Happy Easter

Thanks to everyone who has read the Lent Blog this year and been kind enough to share it, comment on it and contact me about it behind the scenes.   It always amazes me that people find the time and maintain the interest.

As for me, it has been good to make some time every day to focus on the scriptures and the life and death of Jesus.  To listen to God for new insights and revisit some old ones.  And it was fascinating to see the response to the gay wedding cake blog which got masses more attention than any of the rest.  It just goes to show that the church is really keen to get it right, understand from God's perspective and not be judgemental or condemnatory in our response whilst still reflecting the holiness and righteousness of God.   It cheers my heart immensely.

The end of the blog ( till advent probably) but just the start of new things for many of us.   Resurrection, new life, new hope, new possibilites...... grace and power and forgiveness all possible because of Jesus. I dont know what tomorrow brings but I know who brings tomorrow  :-)

Happy Easter.

lent day 44

Im glad to be coming to the end of these posts.  It's funny but every time I do a blog ( Advent and Lent) I tend to struggle a bit.   But then again the blogs always coincide with school holidays and three boisterous boys to entertain which is always exhausting.  So its hard to tell what is cause and what's effect!

Today is the day when we think about what Jesus was doing whilst He was dead.   Preaching to the souls lost in the tim e of Noah.  Taking the keys from Satan,  Busting the cords of death and hell.   Im reminded of that very old song by Carman.  ( You really do have to go back a bit to know what Im talking about there :-)  )

SO here's something Ive never thought about before.   Why did Jesus wait?  Why did He leave the disciples grieving and mourning all Friday night, all day Saturday and into Sunday morning?   I suppose if He had risen on the Friday people might have doubted He was really dead.  Although the Romans werent stupid.  They were experts at crucifixion and they knew when it was done and when it wasnt.   But I suppose an instant resurrection would have cast some doubt.   And then the Saturday was the sabbath.    Did Jesus delay His appearing to the disciples in order to keep the sabbath day??  So that the disciples could 'celebrate' sabbath together??   Seems a bit odd.  Until you realise two things.   1) the last time the disiciples were with Jesus was at the last supper - they were eating and praying together.  Judas was with them.  Jesus had broken bread and shared the wine with them just as they were required to do an the sabbath.   As they went through the rituals of sabbath in the upper room they cant but have remembered what Jesus had said to them all only a few days previously.   2) the sabbath prayers recite the goodness of God, His provision, the way He led His people out of slavery, the fact that He is light in the darkness.   http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer/shabbat.htm  How difficult must it have been for the disiciples to recite the prayers and believe in the goodness and the saving power of God in the light of the crucifixion. ?   But perhaps that is exactly the point.  Jesus wanted the disicples to be able to praise God despite it all.  Ignorant of the greater plan could they still praise Him anyway?

Ignorant of the greater plan can we?

We look at the world and the dreadful mess its in and wonder why God is waiting.  As the darkness gets darker it gets harder to see His goodness and saving power.   As nations rage and terrorists reign and the natural disasters wreak havoc we wonder why He seems to be silent.

But Sunday is coming.

And in the meantime our task is to continue to praise Him.  To believe.  Be steadfast.   Because soon and very soon we shall hear the knock at the door.

lent day 43

I was going to post something gruesome about what crucifixion really was like.  But theres no point.  Cos you all know it.  And if you dont you can Google it.

So instead Im going to just leave you with a simple thought which Id never really considered until this past few days.  And its about the kindness of God.

Usually it took people a long time to die on a cross.  If you were unlucky it could take up to nine days.   Nine days!!! . If they put a ' seat' on the cross to support the weight of the body it took so long to die.  And yet Jesus only suffered for six hours.   Yes, they were the most agonising and disgustingly tortured hours.  But nevertheless, I do believe that the kindness and goodness of the heart of God could not bear to see the Son loaded with sin and covered in shame and heartbroken in agony for one second longer than was absolutely necessary.   I believe that God was waiting with bated breath to hear those words ' It is finished' so that He could release Jesus from the torment.  My theology might be completely wrong.  Please tell me if you understand it differently.  But all I know of God is that He is good and just.  He does not prolong suffering even though He does sometimes allow it.  He does not gloat or glory in pain.  He hates it.

