27 March 2008
Morning breath?
Help me with this one. It's based on an brief note I saw somewhere...can't remember where. But there is something intriguing about the notion of Jesus breathing on his disciples...breathing onto them the new day, eighth day, creation day. What did that morning breath do to the disciples? Set them free to speak on Pentecost? And what does it do to us? Sometimes I wonder if it's anything at all.
24 March 2008
The joke's on the Devil...
There’s a very old tradition which says that the day after Easter Sunday is a day for telling jokes. Jesus’ rising from the dead, after all, is God’s great joke on the Devil. Now we get to join in the fun. So here are a few to share. Blessed Easter to you all!
***
A scientist was arguing with God that could make a human being just like God had made Adam. God took the challenge, knelt down in the dirt, and began molding it into the shape of a man. Likewise, the scientist knelt down and took some dirt into his hands. God, however, interrupted him: “Oh, no you don’t. You make your own dirt.”
***
GOOD SAMARITAN: A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?' A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'
***
Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement. When his plane arrived, there was a limousine ready to transport him to his home. As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver. "You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem. Have at it."
Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway. A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed trap. The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone. The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo, and got out of his patrol car to begin the procedure.
The young trooper walked up to the driver's door. When the window was rolled down he was surprised to see who was driving. He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor. He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law, but I also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person."
The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?" The young Trooper said, "No, he's more important than that." The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's the president." The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that." The supervisor, exasperated, finally asked, "Well then, who is it?" The young trooper said, "I think it’s Jesus.”
“Jesus?” asked the supervisor. “Why, in heaven’s name, would you think it’s Jesus?”
“Because,” said the rookie, “he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur.”
***
A scientist was arguing with God that could make a human being just like God had made Adam. God took the challenge, knelt down in the dirt, and began molding it into the shape of a man. Likewise, the scientist knelt down and took some dirt into his hands. God, however, interrupted him: “Oh, no you don’t. You make your own dirt.”
***
GOOD SAMARITAN: A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?' A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'
***
Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement. When his plane arrived, there was a limousine ready to transport him to his home. As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver. "You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem. Have at it."
Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway. A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed trap. The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone. The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo, and got out of his patrol car to begin the procedure.
The young trooper walked up to the driver's door. When the window was rolled down he was surprised to see who was driving. He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor. He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law, but I also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person."
The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?" The young Trooper said, "No, he's more important than that." The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's the president." The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that." The supervisor, exasperated, finally asked, "Well then, who is it?" The young trooper said, "I think it’s Jesus.”
“Jesus?” asked the supervisor. “Why, in heaven’s name, would you think it’s Jesus?”
“Because,” said the rookie, “he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur.”
17 March 2008
Getting to Easter...
I’m already looking forward to next Sunday. Michael and Rachel will be home for a few days. The church will be full of people, lilies, music and light. Spring and the promise of warmer days will be a few steps closer at hand…as the snow drifts outside my north window continue to melt away. What’s not to like about all that?
But I do a dis-service…maybe even damage…to my soul by skipping over the Holy Week before us, and straining ahead to Easter Sunday’s grand party. I wonder: is it possible to comprehend the joy of the resurrection without having contemplated the ugliness of the cross?
The temptation is certainly real. We don’t like things that are painful and messy. We don’t much care to focus on our own culpability in the whole affair. It’s more fun and (we often rationalize) better for us to concentrate on happy thoughts and our own innate goodness. I offer as proof the fact that I’ve never yet presided at a funeral where folks didn’t rush to assure me how the deceased “was a really good person.”
The hard truth? We are all dead in our sin. We have become separated from the God who created and loves us. Despite our best intentions, we find it impossible to live in obedience and humility to God because we are so much in love with ourselves first. The “really good person” our survivors will attest we were doesn’t happen and will never happen because of what we did or how we lived.
And yet...it does happen. It happens because of Jesus who is truly obedient and humble…who loves the Father and this fallen creation (including us) more than himself…and who proves that love on the Cross. We are restored to right relationship with God only because of what Christ has done: that’s the good news we celebrate on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and at Saturday’s Vigil of Easter.
