Good Friday – The Forgiveness of Jesus

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A few weeks ago I got to spend some time with, Ian Cron, an author that I really admire. It was nice to discover how normal he is. I read his most recent book, Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me, often through tears. It was really enjoyable to talk with him about the theology behind his thoughts, words, stories, and memories. It doesn’t give anything away for me to tell you that his writing spurred a thought I had never had: forgiving Jesus.

Take a breath before you stop reading.

I believe Jesus is the perfect and divine Son of God in whom the fullness of God resides. I affirm the Apostles’ Creed, “Jesus Christ, [is God’s] only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.” I acknowledge He lived a sinless life. I am grateful that today we celebrate and remember his loving sacrifice.

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So why on earth would he need my forgiveness? (Jesus being in a place of need is another conversation)

Forgiveness isn’t always about what someone really did to us. It’s about what we perceived they did to us. The wounds we carry are real. Some have been inflicted upon us intentionally. But some of the pain we carry comes from the unintentional actions of the frail humans we live among. I suspect if you are like me there are a few people we’ve assigned blame to that haven’t done anything to injure us…like Jesus.

Maybe you grew up in a family or tradition where this kind of thinking was not acceptable. Prayers were nice not gritty, more rehearsed than raw. You just didn’t address God when you were angry, hurt, or frustrated…so the angst gets pressed down. When that happens it doesn’t take long before the unsaid and unacknowledged becomes toxic. A low-grade anger smolders beneath the surface. Once in a while it finds a fault line in the crust and erupts but never in the direction of the One you’re really mad at, Jesus.

As I read Cron’s book I had several things I needed to revisit with Jesus. I had to forgive him for cancer that took my parents. I had to forgive him for some of the losses in my life. I had to forgive him for personal and vocational failures that I had long blamed him for. But he didn’t do any of these things to me. I had assigned the blame to him and treated him like he did.

So on this Good Friday, as we remember his offer of forgiveness to us, might you need to extend the same to him?

Is your unforgiveness of Jesus derailing your life?

Maundy Thursday Memories

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Today is what some call Holy Thursday, Great Thursday, and Maundy Thursday. It is the day the Christian church commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he was crucified.

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Today confronts me with how much I’m like those men in that borrowed room. I often don’t get what Jesus is up to. I drop the ball. I charge off ahead of him and at times lag behind him. I fail him. I’m not aware of His presence in my midst as much as I should be.

Today also brings two other important things to mind. First it is the second anniversary of my friend Greg’s death. It was sudden, tragic, and left a hole in our hearts and in our small community. He left a legacy of smiles, harassment, loving others, cheering them on, humor, failure, redemption, intensity, service, and running. I don’t know how many times I’ve thought and written about what a great friend he was to me…and many others. I didn’t deserve him. He was gracious when I was too busy to hang out. He consistently checked in on me when I left the ministry. He wanted the best for me and would do anything I asked. I miss him. But I think I miss the chance to respond to his kindness even more.

The other thing that happened on this day was when my friend Joel burst into our living room and washed my feet in front of my family. The church he was serving in had a tradition of having a foot washing service every Maundy Thursday night. We had talked earlier that day about what a challenge it was. I knew he didn’t really want to go and participate. I knew I didn’t either and was glad I didn’t have to. And then I forgot about it until all of a sudden the front door was thrown open. In he came sloshing a basin full of water while juggling a bar of soap and a towel. “Since Jesus did this for his friends, I want to do this for you.” That’s all he said. I sat motionless other than moving my feet at his direction. My children’s eyes unglued from the tv and were fixed upon Joel. We were all stunned. Humbled. Amazed. It was one of those moments that you never forget. It was one of those gifts you can never repay.

God has used many of people in my life but today I specifically thank God for Greg and Joel. Two men who are as imperfect as me yet were willing to be the presence of Jesus many times in my life. They showed me pictures of a different kingdom. They gave me glimpses into a reality that exists right in the middle of the world we’re living in.

Ashes

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As I look up from my computer I see a woman in my coffice with a large gray cross smeared across the canvas of her forehead. I know today is Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent…and yet I do a double take. The gesture of being marked with the cross with the symbol of repentance is quite counter cultural. We don’t usually see such private promises declared so boldly…even if we are aware of the Church calendar. 

When I was young, protestants didn’t do such things. Therefore this practice was foreign to me. Maybe it is to you too. I did a quick search of the Bible to the places where people “put on ashes.” I found some interesting snapshots.

2 Samuel 13 - This passage tells the horrific story of Tamar. She put on ashes after the abuse of her brother and the shame he forced her to carry.

Esther 4 - Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, rips his clothes and puts on ashes when he hears a date has been set for the genocide of his people – the Israelites.

Job 2 - After losing everything dear to him, Job sat among the ashes in his pain and grief scraping his wounds with broken pottery.

Jeremiah 6 - God commands the people through the prophet Jeremiah to put on ashes and prepare for His judgement of their wickedness.

Daniel 9 - Daniel put on ashes to confess their sins, intercede on behalf of the people and call on God to extend grace though they deserved punishment.

