Grounded in Christ — Sent to be a Blessing.

Zion Lutheran Church

The Three Days – Cross and Resurrection

TriduumJesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you should love one another.” John 13:34

It is finally here. The three days that bring the Christian story to a head.

In Latin the name for this series of events is the Triduum – which means the “three days.” These are Jewish days, meaning that each day begins in the evening and continues until the following evening. One Jewish day includes parts of two of our days since the Jewish day begins at sundown and continues into what we consider to be the following day. So here are the three days:

  • Day One: We begin in the evening on Thursday with the Last Supper where we remember Jesus washing his disciples feet and sharing his last supper with them. It continues on Friday throughout the day but Jesus is crucified, dies and is buried in the tomb in the afternoon, before the sun sets. That means that all of this happens on the same day in the Jewish calendar. We will gather Thursday night for foot washing and communion to remember the last night of Jesus’ life.
  • Day Two: This is the day that lasts from sunset on Friday through sunset on Saturday. It is the day Jesus spends the full day in the tomb. Legends exist saying that on this day he went down into hell with all who had died before him and released all who were captive there. We will gather Friday evening to honor this day with a remembrance of the cross of Jesus.
  • Day Three: This day begins at sunset on Saturday evening and “On the third day…” Jesus is raised from the dead. This is Easter day and we take time to celebrate the victory Christ brings and the new life that is ours in Christ. We’ll honor this with sunrise worship early in the morning followed by festive worship services at our normal time.

The cross and resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of the Christian message. The journey to the cross is a story of the persistent love of God and the faithfulness of Jesus to share that love no matter what the cost. The resurrection of Jesus is about that same persistent God coming back again (and again and again and…) to bring life out of death and hope out of despair. May you meet the risen Jesus this Easter in new and meaningful ways.

The Holy Week Dilemma

Cross palms

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” John 12:13

There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John 19:18-19

So which is it? “Hosanna!” or “Crucify him!”

We are at the point in the Christian story that tears in two directions. On the one hand, we want to celebrate who Jesus is and the work that he does. On the other hand, Jesus’ work is transformational and challenges us to be open to letting go of things that get in the way of God’s will and taking up things that further it. It can cause the most faithful followers of Jesus to seek real transformation. But it can also be more than we want to do – the easy walk of just being a church member may be far less challenging than the real work of joining in the work of Jesus.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, which is also the Sunday of the Passion. These two realities frame our experience of Jesus. We want to lift him up and honor him some times – we love to be the people with the palms. But at the same time, it is our sinfulness and the sinfulness of the world that also lifted him up on the cross to die – we are also the people with the nails (which is not as much fun to admit).

As the next week unfolds, take some time to reflect. What about your walk with Jesus is worth celebrating? –Make a moment in your reflection time to give thanks. What about your walk with Jesus needs to change? Use Holy Week as a chance to repent (the term we use for committing take on the important work of change).

The work of Jesus brings us life. Following Jesus allows us to live more fully. It isn’t always the easiest route. But it may be the most fulfilling way to live the lives we have been given.

Have a blessed Holy Week.

Even Jesus Had Needs

Needs A

Pilate said to the crowd, “Here is your King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” John 19:14-15

We are now at the point of the Lenten story where we will be giving more and more attention to Jesus going to the cross. It is a place where Jesus, who we think of as capable and powerful, exhibits weakness and neediness instead. Rather than gathering his followers or summoning legions of angels from heaven, Jesus succumbs to the power of this world. He is hung on the cross and hangs there helpless. The cross he had to carry was so heavy and he was so weak that he would eventually need help and a man named Simon from Cyrene would help him carry it. Eventually he will be hanging on that cross in need. Even his words from the cross, “I thirst,” will be a demonstration of just how needy he will eventually be.

Like Jesus, each of us has needs in our lives. This started with the first people and the story of Adam in the garden. We often think of Eden as “perfect” but God looks at the first person in the story and notes, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Human beings have had needs from the very start! God coming in Christ is not apart from this. Jesus experiences need at the very deepest level.

This week in worship we will invite us to think about a couple of key needs that the church wants to help meet. These are not “problems” to be solved. They are part of being human and something that we all share. When we are at our best, needs bring us together and help us share life.

Here are two questions to reflect on before you come to worship Sunday:

  • What do you need from the church as a community of people to feel a sense of care and belonging here?
  • What do you need from your time at church to equip you and encourage you as you live out your faith during the week as a neighbor, worker, spouse, parent, child, citizen, etc.?

Jesus had needs and by the time of the crucifixion, these needs were plain and clear. You have needs as well. Reflect on these a bit before you come this week and then share how we can better care for and support each other.

