51 MORE TO GO

This past Sunday we celebrated that Jesus is alive.

Easter.

For a follower of Jesus, this is the best day of all – even over Christmas.

In fact, the early Christians didn’t celebrate the birth of Jesus. They were to preoccupied with the death and resurrection of the Messiah. It wasn’t until hundreds of years later that the Church decided to emphasis Jesus’ birth and that was in concert with wanting to influence a culture that worshiped the sun not The Son.

Anyway…

Yesterday, I got to reflecting with a few friends about Easter and why it doesn’t seem to pack the same cultural “punch” as the Christmas festivities. I heard from my friends that it may be because it requires first a walk through sin, death, and helplessness before one can experience the celebration of Life.

One can see why that might be a downer. The really good parties don’t usually start out this way.

But that is exactly how it is with Easter. One cannot jump for joy on Easter until one sits in the ashes of Good Friday. Easter without Good Friday is like a fish without water – just fits of flopping around, slowing loosing life.

Maybe that is why followers of Jesus choose to gather on Sundays not the traditional Sabbath Saturdays.

To remember.

To remind each other that we are people of Easter – people of Life. Although we recognize sin and death is in and around us all the time, Sunday’s do not belong to these things because, by faith, we believe Jesus is alive and has conquered sin and death.

That makes all the difference!

Every Sunday should be a party for followers of Jesus! On Sundays we should let go of yesterday, push away the worries of tomorrow, and

celebrate,

sing,

laugh,

love,

learn,

rest,

enjoy,

breath.

Thank GOD we have 51 more parties to go.

(and then we get to start all over again)

WHAT DRIVES LAZINESS

What drives laziness? -a kind of ongoing lack of motivation. I read somewhere that laziness is the habit of quiting before you get tired. I don’t know about that, but it makes me wonder about the cause of laziness. I have asked some friends about it and most of them said it had to do with selfishness.

I have to say, from time to time I like the thought of being lazy. It has a weird sort of attraction.

I wonder if it isn’t so much laziness that I am attracted to but a deep desire for real rest.

I wonder if laziness grows from missing purpose.

I wonder if laziness grows from loosing hope.

I wonder…

PERCEIVING SABBATH

“Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath while still in this world, unless one is initiated in the appreciation of eternal life, one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come. Sad is the lot of him who arrives inexperienced and when led to heaven has no power to perceive the beauty of the Sabbath” Heschel

Over the years, this thought has deeply affected me. The idea that we could taste eternity now by saturating ourselves in the rhythm of Sabbath living.

A regular gift from heaven rarely opened.