Author: Pastor'sPonderings

Just a guy who asks questions, considers life and tries not to take any of it for granted

Dear Salvationist – Arrogance Beware!

Luke 18:9-14(NLT)

Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Beware dear Soldier of the trappings of arrogance, for it can creep into that uniform of yours and corrupt your heart and attitude!  We do not wear this uniform and associate ourselves with this army because we are better than other people, instead we should wear it as as sign of utter humility, servitude to Christ and as a constant reminder of our mission in this world.

selfCould our corps halls feel like an exclusive club to outsiders?  -This should never be the case!  We might become tempted, at times, to puff ourselves up with all of our corps’ accomplishments and fortunes, instead run from such thoughts and temptations!  Do not become like the Pharisee in the parable Jesus told – who was so enamored by his own pride and arrogance that those earnestly seeking were criticized and despised.

No, instead fight this war against pride and arrogance as a Soldier of this army!  We ought to fall to our knees and repent every time we become prideful of who we are instead of Whose we are.   We must recognize and repent every time we aspire to places of position and power out of personal gain and selfish ambition.  Pride and arrogance will poison our army if we are not careful; and although we do good in our communities lest we not forget Who our faith is in and for Whom all of these good works are accomplished.thumb

If we as soldiers exchange this true calling of sincere holiness in our lives for earthly recognition and these temporary places of authority the world bestows upon us, we will have lost it all – and our identity as an Army for God.

Jesus despised the hypocrite and the religious zealot who couldn’t see past their own personal needs and desires.  Beware dear Soldier of the trappings of arrogance and pride.

Prayer:
Lord, make us humble.  May we be mindful of our fellow man – and the hurting world around us.  Give us Your heart and eyes – may we ever be on our knees earnestly seeking after you.  Holy Spirit, instill in us this servant-heart.  Break us of our pride and arrogance. Remove the dross, wipe away the old life.  If need be, remove us from places of prominence so that we may be yours and yours alone.  Lord, forgive us when we have had a divided heart – you want us all to yourself, and there have been times when we have strayed.  May Christ-likeness be our goal as we humbly serve.  Amen.
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“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

 

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Sermon Podcast – “It’s Not My Job”

Photo Aug 05, 4 02 54 PM
Listen to our Sermon Podcast here:

Or download today’s Message Here:
“Not My Job” 

Ephesians 4:1-16 (NLT)


Unity in the Body

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift[a] through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
    he led a crowd of captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”[b]

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[c] 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

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Dear Salvationist: “Those People”

A New PonderCast – (an Audio Pondering) is available to listen today.
Today, hear the words of General William Booth and ponder with me on the topic of “Those People”

Or Click Here to Download & Subscribe to our PonderCast: “Those People”

Transcript of today’s PonderCast is here as well:

                                                                    “Those People”

Dear Salvation Army,
Dear Salvationist,
I would like to take a moment and talk to you about what this Ministry of the Salvation Army is and isn’t – at least from my experience.

The Salvation Army is more than just a church first and foremost.
Our ministry takes giving within the context of ministry a step further than most churches do.
I’m not saying we are better than other churches, I’m just saying that our scope of the Great Commission has more of an aggressive tone than other churches.  We claim the old motto “Soup Soap & Salvation” and we attempt to live it out in our ministry.

The very fiber of our being, of who The Salvation is can be wrapped up in that phrase of William Booth – when He said, “Others”.

The funny is we still live in a very divided world – even amongst Christians and Church.
We even have this division in our corps sometimes.
We can become so comfortable in our services and in how things operate but when new families start coming we get a little nervous and sometimes even upset.

It’s like when the disciples and others watched Jesus go to Zecheus’ house – there were some who complained because Zecheus was a tax collector and he was reviled by people.  Why would Jesus go to that person’s house.  Why would he go see “those people”

Another of “those people” that Jesus visited was the Samaritan woman at the well.  Even his disciples kind of shook their heads at this encounter.  Why would Jesus go to “those people”?  And besides that a man, let alone a Rabbi wouldn’t be caught dead talking with a woman – and a Samaritan woman at that.

