, Lord and cross, Lord and empty tomb, and Lord and donkey.

These phone book pages help me think about the bigger world beyond my circles. The names and organizations listed on these pages (including Christ Covenant Church) represent God’s bigger kingdom here on earth. And even that, this phone book, represents only a small portion of the earth. And though at times it might seem ridiculous that Jesus Christ needs and uses each of us who call him Lord, it is the reality of following this humble King.

God’s blessings as you discern where God needs you to participate in his kingdom. And God’s peace and strength, as you faithfully follow.

Imagine the possibilities, if all of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, responded in faithful obedience….

Day 34: donkey and a king

donkey and a king

I am not kidding when I tell you that yesterday (Monday, Day 34) as I read through Matthew 21:1-11, I thought to myself, “So, I need a picture of a donkey. Where am I going to find a donkey?” I wasn’t thinking of a donkey picture for Day 34… more like the end of the week. But, as I walked into the church where Jim and other Christ Covenanters were playing volleyball last night, there was this car with this image on the back.

I’m not sure what the image is supposed to mean. Obviously, something to do with a woman I presume is Mary, an animal that I’m hoping is a donkey and not a horse (hoping so that it fits better with this Sunday’s text), and the cross. A bit odd… not the normal three images we think of together. But for me, it is a reminder that the events in Jesus’ ministry over the past several weeks, and the one of this coming Sunday–these all lead to the cross. And, ultimately, the empty tomb. But for now, the cross.

In the Matthew 21 passage, Jesus sends the disciples to find a donkey and colt, untie them, and bring them back to Jesus. Why? To fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the coming King. Jesus.

The crowd at the original “Palm Sunday” has my sympathy: throwing their palms down, in celebration of the coming king… hoping against all hope that he would finally be the one to overthrow the Romans… and then they would realize, before long, that he was not who they hoped him to be. Their dreams might be dashed.

Jesus isn’t always who I hope he will be for me, either. I’m a little more realistic than to expect him to answer all my prayers all the time in the ways I want.. I realize that’s not practical. But I wouldn’t mind a little more help in some areas. Help as I define it, of course. Yet the Jesus of reality, the Jesus of my faith, the Jesus who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey in the midst of “hosannas”… would die on a cross. For me. And for you. And sometimes that’s a little hard to fathom.

Day 21: emu mud

 

 

 

Dirt + warmer days awhile ago (not lately) + Mr. Emu walking by his fence = emu mud. Emu mud + _________ (fill in the blank)  doesn’t = much that I’m aware of. I could be wrong.

Dirt + Jesus’ spit + a man-born-blind = a life-altering event.

For a modern-day-paraphrase, try reading John 9:1-41 from The Message.