Day 292 Doing Love

“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Mother Teresa

Day 291 Finding God's Will

Imagine you're standing in the middle of a huge field with hundreds of acres of land as far as your eyes can see. You can see the horizon in every direction: to the west is the ocean; to the east is a beautiful mountain range; to the north is a lush wooded forest; to the south is a beautiful lake shaded by overhanging trees. You turn in a complete circle and there are are many small points on the horizon that catch your eye. You can go to any of those spots. Many of them look interesting. Some don't.

Those points on the horizon represent your choices in life. Which should you choose? If you trust Christ within you, the answer is easy: you choose the place you desire. The only thing you need to be sure of is that you are staying close to God as you choose. Don't act independently of him. Trust him to guide your thoughts. If your mind is at ease, then decide: make a decision!

Are you choosing a point on the horizon that you WANT to go to? Okay, then run! Run there as fast as you can. Run with excitement and joyful anticipation. When you reach the spot you have selected, do you know what you will find?

Jesus standing there.

As you get close to him, you see his arms outstretched toward you. He is laughing with joy. You get close enough to hear his voice. "Come on!" He says. "Run, run! I've been waiting for you to get here! This is EXACTLY where I wanted you to be." You say, "I'm so glad you're here. No matter what this place holds for me, I know that your purpose will be done because you drew me here and you will be with me every moment."

Our faith life can be so much more enjoyable than we sometimes experience it to be. You don't have to agonize your way through making decisions: just relax and trust Jesus who lives in you to lead you. Life isn't a test: the test has already been given, and Jesus passed it with flying colors! Because of that, you can act in faith about God's will, without fear. Make choices in faith knowing that God is guiding your thoughts.

Pray. Decide. Act with confidence that he is faithful. Don't second guess. Stay close to Jesus, and your desires will be his desires. Then, you and your decisions are already in the center of his will.

Day 290 Body, Soul, Spirit?

Here is the thinking that goes into the body, soul, spirit idea that we talked about tonight (from my group leader's email):

The Body-Soul-Spirit is actually foundational in the understanding of who we are in Christ.

We relate to one another through the body and often define ourselves by our physical being. This was always my point of reference as we are most often taught we have a soul and spirit and many times these are used interchangeably.

To understand that we are actually a Spiritual Being first who has a Personality-Soul unique to us and dwells in a body may at first seem like a chicken or egg kind of discussion.  But to understand this concept helps make sense of many scriptures that frankly don’t make sense the other way around.  For example…. In the Beginning when Adam died—what died?  His body kept ticking for about 900 more years, but his spirit died and he was separated from God at the time of the fall.  We are told in John 3 about being born again.  Here Jesus talks to Nicodemus about not being physically re-born but having a new spirit…..That is what we term born again.  We are told we were crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me and the life I live in the body I live by faith in the son of God….Gal 2:20.  How could our physical body be crucified with Christ??  If this is true what was crucified??  Our spirit was crucified as our physical body hasn’t changed (ok it is getting older :).

The importance of our new Spiritual identity is huge because again we often relate to ourselves based on what we see and not on who Christ says we are in spirit.  The My Identity hand out often refers to that.

The Soul is important.  That is our personality—Mind, Will and Emotions.  Did you get the hand outs where we went further into the positively and negatively programmed flesh?  I will attach them to this e-mail.  The Soul is being renewed.  The Bible says to renew our mind.  We do spiritual battle here.  We discussed how Satan often attacks us by sending us messages that are contrary to the truth in our mind.  Ex. “I feel worthless” may be a negative message or “I am a success” may be a positive message that the main emphasis is on the “I” where we operate in the flesh doing life independent from God.  As we realize the truth of our new identity, we can begin to challenge these false messages and say “I am dead to that thought, and I am a new creation, I am a child of God, I have value, my heavenly father loves me…..etc.”  As we don’t buy into the “Lie” and focus on the truth we can begin to see maturity in the day to day areas of life.  We begin to see the world a bit different and God begins to heal the wounds or false ideas about ourselves and replaces them with His truth and gives us His desires and they become our desires as we embrace our relationship with him.  