The ashes are a symbol of the stench of man’s sinfulness and the pain that it inflicts. They are also “a sign of humility before God, a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death that sin brings into the world. It not only prefigures the mourning at the death of Jesus, but also places the worshipper in a position to realize the consequences of sin.” 1

The “putting on of ashes” is not a Catholic thing. It is not an emergent thing. It is not a pagan thing. It is something the people of God have been doing for generations. “Ash Wednesday is a somber day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christian.” 2

I will be participating in an Ash Wednesday service in a few hours. Our community will step into the season of introspection, examination and repentance together. I hope that you will too.

1. http://www.crivoice.org/cylent.html

2. http://www.crivoice.org/cylent.html

 

Don’t Stop At Just Giving Something Up

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Tomorrow begins the season of Lent, a time of fasting, prayer and generosity.

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Most of us are familiar with the first component. It’s not uncommon to overhear dialogues about the sacrifice of chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and Facebook for the next month and a half. Krista checked in last week with hers and this afternoon my daughter tweeted, “Already know what I’m giving up for Lent.”

But I have a confession: It’s fat Tuesday and I still haven’t considered what God is asking me to give up. My temptation is to just pick something so I don’t look like a Philistine when someone loops me into a Lenten discussion.

Fortunately, even in my religious anxiety the Spirit is kind enough to remind me that giving up something is only the beginning. The fast is to create a hunger, a longing, or a tension that draws me into deeper awareness of and conversation with God. The point isn’t just to conquer our caffeine addiction or break the power that chocolate has on us or to stay off social media so we can be more productive. The goal is to become more intimate with God.

Some traditions don’t emphasize fasting at all during Lent. They encourage people to be generous with the poor, whether serving them personally or giving money to charitable organizations.

I would love to hear about your Lenten journey.

May we all go beyond just giving something up.

 

 

Sermon Series Re-cap

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This entire school year we have been doing a sermon series on proclamation. Last fall through Advent we looked at what God proclaimed about himself through creation, encounters with people, and through the prophets. Now we are looking at what Jesus proclaimed through the lens of Mark’s gospel.

Below is a short summary and the conversation questions we’ve used:

 

1/6     Mark 1:1-15              “The Kingdom is Here”          

Jesus burst onto the scene with a single message, “The Kingdom is here and near and open to all who want to receive it.” He calls people then and now to turn from their former way of thinking and living to embrace a new way of thinking and living. In doing so, we no longer are the proclaimed to but become proclaimers. We move from recipients to presenters, spectators to participants, and receivers of the gospel to broadcasters of the good news.

  • Is he calling us to turn from sin, fruitlessness, or away of thinking to embrace something new that he has for us?

 

1/20   Mark 1:14-2:20         “Unlikely Recipients of the Good News”                                

In this section Mark records a series of stories that get Jesus in progressively more trouble with the religious leaders. The climactic vignette happens at a party where Jesus is eating and drinking with people of questionable character [and beyond]. He saw value and potential where the Pharisees only saw problems. In response to them Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus pointed out that doctors don’t become doctors just to hang out with doctors. And we know that lawyers don’t become lawyers just to hang out with lawyers. Therefore we don’t become followers of Jesus just to hang out with other followers of Jesus.

  • Who do I/we spend most of my/our time with?

                                                                                                                                               

1/27   Mark 2:18-3:6           “Fuel for a Proclamation People”                  

For generations God’s people have used spiritual disciplines, or practices to grow in intimacy with Him. This passage exposes a great irony. The great irony of this text is that the people who so diligently fasted in expectation that God was going to do something new, missed the new thing God was doing in the world. The Pharisees’ go-to practice got in the way. They also saw Sabbath as a required law that proves one’s devotion. Jesus proclaimed that Sabbath is a gift and people are more important than religious constructs.

  • What is your go-to spiritual practice? Has it become a rut that gets in the way of hearing from God and seeing what He’s doing?
  • What spiritual practice might he be leading you into?

 

2/3     Mark 4                        “Sowing and Shining”                                    

Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom by telling parables but the parables he used specifically to cause dissonance. He wanted to free their imaginations that had become captive by old forms. To the crowd the kingdom was like…a warrior going out to make war. The kingdom is like a king who overthrows the corrupt regime and takes his rightful place. The kingdom comes with swords and spears and pomp and circumstance. But Jesus said the Kingdom is like a farmer, soil, and seeds. His Kingdom is often quiet, overlooked, and subversive. We move forward in this Kingdom by:

  1. Clarifying the boarders of our field…(see the questions below)
  2. Faithfully praying for the people in our field…hard, the quick to respond, the ones who are easily distracted by the ‘cares of this world,’ and those who are ready to receive.
  3. Sowing God’s love consistently and generously.

Exercise:

Where do I live my life?

Think for a minute about where you live your life. It may be helpful to write out the physical parameters and names that come to mind during this exercise. Feel free to elaborate beyond my questions.