I think the crucifixion is a big stumbling block for people who look at the horror and say ' how can a loving God do that to His own Son?'    And of course, that it the whole point.  He could only do it because of His equally great love for mankind.  We will probably never know what it did to the heart of God to have to pay that price.  We can only ever be deeply, deeply, eternally thankful.

Lent day 42

Maundy Thursday.

The day when Jesus had to face all the possibilities without any of the certainty of what was going to happen.   The day when Judas might have decided not to betray Him .  The day when God might have answered His prayer in the garden and let the cup pass him by.  The day when His friends might have remained awake and vigilant and interceding for Him.   How stressful must this day have been for Jesus?   So stressful that He sweat drops of blood over it.

I have a friend who's son had a car accident a while ago.  It was his fault. People were hurt.   And now there is a court case coming up and he has no idea what is going to happen.  It is entirely possible that he will be sent to prison for a while.   His Mum is trying so hard to trust it all to God - but its incredibly difficult.   Not knowing what is going to happen is one of the hardest things we have to deal with as human beings.

We all go through hard things.   Illness and accident, bereavement and relationship breakdown, empty nests and the loss of friendships.  Sometimes we watch the clouds looming on the horizon and we know what is coming.   We cant make it stop and we cant make it come any faster.  We just have to wait in the tension of not knowing.  Bracing ourselves for the impact.   This is how I imagine Jesus felt on Maundy Thursday.

Jesus had seen people being flogged before.  He had witnessed crucifixions - they were commonplace in those days. So He knew what He was facing.  But I'm guessing He had no idea how He would cope with what was about to happen to Him.  I remember going into hospital to have Sam.  Id seen plenty of telly programmes about babies being born.  I knew it was going to be very painful and that there might be complications.   I hoped Id be able to cope.  But I had no idea if I would or not until I was in the throes of labour.    We just cannot know until it happens to us.  I didnt handle childbirth with anything like the composure and grace that I'd hoped I might.   But then again it was a lot more gruesome than I had thought it would be  My 10lb baby got stuck.  And funnily enough throughout the whole time they were trying to extricate him I was thinking ' Jesus took my pain.  Jesus took the curse of the pain of childbirth.   Jesus suffered more than this.  I can do this'.    I think I was saying that out loud whilst the doctors were going in with the forceps to drag Sam into the world.

I have no idea if Jesus could have backed out.   Im pretty sure He could have done.  Im absolutely sure He thought about it.  He was tempted in every way as we are - and how often are we tempted to avoid pain, take the easy route, run away when things get tough?   But He didnt.  He said  ' Not my will but Yours'.   Awesome.

Lent Day 41

Twice this week I have received an unexpected and genuine compliment.  One from a good friend and the other from a complete stranger.

The complete stranger found me on facebook and messaged me to thank me for bringing one of her best friends to church twenty years ago.  Had I not done that, the friend would not have become a Christian ( and probably would no longer still be alive) and the writer of the message would have missed out on a friendship and fellowship which has blessed her alot over the years.   She wanted to thank me and let me know that my actions in caring for people have ripples which go outwards and affect others.   To say I was touched by this message was an understatement

Then today someone gave me an Easter card with a lovely message in it.  And again I was touched.
And happy that I have friends who like and appreciate me.

We all need encouragement.  We are not very good at it in our culture - possibly because we fear being seen as insincere.  Possibly because we are even worse at receiving a compliment than we are at giving one.  And nobody wants to have their kind words batted back at them so sometimes its safer not to bother.   But we ought to be positive, encouraging, upbuilding and kind.  In this world where so much is negative and critical we need to be the voice of Jesus bringing wisdom and hope and peace.   There are so many lies out there.  Truth is one of the most powerful weapons we have in our armoury and we need to use it all the time - especially when we are talking to people whos self esteem has been crushed by the lies of the enemy.    We also need to accept encouragement when it comes our way.  There is no place for false modesty in the kingdom of God.