But you see Jesus came for the least of these, those who were searching.
He didn’t care where they came from or where they had been…you see “those people – were His people!”

And sometimes in our corps – when we get too comfortable and suddenly “those people” show up, it sort of disrupts our flow…It upsets the apple cart…and we have to wonder sometimes, even in our uniforms if we haven’t become that clique –that exclusive social gather fighting for a cause so everyone can see us and pat us on the back…and when genuine spiritual need comes to our corps building – do we shun it?  Or welcome it?  Do visitors to our corps buildings feel like “guests” or do they feel like outsiders…because the ones in uniform are giving them sideways glances, shaking their heads at the unchurched, unfamiliar new comers…

Ah Salvationists…Dear Salvation Army – “Those People” are our people too!
The drunk that smells like the fumes around his body might spontaneously combust at any moment and he is shaking so bad that it’s visibly noticible in the seat next to you.  Yeah, Jesus says “that’s my people too”.

That older lady who come occasionally just to see what she can take with her after the service – She’s one of “those people” and Jesus says that “She’s one of His people”.   That young scary looking young man who wanders into your service half way through who smells and is wearing a questionable tshirt with offense material on it – “We look at him and think THOSE PEOPLE” AND Jesus says “He’s one of my people.”

Salvationist –
Our halls are emergency rooms for the spiritually afflicted.
And we are all “those people”…we all came searching for hope and love and acceptance.
We do not look  like other churches because the least of these are our regulars.   It is a shame when we try to become like other ministries and churches when our calling as an Army is has a specific target and ministry already.

We don’t look like other churches because the Salvation Army shield is like a beacon of hope, a lighthouse to many of “those people” who have lost their way.  It is a safe-harbor for many to come.  It should be a place where “those people” don’t feel as if we’re looking down at them – because we have all been there.

Where other places have turned “those people” away – we must accept them, welcome them offer them love and hope and in turn – eventually show them what Christ’s transforming power looks like.

 

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Putting Jesus Back

Monday after Easter, and the Easter dress is on the floor in the laundry room, as are the Easter suits and carelessly tossed ties and shoes.  Easter is over.  The Celebration party had its curtain call.  Everyone went home.  So…what now?

What impact does the Resurrection have on us the day after?  The week after?  The month after?   Understandably we can say “Well there’s always next year…”  or “I go to church every Sunday anyway.”  These are all valid points, but what kind of impact does Christ’s resurrection have on you and me in our daily lives?

All too often we want to put Jesus back.
We put Him back into those boxes for next year.
We put Him back on the hanger as we hang up that Easter dress or suit.  dress
We close our Bibles to that story until next year rolls back around.
We put Jesus back into our preconceived, compartmentalized places.

But should we put it all back like that?
Is there a trace of Him in our work places, social events, friendships, relationships, families?  Or does He get put away just like the seasonal stuff in our closets?
I have to wonder what the answer is even for me sometimes.
I can accept a risen Savior, but what does it mean in my habits, and in my faith walk and my desire to become more and more like Him?  How does this Resurrected Christ fit into my overly complicated life?  Am I secretly compartmentalizing Jesus?  Am I packing Him away for another year?  Am I checking that season off on my calendar  and moving on without Him there?

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What a tragedy it would be for any of us to progress past the cross and the empty tomb without it affecting the entirety of who we are as His creation!  Essentially when we put Him back on the shelf, in the box, on a hanger – we are selectively accepting who He is and who He can be in our lives.   We are, subconsciously putting limits on the Almighty…we are also putting limits on our own spiritual growth.

