Hi everyone, and I hope that you are still full of joy at the Easter celebration of a couple of days ago. I haven't blogged for a couple days, basically just giving myself a bit of a mental break.
In a way, I'm always a little bit glad when the whole Lent/holy week/Easter time is done. I don't mind the extra worship times, and I really enjoy things like our soup suppers, our annual Passover celebration to see where Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, and our Easter weekend events. These events and hanging out with God's people really do bring me quite a bit of joy.
The thing that I'm most ready for at the end of this cycle each year is the mental break. Yes, I still have to prepare to preach this coming Sunday, but instead of having to put together something every 3 days, I have a full week to let it ruminate inside my head and heart. That's the one thing that the Lent/holy week/Easter cycle does. It taxes one's creativity.
And yet, even in the midst of that creativity, there is still one thing that shines through. It's the same story, which still carries the same meaning for us. Jesus died for our sins, and rose to give us the assurance of His victory. Now He gives those to us as a gift, as we put our trust in what He has done and accomplished. While the way that the message gets proclaimed calls for creativity, the message itself remains the same as it has been since that Sunday morning so many years ago. Jesus is not in the tomb, but is risen, as He said.
I have enjoyed the whole season. In some ways, I relish the creativity that is demanded, since it demonstrates how we who share the message need to take the time to ensure that this message has impact for all who gather to hear. While the Holy Spirit can work through even the most monotone of messages, He seems to take great joy in bringing it home and to life when it really impacts us and hits us in our "real" life.
I pray that this age-old message continues to resonate with each of you, and that you heard that message in a way that touched your heart this Easter.
In a way, I'm always a little bit glad when the whole Lent/holy week/Easter time is done. I don't mind the extra worship times, and I really enjoy things like our soup suppers, our annual Passover celebration to see where Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, and our Easter weekend events. These events and hanging out with God's people really do bring me quite a bit of joy.
The thing that I'm most ready for at the end of this cycle each year is the mental break. Yes, I still have to prepare to preach this coming Sunday, but instead of having to put together something every 3 days, I have a full week to let it ruminate inside my head and heart. That's the one thing that the Lent/holy week/Easter cycle does. It taxes one's creativity.
And yet, even in the midst of that creativity, there is still one thing that shines through. It's the same story, which still carries the same meaning for us. Jesus died for our sins, and rose to give us the assurance of His victory. Now He gives those to us as a gift, as we put our trust in what He has done and accomplished. While the way that the message gets proclaimed calls for creativity, the message itself remains the same as it has been since that Sunday morning so many years ago. Jesus is not in the tomb, but is risen, as He said.
I have enjoyed the whole season. In some ways, I relish the creativity that is demanded, since it demonstrates how we who share the message need to take the time to ensure that this message has impact for all who gather to hear. While the Holy Spirit can work through even the most monotone of messages, He seems to take great joy in bringing it home and to life when it really impacts us and hits us in our "real" life.
I pray that this age-old message continues to resonate with each of you, and that you heard that message in a way that touched your heart this Easter.
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