Not of This World

Crosses

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” John 18:39

Jesus was clear about who he was and where he got his direction for life and work. As the Messiah, his role was to come and bring life and hope to people and redemption and reconciliation to the world. While there were many other things he could have done along the way, keeping his focus and using his strength to do the hard work of staying the course to the cross was more than enough. The result was a faithfulness that exceeds that we see in our lives. Jesus was able to remember who he was and what he was about – and it was not worldly power or turf that he was concerned with.

This kind of leadership and awareness is unique. The world we live in has Syria in a civil war, Russia having invaded the Crimean region of the Ukraine, North Korea and South Korea at odds with each other for decades, and all sorts more places where we see power used to grab another piece of the world. Jesus will have no part in this. Living out his identity as God in the flesh, Jesus’ work is to usher in a kingdom that transcends the boundaries and things we cling to in our lives. Jesus knows that if he remains faithful to the work he has been given then the world will be set free. But if he gets distracted or fearful and fails to follow through – well then the picture of God we see in Jesus will be damaged forever. The world as it is would get the last word.

The cross of Jesus and the resurrection that follows are about God getting the last word. The work started in creation and moving forward throughout time and space is still unfolding. From our perspective it can seem a bit bumpy and erratic. We can begin to wonder if God is going to remain faithful and if God is up to the task. This week’s reminder is that the road to the kingdom IS BUMPY. The cross is an example of how much struggle there is and how much God will endure to stay true to the vision of the Reign of God. Fulfilling creation is not easy work, even for Jesus.

In the next few weeks our church year will focus attention on the cross of Jesus. We will see him stay the course. In the process he will show himself to worthy of our praise, worship and allegiance. He will also invite us into the hard work of working for God’s kingdom and living out of allegiance to the One who is greater than all things.

So, here is a question for you? “Where is your kingdom and what do you value most in your world?”

Faith Tests

Faith Test

“Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the rooster crowed.” John 18:27

We are often taught that real faith can withstand the tests of life. The stronger the faith the more it can endure. Sometimes we even feel guilty or inadequate when life makes a sudden turn and we feel inadequate and unable to adjust without a lot of struggles.

There is a fine line we walk as followers of Jesus.

On the one hand, we want to give our very best to the work that God entrusts to us. Jesus has invited us in to the most important work in eternity. We certainly don’t want to take that for granted.

But on the other hand, we are not loved by God because of how well we do. The death of Jesus reminds us that we are loved in spite of sometimes doing poorly and failing miserably. Being faithful is not the reason Jesus invests in us. Jesus invests in us because God already loves us.

It is the faithfulness of Jesus that brings us life. Peter denied Jesus three times and felt awful about himself. He had failed to be faithful at a time when it seemed to matter most. But Jesus would come back to him in the resurrection and commission him to be one of the key leaders in the new church. It was not because Peter had proven himself to Jesus – he had not. But Jesus invited him in and offered him a new chance as a sign of grace.

So offer God you very best, whatever that may be. But do so knowing that sometimes your best won’t be good enough – you will fail at some things. Yet don’t worry and be paralyzed by that possibility. God is in the new life business. Each day is a new chance to be faithful and if you fall short, the faithfulness of Jesus will be enough.

The Call to Love

Footwashing A

The Call To Love

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you. As I have loved you, so you should love one another.” John 13:34

The hunger for authentic relationships in our culture is seemingly endless. Everywhere we turn, people long to speak and be heard and understood. Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media provide vehicles to try to connect with others and to be heard, helped and cared for in some ways. And they give those who participate a chance to listen to and care for others as well.

But the hunger remains for many of us. Something seems to be gnawing at many of us that keeps us from being satisfied. I talk to so many people who seem more dissatisfied than ever with their sense of belonging to a place and to people who are genuine in their care.

One blessing of being a part of a faith community is the chance to gather with people and to show and share in genuine experiences of community and caring with each other.

Jesus last night with his disciples, the night the words above were spoken, was a lesson in how to be the kind of people Jesus was calling us to be. He took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and washed the feet of his disciples. He urged them to do the same. They were then to start faith communities that would be grounded in doing the same. One mark of the church is the ability of people who are part of it to both give and receive love to and from each other.

Some thoughts to ponder this week: How are you showing love to others in the congregation in tangible ways? How are you allowing others to share love with you in places where you need help – also in tangible ways?

How we interact and care for each other is not the whole deal. We are also called to interact and care for people who are outside the circle of the church. But how we practice and show love here is foundational for the kind of church we are called to be.

Ashed

It has been more and more clear that no congregation is more renewed than its people. That’s because people are the church! The more spiritually attuned and grounded the members of any congregation are, the more likely they are to not just pursue what they want but rather discern what it is that God wants to happen. That transformation, the move from what we want to what God wants, is the real heart of renewal.