 

A New Creation: 
A friend of mine on Facebook posted this comment that sparked my heart and ignited some intrinsic truth deep within me.  Have you ever had one of those “A-ha” moments?  Where the light bulb flickers on, and it’s bright and it shines on truth.  Perhaps this will spark something within you too in terms of re-framing  who Jesus is, which will undoubtedly make us second guess putting Jesus back…here it is:

“One could suggest that the ‘tetelestai’ (it is finished) saying refers not to atonement but to creation; it is the creation that is completed on the cross. On the cross, the true human is created, creation is now complete.” (Cameron Horsburgh/Michael Hardin)

                                                      -Mind. Blown. –

How can you ever go back to putting Jesus on the shelf?
How can you not have a life changing event take place in your heart when you consider ALL of creation is now complete in this Messiah atonement?  That we can’t put God in a box and only bring Him out once a year in light of creation becoming complete in Him.  There’s nowhere else to move besides forward in our relationship to the One who has made EVERYTHING complete!

It’s like buying a new suit, wearing it only one time just to put it on a hanger and stare at it while wearing the same old dingy ripped up, dirty outfit you’ve always worn.  It just doesn’t make any sense.  So…why do we do this sometimes with Jesus?

Unwrapping It.
Take Jesus off the shelf.   box3
Throw the old outfit away – you have a new suit to wear!
Throw away the old title for yourself – “Sinner”
Because you’ve been saved by this amazing grace found only in Jesus, and you’ve been given a new title – “Child of God.”
You can’t compartmentalize Jesus.
You can’t “seasonalize” Him either.
He can’t be contained.
He wants to transform you!
He has already completed creation – which can include YOU!

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20

May you find an ever present Christ with you today!
May our hearts be compelled to live for Him and reside with Him every moment of every day!  May we experience this new creation every time we utter His name on our breath.
May this transformation of the new, complete creation be in us EVERY day.

Something more to Ponder today.
To God be the glory!

(Another fitting article for today from Steve Simms entitled: “Why Put Jesus In A Box?” check it out too!)

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“The Spear” by Jim Gallop

Below is a short skit written and presented by a friend of mine,  Major Jim Gallop.
Read, consider, ponder, and revel in Christ’s amazing love for us!

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THE SPEAR

(Scene opens with Roman guard, gazing at the end of his spear in stunned disbelief. He is standing, centre stage, quarter turn right as play begins. Spear is held to display its end before the audience)

Soldier:
My most useful tool….my best friend…..my help in times of trouble….my spear. That is what they told me when I chose to become a soldier……always be aware of the power of your spear.
And, oh, I was aware….how I learned to accurately throw you in battle, how I clinged to you as we defended our legion against Jewish zealots, bent on their preposterous notion that they could defeat the Roman army. We crushed them with our spears, our swords, our shields, and our might.
Our army was one of the mightiest ever seen! Men from all over Italy, armed and always ready for battle! The Roman empire had hold on vast areas of land…..the Meditteranean, North Africa, Europe, Syria, the middle east….all through the power of our weaponry.
I…..well, I was sent to this squalid refuse of a place known as Jerusalem. My orders were to protect Roman interests. “Squash any rebellion against our authority”, they told me, “Maintain control of the people, make them know that Rome still has power here”…….power.

So yes, I knew the kind of bone-crushing power that these weapons held…..but now, I wonder…and, I am confused. You see, they had me stand by to witness someone called Jesus of Nazareth executed. They nailed him to a cross on that hill behind me to make an example of him. They called this Jesus ‘king of the Jews’ to mock him. He was hung on that cross for 3 hours and I watched, oh I watched…..3 hours of excruciating pain for this man, the nails digging into his flesh, the whip marks exposing gashes on his skin, the crown of thorns they had battered down onto his head, making fresh blood drip onto his face. He was in incredible agony, and believe me I have seen agony before….but this sort of agony was not normal. This agony he had, well, it was actually a sorrow….a sorrow for those who were executing him. He cried out to His God saying “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”, He hung there, and did not yell at people for spitting at him, or for tormenting him…he said “father, forgive them.”

