Easter 3 Year B

Easter 3 April 26, 2009 Luke 24:36-48 The Rev. Benton Quest

I think I can say with little argument that we humans don’t do faith very well. That may not be what you would expect to hear in a church, but I think it is the truth. We do not like to rely on faith; we want to rely on our senses. We want to touch, hear, taste, see something before we invest our faith in it.

I have an example. Imagine you are going to go out and buy a car. Now, are you going to buy this car on faith? No! you are going to go out and sit in the car. You are going to go out and kick the tires, try the air conditioning, and beep the horn. You didn’t just plunk down your money because the car salesman said, “Trust me!” No, you will want to make sure the car is the real deal before you invest your money.

You see, we want to be sure. We want to experience things with our own senses before we put our faith into them. We want proof before we invest our time, our talents — our faith in something.

This is not something new to our time and to our society. This need for proof has been around for eons. In scripture we see many examples of this need for proof. Last week we heard the story of Thomas. Thomas was not asking for much, he just wanted to touch Jesus. He wanted to see for himself that Jesus was alive. He was not going to trust the words of the other disciples. When the others said, “Trust me!” Thomas said, “I want to see with my own senses.”

In today’s gospel reading we have another example of the disciples wanting proof. They are skeptical of the reports from the road to Emmaus. The disciples didn’t want to believe when they were told, “Trust me!” They were not even going to believe what the prophecies of the past had said. They were not going to have faith in any of this until they could experience the risen Christ with their own senses.

I think Jesus could have been upset about this. These disciples were his trusted friends and companions. These were the ones that Jesus had spent the last years of his life preparing. And what happened when their faith was tested? What happened when things did not go as the disciples had planned? You know it! The disciples lost their faith and went into hiding. Not vary brae of them, huh?

If I were Jesus, I probably would have given up on them. I probably would have just given up and tried somewhere else with some better people. But Jesus doesn’t give up. Jesus gives his disciples another chance to see and believe. Jesus appears to his disciples as flesh and blood. Jesus appears with the wounds of the crucifixion still on his body. And to further reinforce that Jesus was truly alive, he asks for food and eats it! Now I know -- as anyone who reads the National Enquirer knows -- Ghosts don’t need to eat! So in eating, Jesus was giving his friends the proof they needed to believe that he was not a ghost. In eating, Jesus was giving the disciples the proof that he had, in fact, been raised from the dead.

So although Jesus would have liked his disciples to believe through faith alone, he didn’t abandon them. When the faith of the disciples wavered, Jesus provided them with the proof they needed.
Well gosh…that was nice of Jesus, wasn’t it? And isn’t this similar to what we talked about last week? When the disciples needed proof, Jesus was there giving them proof in flesh and blood. Jesus gave the disciples what they needed to believe. Jesus gave the disciples the proof that would strengthen their faith.

But that was way back then, what about now? What about us here today? Where is our proof? This is not fair! The disciples knew Jesus before his crucifixion and they still needed proof to believe. How can Jesus expect us to believe? We have not had the privilege of walking with Jesus and learning from Jesus. How can Jesus expect us to believe? Where is the proof that our senses need?

Well, Jesus appeared to his disciples as a body. Jesus appeared in their midst as flesh and blood. And to prove that this body was not a ghost or an apparition, Jesus ate at the table. This was the proof Jesus gave the disciples and this was the proof the disciples needed to solidify their faith.
That was in the past; so just what does Jesus give to us, his disciples, as proof now?

As in the past, Jesus shows us his body. Jesus shows us his body with all of its scars and injuries. Jesus comes among us and eats with us. This body, with all of its scars and injuries, is the church. This body is the people who greeted you on the way in. This body is the people sitting next to you. This body is you! And this body is me! We are the body of Christ alive and living in the world. We are the hands, the ears, the heart, and the words of Christ in the world. When we gather as a community, we strengthen and nourish each other. We eat at the table and are renewed! We are not left alone but are surrounded and supported by the community of the congregation.

So Christ uses us as his body in the world. We are his flesh and blood; we are his hands and heart. But Christ teaches us one more lesson. Christ didn’t wait on the road to Emmaus. He didn’t wait for the disciples to just wander by and find him sitting there. No, he went to them. The risen Christ went to his disciples. Christ presented himself as proof to strengthen their faith.

