According to Wikipedia, Lent is "the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday." You probably recognize it as the season before Easter. The purpose of Lent (again according to Wikipedia) is "the penitential preparation of the believer - through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial." OK, a season of preparation; but for what are we preparing? According to the United Methodist Church website, we are preparing "for the coming of Easter." Our Sunday Visitor (a Catholic publication) concurs.
We prepare ourselves for the joyful celebration of Christ's resurrection, by first making a feeble attempt to understand His suffering and death. I know I can't possibly understand the magnitude of the Lord's suffering on my behalf, yet Lent is the season in which I'm asked to try. What would it really be like to be beaten within an inch of our lives, to be forced to carry a heavy crossbeam on our own death march, to be pierced with nails so that we hang in unimaginable pain, barely able to gasp for breath, and left to die? What would it be like in our dying breaths to feel completely forsaken by our family, friends, and even God? I simply can't begin to imagine.
In our human frailty, we attempt various forms of personal sacrifice. We may give up something meaningful to us for a period of just more than 40 days. We may set aside a little "extra" for the poor, the homeless, and the otherwise needy. We may also try to draw nearer to God through honest reflection and repentance, through prayer, devotional reading, or other daily disciplines. Good practices, one and all, but none that will compare to Christ's suffering for us.
And then... After all the suffering, all the pain, and a death that seemed so very final, there is cause for utmost joy and celebration. The tomb is empty, the graveclothes set aside. There is new light and new life. Death doesn't win!
To whom does Easter mean the most? Those that have sacrificed little or those who have given all they have? This Lenten season perhaps we should consider a deeper sacrifice. Whatever our practice has been in the past, maybe we can step it up a notch. The more we understand the Lord's suffering, the more joy we will have in understanding His resurrection.
Questions: Rather than giving up candy, caffeine, desserts, what if we gave up gossip, anger, or envy? Rather than providing an additional offering for the needy, what if we spent our time serving at a homeless shelter or sharing a conversation and a hug with the homebound? Rather than taking up a new devotional, what if we made it our practice to share God's Word with others? Can we "stay awake" for 40 days? The end - or rather the new beginning - will certainly be worth it!
God's peace to each of you during this Lenten season.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Abba, Father
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
-- Galatians 4:4-7, NIV
It happened in an instant, yet my mind’s eye replays it in slow motion. Pedals and legs, arms and handlebars – all blurring into one tires-over-head crash onto the sidewalk. And I couldn’t move fast enough to prevent it.
“Daddy, it hurts!” he cried.
“I know, buddy. I know.”
It was all I knew to do to comfort him – tell him I understood his hurt and hold him. I couldn’t wave a magic wand to replace the skin that was now missing from mid-forearm to elbow. And telling a child he was fortunate not to have broken a bone wouldn’t make the pain less severe nor stop it any sooner.
Daddy knows buddy; he has the scars to prove it.
What an amazing God we have. Like all good fathers, He gives us the freedom to make our own lives, our own decisions, and our own mistakes. We learn from these choices. Yet, when the pain comes, He is always there to comfort us.
During Advent we celebrate the fact that Jesus came to live among us – God with us. When He says, “I know. I understand your pain,” He also has the scars to prove it. The Bible doesn’t tell us whether a young Jesus ever skinned His knee or scraped His elbow, but we do know He suffered excruciating pain and has the utmost concern for every child in His kingdom.
What a privilege we have. When our pain comes, we can be wrapped in God’s embrace, call Him Abba (Daddy), and know His care. He won’t prevent every pain, but He is always there to comfort us. What a wonderful, compassionate Father we have!
[Originally posted on FaithWriters.com - December of 2008.]
Monday, February 20, 2012
Rejected Cornerstone
One of the great things about Sunday school is the opportunity to discuss scripture - especially with people of different ages and life experiences. Early this Sunday school year, our class was discussing the weekend's gospel passage which was from Matthew, chapter 21, verses 33-46 - The Parable of the Tenants. I was new to teaching, but had led discussion groups with Bible Study Fellowship, so felt the best approach was to have a set of prepared questions that would prompt discussion.
My first question was "Who is given the kingdom of God?" This is the type of question that can be answered directly by reading the text at its face value. In explaining the parable Jesus says "...the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." (Matt. 21:43, NIV) We could also talk about the "you" in this text referring to the chief priests and Pharisees and how they were none to pleased to realize Jesus was talking about them.
The technique I had been taught was to lead with a question that can be readily found in the text itself. Once answered, you can move to deeper question about what the text means (interpretation) and how it might be applied in our lives (application). I was prepared to follow up with "What are the fruits of the Kingdom?" and "How different might the world be if we produced these fruits regularly?"
These later questions were held as a homework assignment. It seems the teacher had a lesson to learn as well. While it is good to be prepared, when we are working with God, we also need to leave room for the Holy Spirit to guide us in other directions. During these discussions, we came to our first "Stump the Teacher" question - What is a cornerstone?
This was a very good, very important question. While I was prepared to guide discussion toward the fruits of the kingdom, this question gets at the heart of the kingdom. In the passage (verse 42) Jesus asks the chief priests and Pharisees if they had never read the scriptures and goes on to say:
Wikipedia tells me that a cornerstone is "the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation." It is important because all other stones are set in reference to this first stone, thus determining the position and orientation of the entire structure. My dictionary also suggests an "indispensable and fundamental basis; a person or thing of prime importance."