After he died, I was told by my commander to thrust this spear into his side to make sure He was dead. I-I hesitated at first, but then as I had always been taught to do, I followed the command. As I thrust this spear into him, blood came out, then water. Blood and water came gushing out of Jesus’ side! It was, dare I say it! It was as if this spear, covered in blood was being cleansed by Jesus on the cross. This spear which was used to keep order and discipline…this spear which was used to make others bow to it….this spear was being cleansed by Jesus, who had called on His God to forgive us. This….this spear (lay down the spear….fade to black)

_________________________________________________________________
Thank you Major Gallop for allowing me to share this today!
Something more to ponder today!

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What Happened on Easter Saturday?

Here’s a pondering for you:
What happened on Easter Sunday?
Where were the disciples? -Probably hiding.
What was Pilot doing?
What was Mary doing?  – In Mourning no doubt.
What of the women disciples?  -Most likely preparing to visit the tomb the following day.
It was Sabbath after all.

What of the soldiers who stood at the foot of the cross?  Where were they now?
The one that is hardest to answer, because none of us has seen the spiritual realm – Where was Jesus?  What did it take to come back?  What were the reactions of the Angels and that of the Fallen Angels, and they of Satan himself?

What exactly happened on this day?
Some might say, “well it isn’t for us to know.”
I might contend that this entire salvation story is because of us – as people fallen.
I just wonder if Jesus went to hell, what took place there?
I would love to be the proverbial fly on the wall during that encounter.

angelsWe always talk about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and that of His wondrous resurrection, but perhaps the most amazing feat in this whole story of love and redemption is what took place beyond the veil.  Beyond our human, mortal vision.  How Jesus vanquish death, conquered sin, and, though the final battle hasn’t happened yet, ultimately beat the fallen angels – they never stood a chance as Creator took back what was rightfully His to give and take away.

What happened on Saturday?
Ah, don’t underestimate Saturday.
For though we see Sunday as victory, as well we should,  on Saturday (Jewish Sabbath) we ought to consider and contemplate that beyond the veil Jesus standing in victory within the spiritual realm as well.

Something more to ponder today!
Don’t you ever wonder too?

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Redemption’s Call (An Easter Poem)

…And then it came to pass
that my heart was rent and broken,
turmoil spilled the spoken word
with nail and sword they killed my Lord. free

The veil was torn
redemption born
the Lamb was made to bleed.
For He stepped in
relieved my sin
and we are free indeed.

—
As the cost explodes the night
no grave can hold Eternal’s light
For we’ve been bought –
from blind to sight
The God-man, love’s true might.

And here we are – a second chance
from sin’s cold grasp to love’s first glance
the choice is ours, redemption’s call
His blood can cleanse and heal us all.
…His love WILL heal and cleanse us all.

SES
3/24/16

 

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Hide or Seeking Jesus?

“…Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56)

With a kiss on the cheek, and a betrayer to the heart – Jesus is alone.

bully
School ground bully

No other passage resounds in my heart than this: “then all the disciples deserted him…”
It’s like the playground at school when we were children, do you remember it?  When the bully would come and we would mind our own business while the one brave or frightened child would be left standing there all alone to fend for themselves.  The rest of us?  All too frightened to do anything.  More afraid of our own self-preservation than the preservation of the group.   kiss

The disciples fled. >>>Every. Last. One. Of. Them.<<<
They “got the heck out of dodge“.
Fear consumed them and they just ran away.
Imagine how Jesus must have felt in that moment.
An hour before, Jesus had been languishing in prayer in the garden,  and on more than one occasion pleaded with his disciples to stay awake and alert with him – but they kept falling asleep.  The ones Jesus trusted the most, couldn’t stay awake for Him in his hour of greatest need.  And in mere hours they would be scattered, quaking and hiding away – distancing themselves from their Rabbi for fear of self-incrimination.

deserted
Perhaps Jesus felt like this…

Jesus felt alone.
I imagine His “full-man” state felt the deep hurt of loss in this moment.
Bound and arrested, no one remained.
No advocate.
No friend.
No disciples.
Alone.