  • Where do I live my life vocationally – Where do I work? Who is there? Do I go out to lunch? Where can I be a regular? Are there support people connected to the place I work? Who do I (or can I) regularly interact with? What do I know about the interests and families of those I work with? What do they know about mine? How did we learn these things? Where do we have common ground with each other? What is the good news for them right now?
  • Where is our family life lived out – What are the names of my immediate neighbors next door and across the street? What do I know about them? What do they know about us? How would our neighbors describe us in relation to our role in the neighborhood? (ie “That’s the place where… or “Those are the people who….”) What word would you use to describe the ‘vibe’ of your street? What word do you wish described it? What are our kids involved in? Where do my kids go to school? What is our involvement? Is there a natural place to volunteer? Do I have skills they need? Who do we see regularly? Is there someone I can partner with? (ie classroom help, coaching, carpool) What is the good news right now for the people I live near?
  • Where do I live relationally – Where do my friends live? Where am I a regular? If I have an extra hour free to hang out, where do I go? Where do I get gas, shop, bank, and work out? Who is there? Do I notice the same people each time? Who are the other regulars? What are the appropriate conversations to have in those places? What is the good news right now for them?

 

A Familiar Cart

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The other day I had to pop into a big box store to grab a few things, five items to be exact. No big deal. It was early in the morning so I would run right in and right back out. Naturally I got in the express checkout after collecting my stuff. You know the one. The lane that is clearly marked for people with “20 Items or Less.” I was fourth in line.

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The man standing at the front of the line had a cart full of bags and more on the conveyer belt. To top it off he was waiting for a price check on something. I started reassuring myself that it was no big deal and he probably had a very good reason to abuse the posted limit. Then my eyes shifted to the person behind him. I couldn’t get a good a look at her cart but she appeared professional, like she stopped at the store on the way to work. The person directly in front of me had 27 items, mostly prepackaged items for breakfast, lunch and after school snacks. Oh wait, make that 28. She grabbed a box of Krispy Kreme’s while we waited.

Call me a control freak, a compliant, a rule follower, or just a plain jerk if you want, but I was getting steamed. Why do so many people consider themselves as the exception to such a simple rule? As I stewed, the checker finished up with ‘full-cart price-check guy’ and we all stepped forward. ‘Professional lady’ started unloading and I started counting; 18, 19, 20, with a handful of items still in her cart. “Her too? Come on!” But before my simmer became a rolling boil I started noticing the contents of her cart instead of their number.

  • Cleaning supplies, a trashcan, mop, a set of pots and pans, a set of dishes, paper towels, garbage bags, and a few kitchen utensils.

I recognized the cart. I’m pretty sure she was starting over.

Instantly I was confronted with how judgmental I was being. Then the question in my mind went from, “How can people arrogantly thumb there nose at something so clear as, ‘20 Items or Less?’” to “What are the people around me going through?”

That’s probably a question we all need to carry with us. It helps us focus on what’s important: people, and it leads to other better questions.

  • Is anyone walking through whatever it is with them?
  • Do they have needs we can meet?
  • Has anyone spoken the truth to him or her in a loving way?

But the question followers of Jesus need to be asking is, “What is the good news for this person right now?” Sharing the gospel doesn’t always mean presenting a plan of salvation, sometimes its giving grace in place of judgment, smiling instead of glaring, offering help rather than staying at a distance.

Hidden Gifts

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I met with my spiritual director last week. What’s that you ask? Well, I define a spiritual director as “a companion on the journey of growing in intimacy with God. She/he bears witness to the activity of God in your life and encourages you to respond to His love.”

Anyway, she asked about my practice of Advent…basically how do I observe it and how is God speaking to me.

With a sigh I went on to describe the love/hate relationship I’ve had with this season since 1978. Parents who have passed away, miles between my children and me, and relationships that aren’t what they used to be all contribute to a sense of loss that often hangs over me like the thick gray clouds that fill December skies. She listened patiently and without judgment. And then she posed a question that has transformed my perspective.

What are the gifts hidden within the sense of loss that this season often brings?

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While I knew I had time to consider the question I began to see the gifts right away.

  • We raise our children to grow up and be independent. As much as I love my kids and enjoy being around them, I’m glad they aren’t living in my basement. They are sharp. They are healthy. They are adventurous. They are working hard and navigating adulthood in a way that any parent would be extremely proud of.
  • Advent is a time to consider and prepare for Christ’s coming. With His return I anticipate the gift of a great reunion. My parents were people of faith. Though they are absent from the body they are present with the Lord. They have joined the great cloud of witnesses and I believe we will be reunited.
  • Hiding under the boughs of subtle sadness is the gift that I am enjoying life in many corners of my being as life is supposed to go.
  • The greatest gift I reclaimed is the fact that not all of my relationships have changed negatively. My relationship with Krista is not what it used to be. And for that I am eternally grateful. She has gone from friend to best friend to special lady pal (her favorite term I’m sure) to fiancé…and next summer to wife. We are living in the already but not yet, which is not without it’s challenges but is both a mystery and a gift to people of faith.

 

Let me play the role of your spiritual director today.

What are the gifts hidden within the sense that this season often brings for you?