Well it’s Tuesday but given our circumstances it seems everyday is a Monday and a Friday all at the same time. So here’s this week’s MusicMonday brought to you on a Tuesday! Now before you get too far into this, you’ll quickly realize that this week’s song is an old and very popular song in the church world. This song has been played and sung so many times I can’t even count it. But recently on a trip this song was on the playlist and it reminded me of my grandpa who has more days behind him than before him. This was and still is his song. And I honestly hope that it’s yours as well.
Well that was one interesting Easter to be sure. Churches were empty. Few people wore those Easter fancy outfits. Egg hunts didn’t happen like normal. It was just a weird situation all the way around. But one thing didn’t change in that whole mixed up situation. The grave was still empty. He was still gone!
These days seem darker than ever. People don’t smile. Simple greetings of Hello are met with empty stares. Shelves are bare. Churches are gathering virtually. Friends can’t hang out in the same place. Gyms are closed. Barber shops and hair salons are forced to keep customers away. Nothing is normal. Darkness has descended on this land. But…
It’s been said that only two things are certain in life – death and taxes. But really only one thing if we’re being honest. You can adjust your deductions and even lose your job and your tax situation will change drastically. But you can’t escape the reality of death. It happens all around us. It sees as if death is knocking at the door of so many of our lives and we are having a hard time determining how to handle it.
Throughout the season of Lent, those 40 days leading up to Easter, we gather on Wednesday nights for an extra time of worship and contemplation. Generally we take a theme of sorts and weave these weeks together. At the church I serve, we are journeying through the moments of Jesus’ life and looking at significant events through different eyes. This week we see things through eyes of betrayal.
It’s not a fun idea, I know! No one wants to be known for betraying anyone, much less betraying God. This week we take a look at a man named Judas. He is best known as the one who handed Jesus over to be arrested and killed. Judas traded Jesus for a friendly kiss on the cheek. How awful is that!
What would cause a man who followed Jesus so closely for a little over three years to turn on this man so quickly and for seemingly so little pay? What would make him do this? And how would Jesus react when it happened?
These are the questions we address in our Eyes on Jesus series focusing on Betraying Eyes. Take a few minutes and listen as we unpack the night when Jesus was betrayed and see just how Jesus will respond to this horrific moment.
The weeks leading up to Easter are known by church people as the season of Lent. This time of year consists of the 40 days, not including Sundays, that go from Ash Wednesday up to Easter morning. The purpose of this time of year is to provide time for reflection and mediation and a re-centering of our lives around what’s most important.
Let’s admit it. By now the diligent work you started back in January with those New Year’s resolutions is for many of you a thing of the past. It’s great to have a quick check in time here in the first few months of the year to get us back on track again. Lent could very well be that time to help you refocus on the things that are most important.
Through these weeks of Lent at Living Word Galena, where I serve as pastor, we’re focusing on what Greek word. It was a word that Jesus spoke while on the cross. As a matter of fact, it was the final word that Jesus spoke from the cross. That word is tetelestai. It’s a funny sounding word but it simply means it is finished. But more than just it is finished there are six different angles we can take when evaluating this word. Each week through the season of Lent, we’ll look at another one of these perspectives of it is finished and see what that means for us today.
This week our focus was on the idea of accomplished. What did Jesus accomplish for us? Why did he need to accomplish it? What does it mean for our lives today that Jesus did what he did? The short version of this message is that back in the Garden of Eden when Adam ate that forbidden fruit, he really jacked up life for all of us. He sinned and his sin made me a sinner. I know it sounds crazy but check out the message to hear more. But more than Adam making me a sinner is the reminder from our message:
So there you have it. Jesus accomplished something far better than Adam ruined. Give the message a listen and join us each week as we look at another aspect of what it means that Jesus finished it on the cross.
When I was only four years old I had my appendix removed. I really don’t remember a lot about the surgery. I don’t remember the needle stick for the IV or my grandpa getting kicked out of the hospital trying to protect me. I don’t remember the incision or the recovery room. But I have a scar that tells the story.
This week we pull one from the archives. The song is I AM. It’s a song about the power of the one who holds us when we can’t hold on ourselves. Yesterday was Easter. It’s the day that made this song more powerful. It was the day of hope and joy beyond explaining. Continue reading
This week we experience highs and lows. The beauty of spring sunshine is all too often overshadowed by the sogginess of rain clouds. Our days are joyful then sad and back again. Life is all too often like a rollercoaster that we didn’t want to ride! None of us begged to be born. None of us begged for the struggles in life. None of us pleaded for the challenges we face. So how do you manage when the pressures of life seem overwhelming? Continue reading
This week is a powerful week for people who call themselves Christians. We spend extra time in worship. We prep for Easter. We pause to reflect. We clean the house for the gatherings we’ll host with family and friends. We put in a few extra hours at church but it is so worth it! Continue reading
