Mark 16:19-20 New International Version (NIV)
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was
taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of
God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached
everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and
confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
When we celebrate the risen Christ, we remember that we too will be raised in the body. This hope is anchored in the fact that Christ is not dead, but is alive! Not just alive for another 40 days until he goes away, but alive forever more, advocating for us at the right hand of the father. Indeed, we serve a Lord that has conquered death and reigns forever. A Lord that has done the work to make straight a path for redemption. A Lord that has demonstrated His great love for us by giving all He had to give.
Friends, Easter may have been last week, but let’s not be quick to forget the glory of God revealed in the resurrection! May we follow the disciple’s example and take this message of grace we have received and not be bashful about sharing it. This message is not meant to be kept in hiding, it is meant to be proclaimed. The best part is this: when we share the good news we have received, Christ is with us, confirming the truths that we proclaim. So get out there and share that our Lord is risen, remembering that Christ is present with you!
Daniel Reffner is a Religion/Philosophy major at Southwestern College.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Feast of Joy
Isaiah 25: 6-9 (NIV)
6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will
prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats
and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain
he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all
peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever. The
Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces; he will remove his people’s
disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has
spoken. 9 In that day they will say,“Surely
this is our God; we trusted in him, and he
saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in
him; let us rejoice and be glad in his
salvation.”
Praise to the Lord! How great is this passage? When I read this I was immediately filled with joy and thanksgiving. It says in verse 8, “he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” I find great comfort in that, Isaiah is saying that there will be a feast prepared with aged wine and rich food for all of the people. In my Interpretations to the Bible class Dr. Lashier encourages us to interpret the text and find the meaning behind the scripture. What I get from this passage is that we are celebrating the fact that God is going to save us and though we may get hurt or face trials in our eyes, He will be there to wipe the tears and pick us back up. We should have constant trust in God. It says so in the scripture that must mean its important right? While this scripture may not have been intended for us specifically that doesn’t mean we can’t turn to it in our times of trouble and stress. Whenever I find myself becoming burdened with worldly things like school or what the future holds I stop myself and take a step back and remind myself that God is in control and I need to put all my trust in Him. Not only is that reassuring but it takes so much burden off your shoulders, God wants us to be in constant contact with Him and tell Him our troubles. That’s what prayer is for! I encourage you in your time of fear and doubt to set aside whatever you are doing and pray. God is here for you, all you have to do is talk to Him.
Sarah Louy, Sophomore, Liberal Arts
6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will
prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats
and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain
he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all
peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever. The
Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces; he will remove his people’s
disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has
spoken. 9 In that day they will say,“Surely
this is our God; we trusted in him, and he
saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in
him; let us rejoice and be glad in his
salvation.”
Praise to the Lord! How great is this passage? When I read this I was immediately filled with joy and thanksgiving. It says in verse 8, “he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” I find great comfort in that, Isaiah is saying that there will be a feast prepared with aged wine and rich food for all of the people. In my Interpretations to the Bible class Dr. Lashier encourages us to interpret the text and find the meaning behind the scripture. What I get from this passage is that we are celebrating the fact that God is going to save us and though we may get hurt or face trials in our eyes, He will be there to wipe the tears and pick us back up. We should have constant trust in God. It says so in the scripture that must mean its important right? While this scripture may not have been intended for us specifically that doesn’t mean we can’t turn to it in our times of trouble and stress. Whenever I find myself becoming burdened with worldly things like school or what the future holds I stop myself and take a step back and remind myself that God is in control and I need to put all my trust in Him. Not only is that reassuring but it takes so much burden off your shoulders, God wants us to be in constant contact with Him and tell Him our troubles. That’s what prayer is for! I encourage you in your time of fear and doubt to set aside whatever you are doing and pray. God is here for you, all you have to do is talk to Him.
Sarah Louy, Sophomore, Liberal Arts
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Ripples of Belief
Luke 24: 13-49
Read the entire scripture here!