In the same way, we are called to bring the body of Christ to the world. We are strengthened here in the congregation but are called to go out and bring the love of Christ to those who surround us. We are called to show the living Christ to our friends and family. We are called to show the living Christ to our co-workers. We are called to show the living Christ to the lost and alone.

Moving beyond our walls is scary, but it is our highest call. We have seen the risen Lord in those around us and now we are called to bring the proof that Christ is alive to the world. We cannot just say, “Trust me!” and expect people to come flooding into our sanctuary. We need to be the proof that helps their faith to grow.

We are not alone in this process of going into the world. We have seen the risen Christ! We have the support of the gathered Church. We have the strength of the Spirit! Christ provides us with the proof and then sends us out to be proof to others. We can show the world that we are not a ghost but a vital and alive force in the world. There is a big world just primed to believe, but they need to see. Let’s go out there and show them!

Easter 2 Year B

Easter 2 Year B April 18, 2009 John 20:19-31 Rev. Benton Quest

The gospel story for this Sunday always seems to leave me with an uneasy feeling. I guess part of the reason is that I have often been in Thomas’s place. I have been the one left feeling unsure when all those around me have been so sure about what was happening. Now if you have never felt that sense of being left out, then you are truly blessed and you can go get a cup of coffee or something. But I think most of us have been in Thomas’s place at least once or twice.

I guess what bothers me the most is the way Thomas is commonly portrayed in society. The phrase “Doubting Thomas” is a byword of our language. We hear the words “Doubting Thomas” used in such a way as to make it seem as if there is something wrong with having doubts. Some theologians would have us believe that Christ was angry with Thomas for his lack of faith and that part of today’s gospel story is Jesus rebuking Thomas for his lack of faith. Maybe that is what bothers me: the concept that any feeling of doubt we may have is wrong and is shameful.

Are we bad Christians if we have doubts? I guess some would say “yes.” Some people would have us believe that doubt is a sign of sin in our lives. Some would say that if we had true, strong, faith, then we would have no reason to doubt. Some would say that doubt is a glaring flare marking our moral shortfalls. So I guess by that standard, then I have been a bad Christian; I have had doubts about Christ’s presence in my life. Like Thomas, I have questioned Christ’s presence among the living. At times I have doubted all the stories and promises I have heard from others.

The problem with thinking of Jesus as rebuking Thomas is that it doesn’t make the situation any better. The interpretation of Thomas as a “bad Christian” does not help the situation in any manner. We all have problems in our life. We feel troubled about the problems in our lives. We want to bring these troubles to Christ but feel we can’t. And why can’t we? Because we feel that in the midst of our problems we will be told that we are not good enough Christians. Because we doubt Christ’s presence, we are not good enough to bring our troubles to Christ.

When we hear these judgments and feel the pressure to be stoic in our suffering, it only heaps more trouble onto us. Not only is life difficult, but it is now our own fault that we are suffering. It almost feels like we have to have all of our problems solved before we can bring our problems to Jesus.

When we stop to think, having to solve our problems before we can bring them to Christ is pretty silly. If we could solve our problems ourselves, we wouldn’t need to bring the problems to Jesus. If Thomas could believe, he wouldn’t need to see. Thomas was in need. We are in need. Jesus does not come to rebuke us for our needs; Jesus comes to help us in our need.

That is the major point we are to take from this reading: Jesus comes to us in our need to help us. Jesus does not rebuke our need. Jesus does not punish our need. Jesus fills our need. Jesus showed his hands and his side to the other disciples so they could believe; Jesus also shows these wounds to Thomas so he may come to believe. Just as the other disciples needed to see to believe, (remember, Mary had told them about seeing the risen Christ and the disciples did not believe), so too Thomas needed to see to believe.

But what about that comment Jesus makes about seeing and believing and those who believe without seeing. Isn’t that kind of a slap in Thomas’s face? I guess we could look at it that way. However, we could also see these words as a truism. It would be better to believe and not see, but usually we don’t work that way. We usually need to see before we believe. So even though it would be better if we could believe without seeing, Jesus still comes to us and gives us what we need to be able to believe. So instead of a rebuke, Christ’s words are actually the loving words of a concerned teacher.

I stick with this interpretation because it works. I have found the Bible to be very psychologically sound. Jesus is very good at bringing out the best in people; we find this throughout the gospels. Now we know that to attack someone when they are down is no way to help bring out the best in someone. Wouldn’t our creator know the same thing? Wouldn’t our creator know that we need support in our times of fear and doubt, not rebuke and reprimand? So the story of Thomas has noting to do with how “bad” Thomas was and has everything to do with how good God is.