What think you?

Day 288 Take time for Wonder

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
Psalm 139:14

Take some time to reflect on the fast pace of life. I’ve thought it lately, looking for excuses to blow through life at a supersonic pace. You know what I found? There are so many things that we rob ourselves of when the pace of living keeps going up. The faster we move, the more we miss.

Not only do we miss the wonders of God’s creation all around us such as sunsets, flowers, the beauty of a smile, and the awesomeness of  the changing seasons, but we also miss out on one of the greatest wonders in life: the person who God has created us to be.

People are incredibly complex. When we consider just the physicalness of humans, we have reasons to be amazed! For instance, scientists tell us
• In just one year, a person’s heart beats 40 million times.
• 50,000 of the cells in your body will die and be replaced with new cells, all while you have been reading this sentence.
• Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour.

Amazing, isn’t it? What a wonder you are! I love this quote from St. Augustine, “People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long course of rivers, and they pass by themselves without wondering.”

Today, take time to recognize and thank God for the wonder of who you are!

Day 287 What is Sabbath?

For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 20:11

In the ratrace of American culture (and probably your daily life too ;), people--including Christians--are tired and burnt out. There is so much about life that is exhausting. I know this. It’s real.

Often we don't even slow down enough to be faithful to God’s call for Sabbath, which simply means to rest. I got some great advice early on from someone who urged me to faithfully guard and protect that day of rest. They were right: Without intentional action, it’s simply too easy to slip into justifying non-Sabbath actions like, “I’m just going to pop into the office,” or “I’m so far behind, I just need to catch up.”

But a lot of Christians don't really know what the Sabbath is or how it's observed, and there are a lot of different views and practices of the Sabbath among Christians groups.

Sabbath isn't a one-size-fits-all experience, but for what it’s worth, here are some ideas. On the Sabbath day, I want to experience as many of the following as possible:

Relaxation. I take it easy. I sleep in. I don’t fill the day with a lot of activities. I try to maintain an attitude of rest throughout the day.

Recreation. I usually feel better and accelerate my rest after some form of exercise. Maybe at the gym, but it’s usually a hike with a friend.

Relationships. Any time I choose to spend time with someone on my Sabbath, it is a relationship that inspires me, breathes into me, and is rewarding for me. No work, just friendship.

Reading. For me, so much of my reading during the week focuses on work. So, for my Sabbath, I choose light and fun reading.

Reflection/Restoration. Reflection describes my extended time with God. I’ll usually reflect on the past week, look through my calendar, and think about what I might have missed that God had laid out for me.

There is no usual order to these areas. I just try to experience them all throughout the day. When was th e last time you experienced a real Sabbath?What would your ideal Sabbath look like? What keeps you from living out your ideal?       
               
My prayer is that the Sabbath becomes a weekly day of refreshment for you and an anticipated highlight of your week!

       

Day 286 What are you looking for?

He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Proverbs 11:27

School kids know there are teachers they hope and pray they don’t end up with. They're the teachers that are known for difficult class requirements or huge homework assignments. These are the teachers who make you stay in at lunch if you talk in class or for seemingly no reason at all!

The thing is, students who get these teachers already expect the worst. No matter how nice the teacher is, how often they compliment their students, or hand out treats the bad impression already exists. When kids expect a hard, mean, and unfair teacher, they usually find one!

 Abraham Lincoln said, “When you look for the bad in man, you shall certainly find it,” but the opposite is also true: When we look for the good, we will find it as well. If you sit down with anyone long enough, you can find something good.

You can't tell much about a person based on what others say about them, or even based on our own first impression. We need to look beyond their reputation to reality: What are the things that hold you back from looking for the good in a person? When you do, you'll find it--but you have to take time to look.

Day 285 Prayer that comes Naturally

Matthew 6:7 - "When you pray, don't babble on and on the way some people do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.

Long prayers can be pretty impressive.... They just seem more powerful the more words that get used.
In my Bible study right now, many of the women feel inadequate to pray outloud. They know how to ask God to do things for them.... 'God please help me, God please provide my house payment, God please change me.' But they feel like they can't start there if they're praying with other people.