Let me encourage you: don’t skip Holy Week…no matter how busy your life or crowded your calendar. Make time to hear the Gospel of Jesus’ love for you at the cost of His suffering and death. The story may not be as sweet as the chocolate bunny you’re anticipating next Sunday. But it will add new depth to your appreciation of the One who dies and rises to save the world.
But I do a dis-service…maybe even damage…to my soul by skipping over the Holy Week before us, and straining ahead to Easter Sunday’s grand party. I wonder: is it possible to comprehend the joy of the resurrection without having contemplated the ugliness of the cross?
The temptation is certainly real. We don’t like things that are painful and messy. We don’t much care to focus on our own culpability in the whole affair. It’s more fun and (we often rationalize) better for us to concentrate on happy thoughts and our own innate goodness. I offer as proof the fact that I’ve never yet presided at a funeral where folks didn’t rush to assure me how the deceased “was a really good person.”
The hard truth? We are all dead in our sin. We have become separated from the God who created and loves us. Despite our best intentions, we find it impossible to live in obedience and humility to God because we are so much in love with ourselves first. The “really good person” our survivors will attest we were doesn’t happen and will never happen because of what we did or how we lived.
And yet...it does happen. It happens because of Jesus who is truly obedient and humble…who loves the Father and this fallen creation (including us) more than himself…and who proves that love on the Cross. We are restored to right relationship with God only because of what Christ has done: that’s the good news we celebrate on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and at Saturday’s Vigil of Easter.
Let me encourage you: don’t skip Holy Week…no matter how busy your life or crowded your calendar. Make time to hear the Gospel of Jesus’ love for you at the cost of His suffering and death. The story may not be as sweet as the chocolate bunny you’re anticipating next Sunday. But it will add new depth to your appreciation of the One who dies and rises to save the world.
10 March 2008
Lord, if only...
The disciples insinuate it, but Martha is the first to say it (according to John 11): "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." Her grief-stricken sister repeats the same words to Jesus through her tears. And finally, the crowd takes up the theme: "Surely a man who can heal someone born blind could have prevented Lazarus from dying."
From our perspective...standing 2000 years from death and resurrection...it might be tempting to sneer at our ancient brothers and sisters for just not getting who Jesus really is. How dense...how faithless were those folks, anyhow?
No more dense or faithless than us. The truth is that time hasn't necessarily improved our vision or understanding. A lot of our prayers and pleadings sound remarkably like theirs: "O God, if you'll just..." You complete the sentence: take away my cancer, stop all war, keep me from getting older and fatter, etc. The bottom line is that what we'd really like is a prophylactic messiah...someone who will shield us from the nastiness and grittiness of life and death...rather than someone who will show us the path to eternal life that goes right through death itself.
"I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus promises. "Yea, yea, yea," we respond...glad to hear it but not always ready to believe it. And then he does something amazing like raise Lazarus from the dead, even at the cost of his own life. Maybe that's enough to get our attention, and to see that this Christ is more than a genie granting our wishes. He is busy bringing new life...busy raising us from the dead, too.
From our perspective...standing 2000 years from death and resurrection...it might be tempting to sneer at our ancient brothers and sisters for just not getting who Jesus really is. How dense...how faithless were those folks, anyhow?
No more dense or faithless than us. The truth is that time hasn't necessarily improved our vision or understanding. A lot of our prayers and pleadings sound remarkably like theirs: "O God, if you'll just..." You complete the sentence: take away my cancer, stop all war, keep me from getting older and fatter, etc. The bottom line is that what we'd really like is a prophylactic messiah...someone who will shield us from the nastiness and grittiness of life and death...rather than someone who will show us the path to eternal life that goes right through death itself.
"I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus promises. "Yea, yea, yea," we respond...glad to hear it but not always ready to believe it. And then he does something amazing like raise Lazarus from the dead, even at the cost of his own life. Maybe that's enough to get our attention, and to see that this Christ is more than a genie granting our wishes. He is busy bringing new life...busy raising us from the dead, too.
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