Simplifying… me

Death and mourning. Sadness and despair.
It seemed the story was over. Christ had died and his body lay in a tomb. It was the end of an era as far as anyone could tell.
There was weeping, mourning, uncertainty, and confusion.
What next?
Mary Magdalene stood at the empty grave…certainly, there must be some explanation. Her heart gave [...]

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A crucifixion.
The events of Good Friday were filled with a kind of drama that we cannot fully comprehend. It was ugly. The worst of human nature spilled out into every street and every corner of the city. Jealousy and envy had blossomed into hate, and hate burned hot. All of life, nature, and the whole [...]

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Maundy Thursday is the day the church recognizes and observes the Last Supper of Jesus.
Defined as “the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, esp. commemorating Jesus’ washing of His disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday” by the Collins English Dictionary, Maundy Thursday calls our attention to those final moments between Christ and his disciples before [...]

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He didn’t defend himself.
He didn’t try to justify his cause or prove his innocence.
He stood there…silent…like a lamb to the slaughter.
When offered the opportunity to speak into the situation and right the wrongs…clarify his position…he chose to stand in quiet strength.
Pilate, so arrogant in his authoritative role…his title…believed that he held the power of life [...]

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It is Holy Week.
I woke up this morning feeling heavy…weighted down.
A sorrow and grief that has been nagging at me seemed to surface in my heart before I even got out of bed.
I felt like God was so far away.
“Where are you, God?”
Have you felt that way before? Have you ever found yourself wondering and [...]

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“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from [...]

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“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15
That phrase, “triumphing over them” means “a general’s triumph who returns victorious”. (Matthew Henry’s Commentary) Think about that. Christ’s death on the cross stripped the enemy of all power and control. No longer are we captive [...]

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