There are forty days of Lent. If you observe the Christian calendar, you have just completed walking through this rich and challenging season. Perhaps you gave up something, or added a spiritual discipline in order to align yourself more with the story and journey of Christ to the cross and into the grave. And now we are on the other side. We rejoice in the unbelievable truth of his resurrection.
Many Christians are not aware that there are actually fifty days of Easter – a season historically celebrated as Eastertide. The church, and even our culture, are generally well-adjusted to the idea of Lent – of a season of intentional fasting or rigorous reorientation. But why? Perhaps it is the idea of “extreme faith” gleaned from years of watching reality TV shows like Survivor or Fear Factor. In fact, sometimes we get so embroiled in the intentional rigor of giving up coffee or chocolate that we forget why we actually engage in this extreme sport in the first place. We miss the opportunity for reorientation into the image of Christ. Maybe this is why God gave us 40 long days to work at it every year.
But I reiterate: there are fifty days of Easter – more days marked for celebration than for difficulty. More time set aside for feasting than for fasting. Yet most of our Christian communities mark a single day – Easter Sunday, and then we are back to our ordinary lives. Why would the historic celebrations of the church have lasted fifty days? Perhaps it was the magnitude of what had just happened.
As we read through the different accounts of Christ’s resurrection found in the gospels, we see that Jesus’ followers came to hear the good news and to believe at different stages. John believed immediately upon seeing the empty tomb. Peter was perplexed and went away “wondering to himself what had happened.” Others understood after a long journey to Emmaus, as Jesus recounted the entire story of salvation to them, only to be recognized when he broke bread with them in their home. Still others saw him eat fish and realized he really was a living human again. Thomas needed to touch his wounds to believe.
Belief came in waves. The personalities and experiences of each Christ-follower required different situations for each of their hearts to be opened to the reality of redemption. Maybe this is why we celebrate fifty days of Eastertide. We need time to both wrap our minds around the reality of the resurrection, and to celebrate this truth in abundance! The end of the season of Eastertide is marked by Pentecost – when God sends the Holy Spirit to awaken and animate us in this truth even more.
Whether or not your church community marks Easter as a season, I would encourage you to walk through the post-resurrection narratives intentionally during the next 50 days – ask the Holy Spirit to create ripples of deeper belief in your own heart and mind. And don’t forget to celebrate! I’m going to go get another piece of chocolate…
Main post image by Sergiu Bacioiu from Romania (Water Drop – Explored) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Shannon Steed Sigler is a community artist, curator, and theologian. She also serves as the Director of Social Media Communications for BeADisciple.com and is teaching a course called Faith, Imagination, and the Arts this semester.
Read the entire scripture here!
There are forty days of Lent. If you observe the Christian calendar, you have just completed walking through this rich and challenging season. Perhaps you gave up something, or added a spiritual discipline in order to align yourself more with the story and journey of Christ to the cross and into the grave. And now we are on the other side. We rejoice in the unbelievable truth of his resurrection.
Many Christians are not aware that there are actually fifty days of Easter – a season historically celebrated as Eastertide. The church, and even our culture, are generally well-adjusted to the idea of Lent – of a season of intentional fasting or rigorous reorientation. But why? Perhaps it is the idea of “extreme faith” gleaned from years of watching reality TV shows like Survivor or Fear Factor. In fact, sometimes we get so embroiled in the intentional rigor of giving up coffee or chocolate that we forget why we actually engage in this extreme sport in the first place. We miss the opportunity for reorientation into the image of Christ. Maybe this is why God gave us 40 long days to work at it every year.
But I reiterate: there are fifty days of Easter – more days marked for celebration than for difficulty. More time set aside for feasting than for fasting. Yet most of our Christian communities mark a single day – Easter Sunday, and then we are back to our ordinary lives. Why would the historic celebrations of the church have lasted fifty days? Perhaps it was the magnitude of what had just happened.
As we read through the different accounts of Christ’s resurrection found in the gospels, we see that Jesus’ followers came to hear the good news and to believe at different stages. John believed immediately upon seeing the empty tomb. Peter was perplexed and went away “wondering to himself what had happened.” Others understood after a long journey to Emmaus, as Jesus recounted the entire story of salvation to them, only to be recognized when he broke bread with them in their home. Still others saw him eat fish and realized he really was a living human again. Thomas needed to touch his wounds to believe.