But you know that God doesn't favor one person's long winded prayers over another's simple one. What is more important is that we are praying - often.

It is a good goal to incorporate Bible verses into your prayers...it's not hard and after some practice it will come naturally.

Father God, I want my prayers to be natural and unreligious. Please help me to cut out the pretty words that don't impress you and instead cut to the heart of the matter. I know You hear me and know my heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Day 284 There is a Time for Everything

For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

You are the shoot He has planted,
the work of His hands,
for the display of His splendor.

I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.

Isaiah 60:19, 22

Day 283 P.I.G.S.

What does it mean to live "above average" and whose "average" are we talking about anyway? For a believer, living above average has nothing to do with materialism, of course, but also nothing to do with personality. What it does have to do with is character...the things that God looks for in our lives.

How does he see success? It's a good thing to know the general direction we're going in from God's perspective so that we can more quickly cooperate with what he's doing in our lives!

Character includes integrity. Telling the truth (in love) is important.
It includes humility. Humility listens and can learn from anyone.
It's dependable. Do what you say you'll do. Keep your promises.
Character lives by priorities. Focus your daily life on your goals and help others focus on theirs.
Be generous. Your generosity and kindness will result in power and respect. (Pslm 112:9)
Put God first. Be content, and trust the Holy Spirit to help you.

Day 281 How to Crash a Party Jesus-style

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:44-47

Jesus really called Simon Peter on the carpet with this one...and Peter usually seemed to need it! Jesus made a direct contrast between the woman and Peter. But there was something that both the woman and Simon Peter had in common: access to Jesus' forgiveness and peace. The behaviors that Jesus compared were just the expression of each of these people's response to grace. Through his behavior, Simon Peter exposed a still unforgiving view of the world when the only  response to being made whole and free is to get on your knees.

How do we respond to Jesus' love and generosity? Is it making us more loving and generous or more self-righteous? Are we living with labels and levels of grace? Or does grace leave us on our knees? What is one way can we live our lives more in tune with the love of Jesus?

Day 280 Everyone needs an Abashai or Two

But Abashai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. 2 Samuel 21:17a (NLT)

Living as a mature disciple of Jesus doesn’t happen in isolation....It takes teamwork. You will work with people over the years who are much differently gifted and talented than you are. One of the reasons people can survive in the long run in minstry is that they surround themeselves with “Abishai.”

Abishai is a real life person in the Old Testament who was an important model for the type of person we need in our lives, and a model for who we should be in someone else’s life.

Abishai lived during the time of King David. 2 Samuel 21 says, “When David and his men were in the thick of the battle, David became weak and exhausted….An enemy warrior cornered David and was about to kill him. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine.”

I love the phrase, “in the thick of the battle, Abishai came to the rescue.” Who comes to your rescue? Do you have an Abishai in your life? Who do you rescue....Does someone look to you as their Abishai?

We all need at least one Abishai, maybe more, just as we need to be an Abishai to someone else.

We’re better together.

Day 279 Eyes Wide Open

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Psalm 82:3

Driving through large cities in the developing world is usually an adventure. Maneuvering through the traffic of the busy roads is often like walking through a swap meet: hundreds of people station themselves on the city streets doing their best to offer their goods to travelers passing by in order to make their livings.

It's easy to say “no” again and again for goods you don’t want or need, but it is much harder to say “no” to a child knocking on your window asking for money for food, to the crippled man sitting on a skateboard rolling between cars hoping someone will give him some money, or the young girl walking a blind gentleman past the car and asking if we could spare some change. Stories like these are commonplace all over the world. Sometimes you just want to close your eyes so you don't have to look anymore.

It is easy to feel helpless when you're looking into the face of the woes of the world. There are so many needy people all around. But the answer is not to live a life with your eyes closed so you don't have to look anymore. We can't just shut our eyes to the sorrows and the needs of those who are oppressed and desperate.