We can easily look at the disciples from afar as we read the accounts in the Bible and say to ourselves “I would never have done that.”  or, “How could they have  been so afraid?”  Yet, given the opportunity, I seriously doubt any of us would have done any differently.  We too would have turned tail and ran.

More presently, how often do we still abandon Him in our busy lives? alone
How often do we run away from what He is asking of us in our work places, in our homes, with our families, friends, neighbors, strangers?  Do we simply melt into the crowd that is circling around the bully who is “pounding” another defenseless child?  Do we stand for anything in “the real world” apart from the church halls?  Are we roaring lions or bleating sheep in a deafening world of noise?  How often do we exercise our ambassadorship of Christ?  Are we willing to become His mouth piece, even if it costs us everything?  Or do we hope that someone else will come by to be that voice because we’re too afraid of what others might think of us?

I hope that we are more inclined today, given what we know of Christ, to be His hands and feet regardless of what might come our way because of it.  I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of running away.  I’m sick of playing hid and seek.  I’m tired of hiding away.   I don’t want to abandon Christ anymore!  Lord makes us brave!  Make us bold!  May we count the cost, pick up our crosses and follow You regardless of where it may lead us!  Lord, we do not wish to run and hide any longer!

Something more to ponder today!

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“Take This Cup From Me!”

17″After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:17-20)

Jesus picked up the cup from the table and He instructed His disciples.
He broke the bread next and distributed it among them.  The Passover was given new meaning and understanding in the presence of Jesus in that very moment.
cup
There is something about cups in this passage and the corresponding passage.
The Passover feast has five symbolic cups represented at the table.
Everything done in the Seder meal has meaning and significance.
The first four cups represent God’s deliverance for His people.  (Exodus 6:2-8)
Cup 1 – “I will take you out…”
Cup 2-  “I will deliver you…”
Cup 3- “I will redeem you…”
Cup 4- “I will acquire you…”

cup2
But Cup #5 is not to be drunk at the table of Passover.

This cup is not for us.
There is nothing that we can do in our own strength to help in the redemption process.
This cup is also closely linked to God’s wrath on the world and its people.
Jeremiah 25:15 says, “Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it…”

Isaiah 51:17 also says, ““O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.”

Still another reference to this cup of wrath comes from Revelation 14:9-10 where it says; ““If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger”

Jesus went from the Passover table into the garden of Gethsemane.
And as He entered that garden He instructed his disciples to be vigilant, and remain in one place while Jesus went to pray.  Imagine with me for a moment, Jesus kneeling down and he is burdened and deeply grieved.  In that dark garden where shadows dance and warble in the waning light, Jesus is consumed by this profound weight.  He calls out to the Father through gritted teeth and anguish, perhaps a foreboding sign of things that will come to pass, but we are not there yet.  That is the next chapter, and He must endure this realization first.

All the while His disciples cannot remain awake.  The night is velvet, it is deep and their heavy eye lids become weights that are far too heavy to lift.  Jesus wakes them and pleads with them to remain alert.   Then He goes back to His agonizing moment of solitude.  For in these waning hours, even now, His disciples can not support Him.  They have fallen asleep again and are powerless to assist Jesus.  He kneels, with shoulders aching as if He is Atlas with a world hoisted on His back.  He slumps forward and cries to His Father to take this cup from Him.  He knows the time is here.  He understands what needs to be done, what must take place.  But what of this cup?  What of its significance?  Jesus is to drink from this cup.  BUT What is it?

The fifth cup at the table of Passover is called “Elijah’s Cup”.
It is not just of deliverance, but it is the cup of wrath.
God will come with wrath against the wicked and sinful.
This is not the God that we like to think about when we consider who God is.
We want God to be all loving and kind and all knowing and pure…but in that pureness we must understand that sin cannot exist in the presence of the Almighty…and with that startling revelation, we are impure, sinful…we are found wanting.  We are people who are fallen and impure since Adam and Eve broke God’s heart in the garden in their disobedience.  Thus this cup of wrath sits at the Passover table.  It is not drunk.  It resides in the center of the table and the children of the families participating in Passover are to keep watch over it, making sure that it doesn’t move; making sure that it does not spill out its contents.