Belief came in waves. The personalities and experiences of each Christ-follower required different situations for each of their hearts to be opened to the reality of redemption. Maybe this is why we celebrate fifty days of Eastertide. We need time to both wrap our minds around the reality of the resurrection, and to celebrate this truth in abundance! The end of the season of Eastertide is marked by Pentecost – when God sends the Holy Spirit to awaken and animate us in this truth even more.
Whether or not your church community marks Easter as a season, I would encourage you to walk through the post-resurrection narratives intentionally during the next 50 days – ask the Holy Spirit to create ripples of deeper belief in your own heart and mind. And don’t forget to celebrate! I’m going to go get another piece of chocolate…
Main post image by Sergiu Bacioiu from Romania (Water Drop – Explored) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Shannon Steed Sigler is a community artist, curator, and theologian. She also serves as the Director of Social Media Communications for BeADisciple.com and is teaching a course called Faith, Imagination, and the Arts this semester.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
This is the Day
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (ESV)
118 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
118 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel
say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 14 The
LORD is my strength and my song; he has
become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand
of the LORD does valiantly, 16 the right hand of
the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does
valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and
recount the deeds of the LORD. 18 The LORD has
disciplined me severely, but he has not given me
over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to
the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous
shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have
answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The
stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous
in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Can I just take a moment and give a shout out to my hometown church. Every summer at Vacation Bible School they played this one song. You know the one. “This is the day. This is the day. That the Lord has made. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. We will rejoice. And be glad in it. And be glad in it.” They made us sing it in canon with the right side signing first then the left side coming in next. By the end of it we would just be yelling so we could be louder than the other group. To this day, I can’t read verse 24 without singing it. Thanks, VBS.
What a joyful psalm. The writer knew he had gone through some hard times and knew there were more hard times to come just as Jesus knew he had to go to the cross and die. But hear how excited and thankful he is to have gone through it all. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” You see that exclamation point? That one piece of punctuation says it all. God promises us there will be difficult times in our lives. But he also promises that his mercies are new each morning and he will not give us over to death (v. 18). When you make that first step out of the dark valley you’ve been walking through, when you roll away that rock that’s been keeping you in a dark tomb and you see the light shining outside, know that this day, THIS day, the day you’ve been waiting for, this is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice! Be glad!
Kenna Corley is the Coordinator of Social Media and an alumna of Southwestern College.
Can I just take a moment and give a shout out to my hometown church. Every summer at Vacation Bible School they played this one song. You know the one. “This is the day. This is the day. That the Lord has made. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. We will rejoice. And be glad in it. And be glad in it.” They made us sing it in canon with the right side signing first then the left side coming in next. By the end of it we would just be yelling so we could be louder than the other group. To this day, I can’t read verse 24 without singing it. Thanks, VBS.
What a joyful psalm. The writer knew he had gone through some hard times and knew there were more hard times to come just as Jesus knew he had to go to the cross and die. But hear how excited and thankful he is to have gone through it all. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” You see that exclamation point? That one piece of punctuation says it all. God promises us there will be difficult times in our lives. But he also promises that his mercies are new each morning and he will not give us over to death (v. 18). When you make that first step out of the dark valley you’ve been walking through, when you roll away that rock that’s been keeping you in a dark tomb and you see the light shining outside, know that this day, THIS day, the day you’ve been waiting for, this is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice! Be glad!
Kenna Corley is the Coordinator of Social Media and an alumna of Southwestern College.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Human Reactions
Mark 16:1-8
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene,
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene,
Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought
spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after
sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and
they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone
away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when
they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was
very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered
the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white
robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for
Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!
He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going
ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him,
just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered,
the women went out and fled from the tomb. They
said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
I would like to think if I ever have the good fortune to witness a real-live, honest-to-goodness, amazing and awesome miracle of otherworldly proportions, I will respond with appropriate awe, wonder and gratefulness. Unfortunately, I am a child of the modern world and a mother of two sons. As a result, I have developed an inquiring mind and a healthy bit of skepticism.