So how does God come to us when we are doubtful? Christ is no longer here for us to probe his hands and side. How then are we to see and believe?

This is a tough thing. This is the world we exist in. Jesus has not physically walked the earth in over two thousand years. How is the world supposed to pace their finger in the wounds in Jesus’ hands? How is the world supposed to place their hand in Jesus’ side? In our situation now, how is the world to see and know?

This is the situation of the second reading for today. The most of the people John was writing to, in his epistle, had not seen Jesus, risen or otherwise. So, because they had not seen Jesus, John was telling them the story. John was sharing with them the truth as he knew it so that the message of the risen Christ could be shared; even with those who have not had first hand experience. In sharing the message, John is making Christ real to those who are around him.

We too bring Christ to the world when we share the message. When we tell others of the life we have found in Christ. When we share the blessings we have found in life. It is when we share with the world that the world experiences Christ. It is when we share that the world gets to touch Christ’s wounds. It is when we extend love and forgiveness that the world feels love and forgiveness.

Often our personal experience of Christ is like Thomas’s; we are lost and we want proof that Christ is near. However, if we think that our feeling of being lost is bad, we will not seek out that which can help us. Christ still gives us what we need, but that gift is found in the gathered congregation. It is when we are together, when we are a “y’all”, that we can reach out and touch Christ and have Christ reach out and touch us.

The sad thing is that quite often when the world hears the word “Christian,” they think of anger and judgment. I have friends who cannot see how I can call myself a Christian when all they see are people who are much more concerned about hatred than about love.

This hurts me and it should hurt us as a community. I truly believe that the world wants to see Jesus and to touch Jesus. But what they are seeing and what is being presented to them is something that is wrong. What the world keeps presenting is a Jesus that would have nothing to do with Thomas. What the world seems to keep presenting is a Jesus that would only allow Thomas to see him after Thomas had finally become good enough.

For many people, the only Jesus they see is the Jesus of judgment that is presented on television. But I hope we know that Jesus was so much more. The Jesus we know is the Jesus who would die for us. Who was raised for us. And who would present his wounded hands to us to we may believe.

Our call is to present the Jesus of love to the world. Our call is to give to the world what it so desperately needs, the true message of love and understanding that we ourselves receive through Christ. Our call is to live out our baptismal call and share a living love to a world in need.

It would be nice of we all could believe without seeing, but we are people and we have our doubts. Jesus came to the disciples to address their doubts. We have the Bible to help address our doubts. But sometimes, we may be the only Bible some people will ever read. And if we don’t bring the message to the world, who will.

Easter Year B

Easter Sunday Year B Mark 16:1-8 April 12, 2009 The Rev. Benton Quest

I said last week that the season of Lent is full of contradictions. People yelling “Hosanna” and then screaming “Crucify Him!” Losing your life so you may find it. Searching for sin so you may life in the light of forgiveness. All kinds of weird stuff. So why should we think that just because we have reached Easter the situation should be any better?

This Sunday we have a gospel reading that most people will probably claim to know. It should be a “no brainer.” It is Easter and the gospel reading should be about the resurrection. And for the most part you would be right. But there is a problem with the story. Let’s look again at the last line of the reading: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Not only is this the last line of the reading for today, it is the last line of Mark’s gospel!

This abrupt ending to the gospel has caused some problems over the years. People have actually written alternate endings to the gospel; endings where the women tell people. But that is NOT how the original gospel ended. The gospel ended with the women having an all too real response to this seemingly impossible experience. The alternate endings are signs of the Church trying to tidy up the loose ends and make the whole thing clean and neat.

But Christianity is not a clean, neat faith. Christianity is a faith that is real and earthy. Jesus was a real person. He lived in the world of his times and experienced the troubles of his times. He was temped and he questioned. He felt the pains and the pleasures that are a part of this life.

Jesus did not associate with the clean, neat people. He was out in the countryside. He was roaming from town to town. He would at times dine with a High Priest, but he would also be found with the prostitutes and the tax collectors. Jesus was earthy. He would probably have been labeled a hippy if the term had been around then.

And Christianity is not a “let’s all be happy kind of faith.” Well, I may have misspoke there. It is a “let’s all be happy kind of faith.” But not just “let’s be happy,” no, “let’s all be truly happy!!!” Christianity teaches us that true happiness does not come from what we have, but from a deep knowledge that we are totally loved, loved beyond our understanding.