Lent is now unfolding. With it comes the call and the challenge to take our walk with Christ more seriously. The beginning of Lent is the start of a journey with Jesus to the cross. It is a deliberate journey. By this time, no one should be surprised that following Jesus comes with a cost. The cross is part of the deal. That means that serious Christianity does not only deal with the easy and happy parts of life. It is messy, challenging and sometimes calls for tough decisions and sacrifices to be made.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who died in prison for his opposition to Adolph Hitler during WW II, talked about the difference between “cheap grace” and “costly grace.” Cheap grace, he said, was not the stuff of the gospel. The gospel was about a God who endured anything and everything for the sake of loving the world. Followers of Jesus are called, as best as they are able, to do the same.

Our hope this year, is that people who are part of the Lenten journey at Zion will discover something about God and themselves this Lent that deepens faith, strengthens discipleship and empowers real and lasting transformation. It will help us make time and space to reflect and listen more. There will be less “teaching” in our midweek services and more “experiencing and reflecting.” We will gather around the cross to listen to scripture, sing songs that encourage us to be open and receptive, and participate in a more contemplative and reflective way of praying.

We often hear people say, “I keep getting encouraged to pray more. But I don’t think anyone ever taught me how to do it.” The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” We are not alone in our desire to better speak to and listen to God. This Lent, make time and space in your life for prayer. And if you would be blessed by assistance or just flat out need some help, midweek services this week will give all of us a chance to go much deeper than we have before.

May Lent deepen your relationship with God in ways that last way longer than the 40 days.

A Chance for God to Work

Jesus Healer

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” John 9:3

We often wonder about the problems in our lives. Some seem to be caused by things we do or don’t do. They are our fault. Other problems seem to be a matter of “good genes” or “bad genes.” We simply have to deal with the hand we are dealt and it seems to be no one’s fault in particular. Still other problems are caused by someone else’s actions. Their maliciousness or carelessness causes us pain or trouble.

In John 9, Jesus meets a man who was born blind. People have been blaming him or his parents since the day he was born. Someone must have done something for this to have happened. It must be someone’s fault. We see this tactic used to blame rape victims, blame people who are poor for having no money, and all sorts of other places in our world. If we can blame the victim then knowing they must have done something wrong makes us feel better since as long as we do things “right” we can avoid their fate.

In response to this “blame theology,” Jesus says no one is to blame. It is just the way things are. But these things are a chance for God to work in some way that people don’t expect and a chance to see God at work. People are shocked and offended. But Jesus continues and shows God’s work in the man’s life – his sight is restored.

What if we would take a step back from our lives and problems? Imagine that the problems you have (every one of them) are not just plights you have caused or received. Imagine that God is trying to work through them and in spite of them. What would be different if you let yourself own your problems in ways that opened you up for God to work. You may not get what you want or expect from God. But every situation is a chance for God to work. If you are willing to be surprised and transformed by whatever may come, God may not always heal you or give you what you want, but God will always be doing something to bring life out of the things that threaten to destroy us.

Jesus on the Inside

Holy Spirit Waters

“Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

Christian faith is often thought of as agreeing with certain doctrines. We say things like the Apostles’ Creed and if we believe the things in the list then we are a Christian. Understood in that way, being a Christian is about agreeing with what happens on the outside.

Jesus sees being connected to him as being as much something that happens on the inside as it is something you agree with on the outside. The promise of faith is an inner transformation that is life-giving and fulfilling – an inner source of strength and life that transcends even the most difficult of circumstances. C. S. Lewis, a famous Christian writer, discovered this inner reality as he was journeying with his wife as she died of cancer. In spite of his grief, which was immense, he was also finding the love and support of God there for him.

There are many aspects of the Christian faith. It is far from just one thing. But many of us have given too little attention to the nourishment of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the process can find ourselves struggling to get through things on our own, burning out, or wondering if somehow we have missed something important in our lives.

Jesus’ promise is, as we trust in him, God will nourish our insides and change us at the center. That may challenge us in a world that values images and how we look on the outside so much. But the fruit of faith is more than skin deep. Christ is able to change you at the very core.

See Jesus – Glimpse God

Healing

See Jesus – Glimpse God

Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. (John 5:19)

The verse above is in response to Jesus being challenged for healing on the Sabbath. A man is crippled and needs help. Jesus has the chance to help him and so he does. But is the Sabbath and not what some people would have liked. They would have preferred that Jesus had left the man a cripple.

God tends to be less concerned with our preoccupations with how things are “supposed” to be and more than willing to mix things up a bit. In this case, Jesus decides to stretch the taboo of working on the Sabbath in order to demonstrate his connection to God. When you see Jesus at work – you see God at work.

This week, reflect on the ministry of Jesus. He was a teacher, a healer, a prophet, a priest, and many other roles. In his carrying out each of these roles, we see not only Jesus working but get a glimpse of the God who has come to us in Jesus. Where have you seen Jesus? What does that encounter show you about the God who has come in Christ?