The Disciples were given a charge to stay alert and observe Jesus. prayer
They were to watch over Him in His hour of greatest need, yet they fell fast asleep (more than once).  Could it be that in our weakness we are also incapable of watching this fifth cup let alone drinking from it?   Indeed we incapable of it, thus Jesus drinks from OUR cup of wrath in our place.  He drains it in the shedding of His blood.  He spills His blood instead of ours.  God’s wrath is redirected at Messiah instead of humanity.  Atonement is achieved through Christ’s blood which covers up our grit and grime having been diluted by sin.  This 5th Cup?  – From wrath to deliverance, this cup is replaced with our ultimate redemption.

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will…My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:39, 42)

“Lest I forget Gethsemane;
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.”

Prayer: 
Dear Lord, thank you for taking this cup from us.
Thank you for drinking God’s wrath in our place.
I accept your sacrifice on the cross for my sin,
show me what it means to carry my cross every day
through the leading of your spirit in my life.
Amen.

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A Pondering: “Walking Into Good Friday”

This week, I want to focus on our memories of Good Friday.
Easter Sunday you ask?  -We’ll get to that.
But this week let us zone in on the influence these Fridays (the ones we can recall from years past) have played into our lives.  I share with you a glimpse into my 11 year-old self…enduring Three Hours of the Cross: pew

I remember as a boy being told that we would be going to a meeting that would last at least three hours.  I remember my dismay and outrage at such a thing.  I thought to myself, “why would anyone want to sit for three hours in a church service?”  I remember falling asleep during a particularly long quiet part of the service.  This three hours of the cross was truly agonizing to an 11 year old.  I was impatient.  I understood the symbolism, but three hours?

Of course I didn’t get it.  Most children at that age couldn’t tolerate sitting through another service in the week, let alone three hours.  But what I didn’t know then, I know now.  I recognize what that service was suppose to portray.  I understand the meaning pew2behind it now.  I can still feel those uncomfortable chairs to this day…yet it doesn’t compare to the backbreaking anguish of the cross Jesus faced.  I can recall how bored I was (again I was 11).  I had pen and had probably written on every service of the service program.  There were some wonderful musical pieces share that day.  For the life of my I cannot tell you one of them, for they are lost in my memory.  I do not remember anything about the content of the service, because I was so consumed with my own comfort and attention.

I do remember with startling clarity the ending of the service.  arms
As I lovely call it now: the “it is finished” benediction, and with a exhalation of jubilance in my new found freedom – I bolted swiftly out of that hall, like a gazelle from the clutches of a lion.  I was no longer a prisoner to the pew, pen and church bulletin.  I. Was. Free.
I recall how fresh the air felt on my face felt when I stepped outside.  I felt like prisoner on parole…I was walking free again.  It’s funny how a three hour service can feel like a prison to an 11 year old child.

I confess this memory has very little to do with the cross than it did with an 11 year old selfish child.  Perhaps the only thing this memory shared with a cross was the perceived agony of three hours.  Yet I still remember it vividly, and isn’t it odd, that I now remember it with such admiration and fondness?

How about your memories of of Good Friday? friday2
Share them with us.  Describe the place you participated in a service.  Where were you?
Tomorrow I will share another memory of another Good Friday service that I can recall.

The purpose?
fridayPerhaps we missed something along the way.
Perhaps as we ponder it together, we will recall how we felt then, and engage in our emotional and spiritual state today – here and now.  Maybe, like me, you will see just how far you’ve come.  And as we discover ourselves in these tales retold – I believe we discover once again Christ’s humble and loving sacrifice for us.  We discover His suffering, shame, and gift to all those who would seek Him.

Ponder with me this week.
Do you have a recollection or memory?
Comment below, share and join the Good Friday Ponderings!
Hastag – #Goodfridayponderings

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