Christianity is a faith that is not to be kept in the marble sanctuary of the churches, it is a faith that belongs in our jobs, in our homes, in the skyscrapers, and in the foxholes. Christianity is not a faith for the saints, it is a faith for real people.

I am glad that the gospel ends the way it does. We can see that the women who found the empty tomb were just like you and me. They were not some kind of superhuman. They encountered something they could not describe and were freaked out by it!

But what is so great about this story is that we do know that the message go out. We don’t know how it was spread, but we know that the women did tell someone. We don’t need to have the revisionist come and try to tie up the loose ends, we can just look and know that the story spread. And what is also great is that we can see that Christ rose from the dead, not for those who are superhuman, but for those people who get freaked out and run in fear. Christ rose for the earthy people of the world. Christ rose for those who are not perfect.

Now, there is another odd thing going on in the gospel reading for today. The young man in the tomb, we never are told who he is, tells the women to tell the disciples “AND PETER” that Jesus will see them in Galilee. Wasn’t Peter one of the disciples? Why would he need a special invite? Well, Peter was the one who denied knowing Jesus. And having denied Jesus, Peter was probably feeling quite guilty. But by having the special invitation issued especially to Peter, Peter was being told that he was not excluded from what was happening but was forgiven and included.

All Lent we have been talking about looking at ourselves and our congregation openly and honestly. We have been taking an honest appraisal of our lives and trying to find the stumbling blocks. We have been coming to the realization that even when we fall short, Jesus is there to strengthen and encourage us. And so this continues today! The risen Christ is here for us all! Christ is here for those who are too afraid to speak his name in public! Christ is here for those who have denied Christ by their words or their lives! Christ is here! Not in some clean, sanitized way with all the loose ends tied, but in our real world with our real situations with all of their real tangles.

I remember Easter sermons that I have heard that have almost put me to sleep. It bothered me. Easter is THE reason we are Christians! Our God knows what it is like to be human. Our God knows the trials and the pain we go trough. Our God knows the doubts and troubles we have. Our God knows us better than we know ourselves. And amid all of this, our God loves us, and forgives us, and calls us! Our God calls us to the table to feed us and sustain us. Our God calls us to the joy that is life in Christ. Our God calls us, not because of our shortcomings, but in spite of our shortcoming. Our God calls us because in our God we can find a love that is unknown anywhere else in the universe!

The love we find in the world is conditional. We are only loveable if we are good enough, or rich enough, or righteous enough, or attractive enough…The love we find in the world has strings attached. But the love we find in Christ has no strings. It is freely given. Period. It is freely given to those, like Peter, have abandoned Jesus. It is freely given to those, like Mary, Mary, and Salome, who go running off in fear and misunderstanding. It is freely given to those, like you and me, who get tied up in the strings of life.

Contradictions: From the beginning of time our lives have been full of them. But among the contradictions we have a savior who stands strong. Neither life nor death can hold him! He has taken the worst the world can deal and has emerged victorious! Even if we feel the need to run in fear, we need not feel ashamed. Our God is there. Our God forgives. And our God will carry us through.

Good Friday Year B

Good Friday

Cold, dark, wet, raining. A wind drives the rain against him. He would like to place his hand up in front of his face and block the rain but he cannot move his arm. There were people around before. Some where here as friends, others were here to taunt. But now, neither can be found. A group of women huddle together and every now and then a mournful eye is turned his direction. But still their presence doesn’t help.

He would like to appreciate their presence. He would like to draw some strength and courage from their courage but he can’t. It has been too long. He has not had any sleep in over 24 hours. He has not had anything to eat in over 12 hours. The cold rain splashes against his body and chills him to the bone.

He begins to shudder as his body gives a futile effort at creating warmth. As he begins to shake uncontrollably, pain rushes through his body. He wants the shaking to stop, he wants the pain to stop, he wants to be anywhere else but here. He closes his eyes in the feeble hope that this might be a dream. But, no, when he opens his eyes, he can still see the rain and the clouds.

Breathing has become difficult. The weight of his chest keeps pushing against his lungs. If he could only stand, if he could only take the pressure off of his aching shoulders, his throbbing wrists. But every time he tries to stand, an electric jolt of pain races from his feet, up through his leg, and on to the top of his head. And with the searing flash of pain, his knees buckle and he falls back down, sending agony through his arms, through his wrists, and collapsing his lungs even more.