I think, if this would have been me, I would have engaged with the young man dressed in white and started asking him some pointed questions about exactly what he was doing in there. I would have probably been glancing around looking for TV cameras and Alan Funt – or for you twenty somethings – Ashton Kutcher. In fact, I know that’s how I would have responded – and to be honest, it makes me kind of sad.
In this passage, Mark doesn’t tell you what to think. Mark simply describes what happens so you can experience the event yourself. I love Mark, because it is so full of terrific dialogue and powerful adjectives. I like this particular passage because it marks the “moment before the celebration.” It describes a very human reaction to something that cannot be explained. In a word, it’s awkward.
“Don’t be alarmed,” the guy in white said. Well thanks, Captain Obvious. How in the world is one not supposed to be alarmed in this situation? The women were trembling and bewildered. Process that. How does that feel? I hate that feeling – that awful, heart pumping adrenaline rush you get when you are freaked out. The women “fled” from the tomb. They let the guy say his peace and then got the heck out of Dodge. And they didn’t say one more word about what happened. How very normal. How very human.
Passages such as these help me realize I am not necessarily expected to always react perfectly to things. Shoot – the Bible is full of people who don’t react perfectly to things. We are, after all, human. God became human in the form of Jesus so he could understand us. Jesus sacrificed his life to create a bridge between our imperfect selves and God. Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed!
Brenda Hicks is the Director of Financial Aid at Southwestern College
I would like to think if I ever have the good fortune to witness a real-live, honest-to-goodness, amazing and awesome miracle of otherworldly proportions, I will respond with appropriate awe, wonder and gratefulness. Unfortunately, I am a child of the modern world and a mother of two sons. As a result, I have developed an inquiring mind and a healthy bit of skepticism.
I think, if this would have been me, I would have engaged with the young man dressed in white and started asking him some pointed questions about exactly what he was doing in there. I would have probably been glancing around looking for TV cameras and Alan Funt – or for you twenty somethings – Ashton Kutcher. In fact, I know that’s how I would have responded – and to be honest, it makes me kind of sad.
In this passage, Mark doesn’t tell you what to think. Mark simply describes what happens so you can experience the event yourself. I love Mark, because it is so full of terrific dialogue and powerful adjectives. I like this particular passage because it marks the “moment before the celebration.” It describes a very human reaction to something that cannot be explained. In a word, it’s awkward.
“Don’t be alarmed,” the guy in white said. Well thanks, Captain Obvious. How in the world is one not supposed to be alarmed in this situation? The women were trembling and bewildered. Process that. How does that feel? I hate that feeling – that awful, heart pumping adrenaline rush you get when you are freaked out. The women “fled” from the tomb. They let the guy say his peace and then got the heck out of Dodge. And they didn’t say one more word about what happened. How very normal. How very human.
Passages such as these help me realize I am not necessarily expected to always react perfectly to things. Shoot – the Bible is full of people who don’t react perfectly to things. We are, after all, human. God became human in the form of Jesus so he could understand us. Jesus sacrificed his life to create a bridge between our imperfect selves and God. Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed!
Brenda Hicks is the Director of Financial Aid at Southwestern College
Friday, April 3, 2015
Behold the Lamb
When was the last time you took time
to sit at the cross of Christ? Too often I merely glance at it from afar or
consider it in a passing moment. This day, of all days, we’re called to take
time to stay, to behold.
Grab your bible. Find a place where you can meditate on this passage. Take some time to stay at the foot of the cross:
How can the hands that hung the stars
Hang, nailed, upon a tree?
The feet that walked with Adam’s steps
Are pierced for one like me.
Thy feet were nailed upon the tree,
To trample down our sin;
Thy hands stretched out for all to see,
To take thy murderers in.
Hear Him cry out, the Word made flesh,
Who called all things to be;
The sun, which knows His voice so well,
In shock holds back its beams.
Hear how He groans, while nature shakes,
And earth’s strong pillars bend!
The temple’s veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.
‘Tis done! The precious ransom’s paid.
"Receive my soul," He cries!