For the Christian, Jesus is this person of prime importance, the indispensable basis of our faith. While producing fruit (fruits of the kingdom) are certainly important, the central purpose of this passage is to point us to the importance of Jesus as our firm foundation. The teacher learned a lesson that day; I trust the students did as well. Thanks be to God!
Question: We also discussed the term capstone - where is that term found in scripture and how might it also point to Jesus?
My first question was "Who is given the kingdom of God?" This is the type of question that can be answered directly by reading the text at its face value. In explaining the parable Jesus says "...the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." (Matt. 21:43, NIV) We could also talk about the "you" in this text referring to the chief priests and Pharisees and how they were none to pleased to realize Jesus was talking about them.
The technique I had been taught was to lead with a question that can be readily found in the text itself. Once answered, you can move to deeper question about what the text means (interpretation) and how it might be applied in our lives (application). I was prepared to follow up with "What are the fruits of the Kingdom?" and "How different might the world be if we produced these fruits regularly?"
These later questions were held as a homework assignment. It seems the teacher had a lesson to learn as well. While it is good to be prepared, when we are working with God, we also need to leave room for the Holy Spirit to guide us in other directions. During these discussions, we came to our first "Stump the Teacher" question - What is a cornerstone?
This was a very good, very important question. While I was prepared to guide discussion toward the fruits of the kingdom, this question gets at the heart of the kingdom. In the passage (verse 42) Jesus asks the chief priests and Pharisees if they had never read the scriptures and goes on to say:
"The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."This is actually a reference to Psalm 118 (which the chief priests and Pharisees quite obviously would have known). But more importantly it was a prophecy pointing to Jesus himself. Those around him were rejecting him, even then looking for ways to have him arrested. But what is significant about a cornerstone?
Wikipedia tells me that a cornerstone is "the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation." It is important because all other stones are set in reference to this first stone, thus determining the position and orientation of the entire structure. My dictionary also suggests an "indispensable and fundamental basis; a person or thing of prime importance."
For the Christian, Jesus is this person of prime importance, the indispensable basis of our faith. While producing fruit (fruits of the kingdom) are certainly important, the central purpose of this passage is to point us to the importance of Jesus as our firm foundation. The teacher learned a lesson that day; I trust the students did as well. Thanks be to God!
Question: We also discussed the term capstone - where is that term found in scripture and how might it also point to Jesus?
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Follow Me (or Come and Go)
Originally written in 2009, this was my first real attempt at Haiku. It attempts to capture two main themes in Jesus teaching - first, we must come to Him, then go to others. Come and go; follow and lead.
Follow Me
Come and follow me
I’m the way, the truth, the life
Come! And follow me
Come and follow me
I’ll lead you to my Father
Come! And follow me
Come and follow me
Always love the Lord your God
With heart, soul, and mind
Come! And follow me
You’ll be fishers of men – so
Go! Make disciples
Go make disciples
Love your neighbors as yourself
Go! Make disciples
Go make disciples
You will lead them each to me
Go! Make disciples
Go make disciples
Let your light shine before them
Tell them – follow me!
I’m the way, the truth, the life
Come! And follow me
Come and follow me
I’ll lead you to my Father
Come! And follow me
Come and follow me
Always love the Lord your God
With heart, soul, and mind
Come! And follow me
You’ll be fishers of men – so
Go! Make disciples
Go make disciples
Love your neighbors as yourself
Go! Make disciples
Go make disciples
You will lead them each to me
Go! Make disciples
Go make disciples
Let your light shine before them
Tell them – follow me!
[Originally posted on FaithWriters.com.]
Stump the Teacher
Rather than the teachers asking all the questions, in our Sunday school class we allow (even encourage) the students to ask any faith or Bible question that comes to mind. The only caveat is that the teachers are not expected to answer the questions on the spot - we're allowed at least a week (and often times more) to research the question, asks pastors and others, read commentaries, etc. Whatever it takes to provide a quality answer. The goal is not really to "stump" the teacher, but to provide opportunities. An opportunity for students to get answers to those questions that really concern them; an opportunity for teachers to be challenged and to continue their own learning; and, an opportunity to share techniques for going about answering challenging faith questions.
Coming Soon!
In coming weeks I'll add entries with these questions and answers. This provides additional opportunities - to show the quality questions that our high school students are asking and to share what answers we can with others who follow here. This blog will also offer you the opportunity to get involved in this discussion - feel free to post responses to the topic in the comments. And there will be a few questions posed for the readers.
A Question for You
Here is one such question for you to consider now: The Bible holds all who would teach to a higher standard - what are the risks in being a teacher? (Always provide book, chapter, and verse when providing a Biblical answer.) A future entry will provide an answer.
Special Thanks
I'd like to extend special thanks to my cousin (Melody) and her husband (Kurt) who were willing to share their experiences in teaching Sunday school and who provided this idea to me. Thanks to you both - this has been a treat and a blessing.
Coming Soon!
In coming weeks I'll add entries with these questions and answers. This provides additional opportunities - to show the quality questions that our high school students are asking and to share what answers we can with others who follow here. This blog will also offer you the opportunity to get involved in this discussion - feel free to post responses to the topic in the comments. And there will be a few questions posed for the readers.
A Question for You
Here is one such question for you to consider now: The Bible holds all who would teach to a higher standard - what are the risks in being a teacher? (Always provide book, chapter, and verse when providing a Biblical answer.) A future entry will provide an answer.
Special Thanks
I'd like to extend special thanks to my cousin (Melody) and her husband (Kurt) who were willing to share their experiences in teaching Sunday school and who provided this idea to me. Thanks to you both - this has been a treat and a blessing.
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