It's also not realistic to hand money to each person you pass. But there are actions you can and do take. Open your eyes. Be ready when God gives you an opportunity to help someone. Then, do your part. Alone, none of us will solve the world’s poverty. But together, with each of us doing our bit, we can help make a difference in the lives of the people we come in contact with, even if it's just for a moment. Instead of shutting our eyes, we need to open them to see what God might be asking us to do or say today.

Day 278 Supporting Community

Therefore be honest with each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Who has access to your soul? Is there someone in your life that you can share deeply with? Who keeps you accountable to living out your Christian faith with integrity? For people who are trying to live the Christian life totally on their own, it's difficult. We all need support. We all need people around us who can ask probing questions and encourage us to keep on moving in the right direction in our faith.

The Bible is full of examples of people needing and belonging to a community of believers who could encourage, support, and exhort each other. When Moses was exhausted and drained, he had people actually come alongside him and hold up his staff to help win a battle over the Amalikites. Jesus chose 12 disciples to basically pour into His life for three years. He taught them to support each other. After Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples in Jerusalem shared everything in common. They ate, prayed, and worshipped together.

Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself while you are in a "temporary" place this year:

                  Have I been in a compromising situation with someone of the opposite sex this week?
                  Have I given priority to my family and friendships this week?
                  Have I spent an adequate time in Bible study and prayer this week?
                  Have I had any financial dealings that have lacked integrity?
                  Have I lied, cheated, or harmed anyone with gossip this week?
                  Have I just lied on any of the above questions?

Day 277 Singing Life

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." (Mary's Song from Luke 1:46-55, NIV)

The lyrics of Mary's song offer joy and hope amidst unfathomable uncertainty. The words express sincere trust in mercy in justice....Words are organically woven into God's nature. They are a celebration of an upside down God who lifts up the lowly, who feeds the hungry, who restores the broken.

I wonder if Mary's life continued in song beyond her words in Luke--a continuous rejoicing or maybe an expression of compassion--given freely, simply by living, simply by being who she was.

I wonder about the song I am singing--whether inaudible, out of tune, or in the silence of the moment. What is the message my life is expressing? Is it one of justice? Of goodness? Of peace? Of love? And if it strays from such melodies, how might I sing it in a way that better honors the sacred, the people in my midst?

Listen carefully to the song your life is singing. Listen carefully to the choruses all around you. Together you might create something beautifully harmonious--something like hope.

Day 276 Embracing a Better Country

"All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11: 13-16)

I' ve read these words before, but they hit me in a new way recently: to long for a better country, a heavenly one; to not look back, but to look with hope toward what is to come.

To admit (and live in the knowledge) that we don't fit in the brokenness of the present is to acknowledge that we are longing and looking for the coming Kingdom. Admitting that we don't fit is uncomfortable, painful, and difficult. It means letting go and recognizing what keeps us in chains. But it is also freeing.

I can pretend that I am not different from (in your case, the Nicaraguans around you) and can take offense when people point, laugh, stare, or mock. Or, I can simply admit that I am different. The same is true of following Christ. I can squirm and hide and get anxious about doing things that seem strange to others. Or, I can embrace being different and be faithful to God's call.

There is freedom in being foreign and strange--freedom to wear bright pink sunglasses and have crazy hair because people are going to stare no matter what. There is freedom to follow Christ with every part of ourselves because we're never going to fully meet the world's expectations and standards--and we don't have to.

We are free to look around and know that we do not belong--free from all that anxiety about not being who others think we should be. We are free to be God's because we are citizens of a better country.

Day 274 Let's hear it for chutzpah!

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

During his first year of graduate study at the University of California at Berkeley, George B. Dantzig arrived late for a statistics class. He saw two problems on the blackboard. Assuming they were homework, he copied them down and a few days later turned in his solutions. One Sunday morning six weeks afterward, the professor appeared at Dantzig's door, waving a manuscript. It turned out that the professor had merely written two examples of unsolvable problems on the blackboard. The manuscript was Dantzig's work readied for publication. George Dantzig later became known as the father of linear programming.