If people see good things in me or appreciate things I have done it's because God has been at work in me.  As I get older I see more and more clearly that no good thing dwells in me apart from Him.  My nature is to be lazy and grumpy and selfish and unkind.  In many ways Im getting worse as I get older!!  But there is the living presence of God in me who is unbelievably good and generous and kind and wise and understanding.  He is patient and committed and reliable.  None of that is in me.  But occasionally some of those things which He is, seep out of me and touch other people.   I know this is true.  I know that I am sometimes a blessing to those around me.  And I also really and genuinely know that it is because of who He is, not because of who I am.

We are the hands and feet and voice of Jesus until He comes back.  We might not realise the effect we are having or the distance the ripples go out from our lives and actions, but He will have the glory and His kingdom will come on this earth - through us.  There are people all over the place who today are deeply thankful that you exist.  People who have been changed because they met you.  People who have taken steps closer to God because they have seen the nature of Jesus living in you.   Rather than feel awkward about that, lets just be glad that He can take flawed sinners like us and use us for His greater purposes.

Lent Day 40

This week we are thinking about those last days of Jesus as He prepares to go to the cross.   What would you do if you knew you had only four days left on this earth?   Who would you want to see?  What would you want to say to them?  Why?

I'm really not sure what I would do.  Would it be worth trying to see everyone who means something to me in order to,.... well, I dont know, maybe have one last hug?  Or would that all just be too sad and a bit pointless.  Maybe better for them not to know at all.   I suppose I'd want to have as much time as possible with my children.  Telling them I love them and giving them as much comfort as I could about my forthcoming demise.

When I was born my mother started writing me a letter.  She wrote it on and off for eighteen years and gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday.   It is full of news about what I was doing at various points in my life as well as what we as a family were up to.  It charts the death of grandparents who I barely remember. Moves of house.  Divorce from my Dad and subsequent remarriage.   There is some advice in there about how to be happy and how to avoid unhappiness.  She tells me the price of a loaf of bread and how much a gallon of petrol costs.  Its just a fascinating, deeply personal history of me.  I have done the same for my boys.... adding to their letters every now and again whenever I have something to say to them.  It is a good way of letting them know things I cant tell them face to face as young children.  So that if I dont make old bones I shall know that they will have my words to carry with them into their adult lives.  For what they are worth.

In the Gospels we see Jesus sitting down with his disciples to have a final serious talk.  And its not a pleasant one.   In Mark 13 we see Him talking about the coming persecution - the fact that the disicples will be arrested and tried and some will die for following Jesus.  He talks about the destruction of the temple and the signs in nature which will herald the end of the age.   It is serious

stuff.  The disciples must have been terrified.   They didnt appreciate that this was one of the last times Jesus would sit down with them for a proper talk - but He was taking the opportunity to pass onto them the most important things He could before His time was up.    His message was simply this ' Guys, things are going to get worse, and then worse again.  But it's all part of the plan.  Dont give up.  Dont despair or think Ive forsaken you.   I havent.  Im coming back.  But before I do there will be suffering and pain.  Br brave.  God is still in control.'

Jesus's words to His beloved disciples, my words to my kids, are to help prepare, in some small way, for what comes next.   We are still living in the time Jesus spoke about.  Things are getting worse.  Wars and rumours of wars.  Signs on the earth and in the heavens above.   But we need to hold on to His words

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ( Mark 13)

Whatever my kids have to face in life they will know that their Mum has loved them and tried to prepare them as best she can for life out there in the big wide word.  They will carry my words with them  as I have carried my Mother's words with me.  And as we all carry God's word with us to help us navigate the days ahead whatever they may bring.

Lent Day 39

And now for something completely different.

This is a twenty minute, beautiful and moving film which I strongly urge you to watch with a cup of tea in a moment of peace and quiet.  You wont regret it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_MCwlY6zzg