The rain does provide some blessed relief to the angry wounds that score his back. The water gently washing away the dried blood that began to pull at the wounds. The cool water takes some of the sting away. But it is a two edged sword, the cool water causes his body to convulse in a wave of uncontrollable shaking.

The women are still out there. The men on either side of him have quieted. A centurion stands at his post looking bored, making sure no one tries to rescue the condemned. And still the rain falls…

Where is God? How can God allow so much pain to be endured? In the past, thoughts of his Father brought comfort and hope. In the past, God had seemed near. Now…He cannot even feel the stir of his Father’s love in his aching heart. Maybe it all was a dream. Maybe it all was an attempt by his brain to stem off the pain he was feeling.

A chilling thought crosses his mind, “Father! Where are you? Why are you not here? You can make this pain go!” A feeling of utter abandonment begins to descend upon him. The pain of this one thought is almost more than he can bear. The pain of this one thought is greater than the whips, the spikes, the thorns, or the rain. He cries out in a loud voice, hoping to be heard above the rain, the wind, the storm. “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?”

Then the thought crosses his mind, “Why must I die?” That thought has a chilling effect on him, even greater than the rain that splashes against his skin. “Why God? Why must I die?” He frantically searches the land for an answer. He looks at the small group of women huddled together. They seem to be lost in their own search for comfort. The cloth of their meager clothing clings to their bodies. He looks to the centurion. The centurion is looking down to the ground, almost as if embarrassed to have witnessed the painful outburst of the condemned. His search now becomes frantic. Why is he here? This has to have some meaning! This pain cannot be just empty pain!

He continues to search. To hold his head up causes the thorns to gouge his back, each movement of his head tears at his already painful flesh. But he must find a person; he must find a reason. The rain runs off of his hair and into his eyes. It stings. He blinks to clear the water. He searches the muddy fields surrounding the hill on which he has been lifted.

Wait! There is something there in the distance. He strains to see. It is a person! He strains to see who is standing there.

Suddenly you realize that his eyes are locked on you! You look back. It hurts to see the body racked in pain. But you have to look, that gaze compels you to look. But as you look into those eyes, as you look at the face of him, the one condemned, you are surprised to see the expression change. As he finds your eyes and searches your face, a calm comes into his eyes.

You feel a searing heat from those eyes. Suddenly the rain doesn’t feel so cold. The wind doesn’t feel such a chill. There is love in those eyes, love for you! You hold this gaze, not wanting to let it go. Those eyes become the whole world. Those eyes soothe all your pain. From the face of one suffering the distress of the whole world comes a look of healing, understanding, and love.

Then it strikes you, SUFFERING! He is suffering! Suffering for YOU! All the pain, all the loss, all the abandonment that is embodied on that cross; all of that is for YOU! All of that is because a love greater than you can understand surrounds you.

And still, his eyes hold yours. His eyes soften momentarily and there is almost a smile that crosses his face. You feel that all the worry and pain of life is meaningless in the presence of this love.

And then…

And then… He grimaces in pain. His face contorts in pain. The rain pelts his body and yours. A shudder shakes his body and a moan of understanding escapes from you lips. The wind whips and the lightening flashes…

Palm Sunday Year B

Palm Sunday

Lent is quite the season of contradictions. We reflect on our death so we can truly live. We look at those things that hold us trapped so that we may find freedom. We cry out “Hosanna!” at the beginning of a service just so we can cry “Crucify Him!” at the end. Contradictions, we are surrounded by contradictions. But it is just these contradictions that help us to grow. It is just these contradictions that help us to see the places where we are not living, just merely existing.

Today we are confronted with one of the most jarring of contradictions: We are faced with the people doing a complete about face to Jesus. We are faced with the crowds shouting “Hosanna.” But this is at the beginning; this is when things are going well. However, when the times get difficult, the people stop shouting “Hosanna” and quickly change their tune. They go from shouts of “Hosanna” to screams of “Crucify Him!” Possibly one of the most jarring changes in the whole lectionary.

Now, of course, we know that if we were around in Biblical times, the words of “Hosanna” would never leave our lips. We would continue to proclaim Jesus as Lord no matter what was being said by those others. We know that we would never add our voices to the chorus of “Crucify Him!” And we can say that because we have 2000 years of perspective and interpretation behind us.