Had this guy gotten to class little earlier to hear the professor say that these problems "couldn't be solved," sadly, he might have never even have tried to solve them — probably like all the other students in the class.

Sometimes we give up way too easily — someone says it can't be done and we don't give it a second thought! The word "chutzpah" in Hebrew means nerve or gall. We can think of chutzpah in a negative light, but God calls us to to GREAT things and be bold for Him — and most of the time those things require some chutzpah!

What about being more tenacious as a believer? Is there something you feel God is calling you to do but others have been less than encouraging? Go for it! Be bold! Don't let others dictate what you should or shouldn't be doing — leave that to the Lord!

Day 273 What He brought with Him

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 19:29

When Jesus appeared to the disciples and others on Easter night, he only not brought his presence and peace, he also brought his power and purpose.

As the disciples moved from being stunned to being overjoyed at the sight of Jesus, he breathed power into them, giving them the same creating Spirit that shaped the world at the beginning of time. It's this power that turned a motley group of followers into a force that went out and turned the world upside down!

The Spirit enabled them, just like it enables you, to say, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." The Spirit empowers you with "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" as you live in God's service.

Then, Jesus sends us out into the world with a new purpose, equipped with his authority and his message of healing and renewal, to minister to those who also need him--his presence, peace, power, and purpose.

Joy!

Day 272 What He Left Behind

Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" John 20:19

When Jesus presented himself to his disciples and followers after his death, he didn't come emptyhanded. He brought with him some very significant gifts--and they are for us as well.

First, he gave the gift of his presence. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw him! He said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Heb. 13:5

Jesus also gives his peace. "Peace be with you." He, the risen Lord, gives this peace to us. "Do not let your hearts be troubled.... I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:1,6)

Risen Lord Jesus, thank you for being with us bvery moment and for offering us your peace. Let our lives today be filled to overflowing with joy because of you. Amen.

Day 271 Experience

Experience is the most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn. C.S. Lewis

Day 270 Easter Leap

When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.—Mark 16:4

The story of the resurrection in Mark begins with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome trekking to the tomb to anoint the body of their dead friend as proscribed in Jewish law. While they went, they were talking about how they would get to Jesus' body: "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (Mark 16:3) It's a reasonable question.

Then we get a hint that something extraordinary is going on--the stone has already been moved—a disconcerting moment for sure.

It makes you wonder—what in our own lives is beyond our ability to move or to roll away? What is beyond our strength, despite our desire and hope? Sometimes resurrection begins with a stunning, unexpected change--a change that we did not anticipate and certainly did not create.

When the women enter the tomb, they find no corpse. Instead there is a young man dressed in a white robe--and the women are scared. The man tells them, “Don't be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.” After adding instructions for the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee, he tells them, “You will see him, just as he told you.” The women went away, terrified and amazed.
What does resurrection look like? It's possible that we haven’t the slightest idea, despite 2,000 years of reflecting on New Testament verses about it. Resurrection is life, the very Life of God, springing from death. Resurrection is beyond our imagining, beyond our theories.

The life of the infinite God makes an unpredictable quantum leap, and the stone in our life is rolled away. It may be that we know it when we are amazed, when we cannot bring our experience to speech, when we find the tomb is empty when we least expected it.

Risen Christ, give me the courage to go to my own empty tombs, hoping for the stone to be rolled away. And grant me the grace to await your resurrecting life in me and in the world. Amen.

Day 269 Holy Saturday

The tomb was nearby; they laid Jesus there. John 20:42

Apparently today, Holy Saturday, is also called the Great Sabbath because...well, if you're dead you're totally at rest and therefore it doesn't get much more sabbath-like than that. Jesus' body was in the tomb today, dead. This is a quiet day, I think....for reflection, waiting, anticipation....A sacred pause between death and the resurrection tomorrow morning.

I really like the planted seed analogy for this day: when you plant a seed, it dies and there's not a lot going on above the ground for a while--but underneath all kinds of stuff is developing. Some of the early Christian writings say that on Holy Saturday, while he was dead to this world, Jesus "descended into hell" to liberate those who died before--to wake them from the sleep of death to rise and follow him into fullness of life.