See, now He bows His sacred head!
The God of angels dies.
But soon He’ll break death’s envious chain,
And in full glory shine.
O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love like thine!
Matthew Sigler is the interim campus minister at SC.
Grab your bible. Find a place where you can meditate on this passage. Take some time to stay at the foot of the cross:
Read Mark 15
How can the hands that hung the stars
Hang, nailed, upon a tree?
The feet that walked with Adam’s steps
Are pierced for one like me.
Thy feet were nailed upon the tree,
To trample down our sin;
Thy hands stretched out for all to see,
To take thy murderers in.
Hear Him cry out, the Word made flesh,
Who called all things to be;
The sun, which knows His voice so well,
In shock holds back its beams.
Hear how He groans, while nature shakes,
And earth’s strong pillars bend!
The temple’s veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.
‘Tis done! The precious ransom’s paid.
"Receive my soul," He cries!
See, now He bows His sacred head!
The God of angels dies.
But soon He’ll break death’s envious chain,
And in full glory shine.
O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love like thine!
Matthew Sigler is the interim campus minister at SC.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Would Jesus Have Washed My Feet?
John 13:1-17; 31b-35 (NIV)
13 It was just before the Passover Festival.
Jesus knew that the hour had come for him
to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal
was in progress, and the devil had already
prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,
to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father
had put all things under his power, and that
he had come from God and was returning to
God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off
his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel
around his waist. 5 After that, he poured
water into a basin and began to wash his
disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel
that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now
what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash
my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you,
you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,”
Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my
hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered,
“Those who have had a bath need only to wash
their feet; their whole body is clean. And you
are clean, though not every one of you.”11 For
he knew who was going to betray him, and that
was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he
put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do
you understand what I have done for you?” he
asked them.13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and
‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater
than his master, nor is a messenger greater
than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you
know these things, you will be blessed if you
do them. 31 When he was gone, Jesus said,
“Now the Son of Man is glorified and God
is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in
him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and
will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I
will be with you only a little longer. You will
look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I
tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot
come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love
one another. As I have loved you, so you must
love one another. 35 By this everyone will
know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another.”
Our scripture passage for today invites us into one of the most intimate scenes in the Gospel of John. While the other Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke recount the “Last Supper,” the Gospel of John recounts a different meal – a meal accompanied by an incredibly selfless act, washing feet, the focus of our passage today.
Washing feet during Jesus’ time was an important act of hospitality. Normal hospitality included taking guests’ sandals off, washing their feet and sometimes anointing them as well. The detail that sets this occurrence apart, though, is that feet-washing was traditionally the job of a slave. So, we cannot blame Peter too much for his skepticism and rather dramatic reaction in this story when Jesus prepares to wash his feet. While there are many focal points in this text, Jesus exercising power as a servant-leader being a commonly discussed one, the detail that I want to focus on is the motivation behind Jesus’ actions. In John 13:34 Jesus gives his disciples a new command. He tells them to love one another, and that they will be known as his disciples by their love. Surely love was Jesus’ own motivation to wash his disciples’ feet. Perhaps the most beautiful part of this entire story is that, out of love, Jesus chooses to wash ALL of his disciples’ feet – Peter and Judas Iscariot’s feet included. He did this with the knowledge that they were both going to betray him. Jesus sets a pattern for his own disciples here. He shows them what unconditional love looks and how that translates into serving others. This is totally fundamental to the entire Gospel message. Holy week invites us to consider our own betrayal. As we do that this week, let us also consider Jesus’ love for us, for his love is always stronger than our betrayal. Let us take confidence in knowing that despite our sin, Jesus would have also washed our feet. Amen.
Molly Just is the Director of the service-learning team, Discipleship Southwestern, and is alumna of Southwestern.