But have we really learned much in those 2000 years? In what ways do we as people, as a faith community, and as individuals cry out the words “Crucify Him!” when we should be singing out “Hosanna?”

We cry out “Crucify Him!” whenever we choose the way of our comfort, pleasure, or security over the vision of Christ for the world. We cry out “Crucify Him!” whenever we choose to let others take the blame for our failures, shortcomings and mistakes. We cry out “Crucify Him!” when we choose to exploit the shortcomings of others for our own benefit. We cry out “Crucify Him!” when we fail to honor and celebrate the Christ that is in every individual we encounter.

Our culture cries out “Crucify Him!” when it can justify spending $10 million on office remodels while taking trillions of dollars from taxpayers who are having difficulty just paying their mortgage. (Remember when “trillions” was a nonsense word?) It cries “Crucify Him!” when those in the positions of power and majority actively work to take rights away from those who are weaker and in the minority. Our culture cries “Crucify Him!” when it sees other people and cultures as just a means to boost its own standing in the world.

It is harder to see how we as a faith community may be crying “Crucify Him!” This would seem totally at odds with what we would think. We would think that, as people of faith, we should always have “Hosanna” on our lips. But to think this would be naive. Church history is full of stories of one group attacking another group because “They don’t follow the true faith.” Even various groups who claim to be Christian have been known to attack each other; just look at the Protestants and the Catholics in Northern Ireland. The Episcopal Church and the Southern Cone. And just the other day, I had a Pentecostal person ask me if Episcopalians were Christians.

And, of course, we personally cry “Crucify Him!” When we fail to recognize the dignity of those around us, we crucify the Jesus that is in that person. When we belittle or gossip, we crucify the Jesus that is found in each person. When we take our family and friends for granted, we call for Jesus to be placed on the cross just as the crowds did so many years ago.

Man, this can seem really depressing! I guess this is part of my Lutheran background coming through. But I believe that it is only in seeing how we have fallen short of the ideal that we can fully comprehend the immense gift we have been given! If I have so many houses that I cannot remember the number, the gift of another house will hardly register. But if I am living on the streets, the gift of a house is miraculous. If we believe we can do no wrong, then the gift of forgiveness is just and empty box. But if we realize that we are capable of sin in so many different ways, then the gift of Christ on the cross takes on its full significance.

That is the miraculous thing about the Passion and the Cross: Jesus remembers our “Hosannas” and forgives our cries to “Crucify Him!” Jesus lifts up our strengths and places our weaknesses behind us. We are loved as a parent loves a child, and are forgiven and guided into the way of righteousness.

I am sure the calls of “Crucify Him!” were painful to Jesus. I have to wonder why Jesus didn’t just give the whole thing up and poof back to heaven. I would want to say, “People, I am doing this for you! Can’t you have a little gratitude?” But Jesus didn’t. Even while the people were calling for his crucifixion, Jesus was willingly going to his very painful death for just those people.

And even though we, as a people, as a congregation, and individually continue to call for Christ to be crucified, Christ still gives us the gift of forgiveness and asks us to share that gift with those around us.

This is the miracle, the gift and the challenge. The miracle is that the one who was truly God and truly human would suffer on behalf of those who turn their back on him. The gift is the full and total forgiveness that the cross and resurrection brings to us. A gift that allows us to move boldly beyond our shortcomings and to move boldly into the world. And the challenge is to take this gift of forgiveness and extend it to all those we encounter. To realize that as Christ looks beyond our sin, we, too, should look beyond the sins of others.

Knowing that we have the forgiveness of Christ should not become an excuse to wallow in our shortfalls. Knowledge of our forgiveness should become our challenge! Can we go out and love as Christ loved? And even if we can’t, we know that we will be welcome back to hear the message and to be sent out again.

We can have a time like Lent because we know that the stumbling blocks we find in our lives are already forgiven by our God. God knows our shortcomings and loves us and forgives us anyway! Even when we may be saying “Crucify Him!” with our lives, God hears the “Hosanna” that we sing in our heart.

Our Lenten journey is nearing its end. But we are not at Easter yet. We still have Good Friday and the grave. But we can courageously walk this path because we know that our Savior goes before us to lead the way. And we know that even if we fear to follow, our Savior is there to forgive us, to renew us, and to encourage us.

Contradictions: Life from Death. Forgiveness from Humility. Strength from Weakness. Our Lenten journey continues. But through it all, we know we have a Savior who will not leave us stranded on the cross.