Whether you understand that literally or figuratively, the point is that God, in the Risen Christ, longed to liberate us from our hell--our personal hell, our communal hell, our political hell. Holy Saturday proclaims to us that the life, mercy, and light of God diffuses every single dark hell we can think of or get entangled in.

The divine truth is that we were not created to be captives in hell: let that sink into your brain, your body, your very bones. Because when we begin to know this deeply, we come to know the inner liberation that leads us to speak truth in love, take risks, and  desire freedom for all who are captive.

Holy Undying One, have mercy on us.

God, I know that You did not create me to be a captive; may your liberating grace and mercy guide me to seek the freedom to love in your Name, and to stand with those who are not yet free. Amen.

Day 268 Good Friday

Day 267 What's a Maundy?

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

Today is Maundy Thursday. I always thought "maundy" was an old English form of a word for "mourning"--but it's not.

Maundy comes from the Latin word, "mandatum," which means...command or mandate. So, on Maundy Thursday, we're not gearing up for the drama of Good Friday like hired mourners, we're remembering that on this night, Jesus gave his disciples a "new command" to love one another as servants.

While we're looking back at the time that Jesus preparing for his death, Jesus was thinking ahead to the time when he would no longer be with us physically and how this raggedy, dusty group of working class guys would go on the following day. Only he knew then it was his last night here. Only he knew he would soon be arrested and killed.

The action that he put a priority on at that moment was to get up from the supper table, wrap a towel around his waist, pour water in a bowl, and wash his disciples feet....their rough heels, hammertoes, bunions, and blisters.

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.... A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

"By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples."

Maundy Thursday. It's not what we think.

Day 266 Children of the Resurrection

Many of the two billion people who are celebrating this Easter this week also live in constant fear for their lives, and that reality will linger long after Good Friday rememberences. As we remember Him on Easter, we must also remember them. These are the Children of the Resurrection who languish in prison, who cannot worship freely, share their faith openly, get work, or educate their children.

In these situations of real pain, poverty, and persecution meet.

Ironically, those who are persecuted and poor invariably know more of the power of the resurrection than those of us who have become immunized by our freedom of choice. They never ask for our pity but they are always eager for our prayers and support.

This Easter in our prayers and gifts, let's choose to stand with them.

Day 265 A Beautiful Violent Faith

Where you are living, it's pretty hard to avoid the grusome, grotesque, blood and guts parts of Christianity. In America, not so much--but basically, blood and guts IS part of Christianity...and Judiasm before that. In Hebrews it says that "without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." So, circumcision and animal sacrifice, covenants of any kind, and Jesus' death on the cross...they all involve blood-letting.
This week we remember especially just what Jesus did for us, the price He paid. This is the week we revisit all He endured--the beatings, the whippings, the barbs pressed into His head. This is when we focus on the cross--on the spikes through His hands and through His twisted feet, on His chest flung forward, slowing suffocating, on the sword through His side. This is the week when we come face to face with the blood and the gore and violence of our faith. In other words: we embrace the grossness and total weirdness of what we really believe. And we talk about it with our families.
We talked about the core of the Christian faith every time we talked about the Easter story when you were growing up. When preschoolers talk about the nails being driven and the thorns being pressed, it can make adults shudder. But when we're honest about our faith, we can’t be afraid to admit that we believe some horrifying, shocking things.... We're the folks who remember what Jesus did for us by the "eating" of His broken body and "drinking" His dripping blood.
You can't blame non-Christians who see our beliefs as gross and weird.... We ought to admit the horror of our faith if we want others to see the beauty in it. Because only then can we talk about what happens when we suspend our disgust and choose to see into and then past the grotesque and horrific. If we get stalled being weirded or grossed out, we miss a lot of good stuff--like the Grace that comes only from that weird, gross, violent, horrific and amazingly beautiful story we believe.

Day 264 Presence

There they gave a dinner for him. John 12:2

Mary, Martha and Lazarus are three of Jesus' "familiars." They treat him like family. He is at home in their home. Sometimes these three people seem closer to him than the disciples, who are always busy bumping heads with one another, trying to see who is going to win “Best Disciple” of the week.

Here, the disciples are on the road with Jesus, trying to learn, missing the point half the time, not wanting to hear Jesus tell them the truth of his life. By contrast, Mary, Martha and Lazarus offer Jesus their home. In the quiet domestic space of these three siblings, perhaps Jesus could be at ease. Perhaps he could put aside the messiah-projections and savor conversation, enjoy a meal, and sleep in familiar surroundings.

According the Gospel of John, it is in this house that Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus. She dares to take the pound of costly perfume and pour it on Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair. She dares to say with her actions, “I know what you are facing; I know that this entry into Jerusalem will lead to your death. And I know you have to do this.”

I imagine that this  honesty-in-action would have been a great gift to Jesus. Someone, a friend, knows that darkness is up ahead, and this family of siblings is willing to receive the truth, and in so doing they give Jesus a great gift.

Each of us has times in our lives when we need a friend who will not sugar-coat the reality we have to face. Each of us has a need for a Martha or a Mary or a Lazarus—for a friend who will let us be, who will let us say, “I am scared to my bones.” Or “I am going to suffer.” Or “I am going to die.”

When we encounter  friends like that, we know something of the presence of God in our midst, God in Christ as friend who allows us to tell the truth in love, to be the truth in love, by God’s grace, for one another.

This Holy Week, O God, may I remember that Jesus calls us his friends, and may I seek to love as he loves. Amen.

Day 263 In your Easter Bonnet with all the Frills upon it...

The history of our traditions always interests me, so I wonder, what's with the tradition of dressing up for Easter? When I was a kid, Easter morning involved all five daughters walking into church with pincurls, new desses, spring coats, pastel-colored hats with plastic flowers, white anklet socks with lace, and white patent leather shoes. It really was a parade!

My first (minimally educated but common sense) guess about where our tradition comes from is...pagan rituals. Winters were long and cold in many parts of the world, and around the vernal equinox, people came out, took their first bath of the year and de-loused their clothes. Seems like while you're doing that, you should throw a party, welcome spring, say hello to your neighbors, and thank the gods you didn't freeze to death...since now you could stand to be in the same room with eachother without passing out.

Second, early Christians were still pretty Jewish and they probably celebrated the resurrection at the time of Passover, mixing together the two traditions. Passover involved remembering the exodus from Egypt, right? When the Israelites ran for their lives while God killed all of the Egyptian babies. This involved eating matzoh (crackers--because there was no time to add yeast to dough and let it rise) with your coat on, ready to walk to freedom! One of my books on these traditions says that the Israelites "got dressed in their best clothes" for this event--and it could have morphed into that over time, but likely they weren't going to leave the good stuff behind in Egypt and wear their shabby stuff on the road to their new life. (Duh.) So, the default became "wear your bank account out of here," and it moved on into the early Christian Easter observances.

Next, I figure that a whole lot of Middle Ages mess between religion, monarchy, and government got really mixed up until Martin Luther came along and tried to straighten things out. Then the Puritans got a hold of happiness and went way off in the other direction--banning everything from lace and sex to smiling....and burned people at the stake just in case they missed any unrepentant sinners.

The 1800s is when the Easter bonnet thing got started in America, involving arrangements of ribbons, flowers, and feathers. When I was a kid, "hat boxes" existed and were stilled used--to keep Grandma's best hats from getting crushed or misshapen in the closet while they were stored. The Easter parade tradition actually started with churches, who would hold competitions for the best dressed parishoners who would then walk up and down main street (or 5th Avenue if you lived in NY), simply to show off your new clothes....Ta-da, a parade!

Finally, the market economy capitalists got on the Easter bandwagon in the 1900s and started merchandizing the whole thing...clothes, candy, flowers, cards. Today in America Easter seems like a holiday more than a holy day.

In Nicaragua, you will be between the Evangelicals and the traditional Roman Catholics this "Holy Week."

What will Easter mean for you this year?