13 It was just before the Passover Festival.
Jesus knew that the hour had come for him
to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal
was in progress, and the devil had already
prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,
to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father
had put all things under his power, and that
he had come from God and was returning to
God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off
his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel
around his waist. 5 After that, he poured
water into a basin and began to wash his
disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel
that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now
what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash
my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you,
you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,”
Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my
hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered,
“Those who have had a bath need only to wash
their feet; their whole body is clean. And you
are clean, though not every one of you.”11 For
he knew who was going to betray him, and that
was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he
put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do
you understand what I have done for you?” he
asked them.13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and
‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater
than his master, nor is a messenger greater
than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you
know these things, you will be blessed if you
do them. 31 When he was gone, Jesus said,
“Now the Son of Man is glorified and God
is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in
him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and
will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I
will be with you only a little longer. You will
look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I
tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot
come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love
one another. As I have loved you, so you must
love one another. 35 By this everyone will
know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another.”
Our scripture passage for today invites us into one of the most intimate scenes in the Gospel of John. While the other Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke recount the “Last Supper,” the Gospel of John recounts a different meal – a meal accompanied by an incredibly selfless act, washing feet, the focus of our passage today.
Washing feet during Jesus’ time was an important act of hospitality. Normal hospitality included taking guests’ sandals off, washing their feet and sometimes anointing them as well. The detail that sets this occurrence apart, though, is that feet-washing was traditionally the job of a slave. So, we cannot blame Peter too much for his skepticism and rather dramatic reaction in this story when Jesus prepares to wash his feet. While there are many focal points in this text, Jesus exercising power as a servant-leader being a commonly discussed one, the detail that I want to focus on is the motivation behind Jesus’ actions. In John 13:34 Jesus gives his disciples a new command. He tells them to love one another, and that they will be known as his disciples by their love. Surely love was Jesus’ own motivation to wash his disciples’ feet. Perhaps the most beautiful part of this entire story is that, out of love, Jesus chooses to wash ALL of his disciples’ feet – Peter and Judas Iscariot’s feet included. He did this with the knowledge that they were both going to betray him. Jesus sets a pattern for his own disciples here. He shows them what unconditional love looks and how that translates into serving others. This is totally fundamental to the entire Gospel message. Holy week invites us to consider our own betrayal. As we do that this week, let us also consider Jesus’ love for us, for his love is always stronger than our betrayal. Let us take confidence in knowing that despite our sin, Jesus would have also washed our feet. Amen.
Molly Just is the Director of the service-learning team, Discipleship Southwestern, and is alumna of Southwestern.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Forgiven and Loved
John 13:21-32 NIV
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled
in spirit and testified, "Very truly I tell you,
one of you is going to betray me." 22 His
disciples stared at one another, at a loss to
know which of them he meant. 23 One of them,
the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining
next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this
disciple and said, "Ask him which one he
means." 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he
asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I will give this piece of
bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then,
dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas,
the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas
took the bread, Satan entered into him. So
Jesus told him, "What you are about to do, do
quickly." 28 But no one at the meal understood
why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had
charge of the money, some thought Jesus was
telling him to buy what was needed for the
festival, or to give something to the poor. 30
As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went
out. And it was night. 31 When he was gone,
Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified
and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is
glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in
himself, and will glorify him at once."
In John 14 Jesus is talking to his disciples about how He is going to prepare a room for them. Now, let's imagine, Jesus, a carpenter, building us a room. He has to bet he best carpenter ever of all time, right? Jesus went to prepare a room for all of us, not just the ones who believe, but even for those who don't. As humans we want what we have to be received. As logical beings, it follows that what we do has to have a functional outcome or purpose. Jesus is making a room for the unbeliever in your business communication class, the Muslim student in your computer science class, and the believer in your philosophy class. All of them.
Jesus knew that Judas would be betraying Him and he was scared. Fear has a way of disconnecting us from God. In every deceptive decision we make, though we may not name it, fear is to blame. But He knew His charge. Fear did not separate Him for saving us. Fear did not stop him from preparing a room for us. Jesus didn't let death stop Him. He leans towards Judas and says, "what you are about to do, do quickly." He knows that even through His fear, his task has to be completed. This is something that I am constantly learning. When He's praying at the Mount of Olives, he prays to the Father, "Not my will, but will be done." And that is my prayer every day, to face my fears and to turn my eyes upon the Father. Not my will, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours.
Below is a video of the wonderful Jimmy Needham. I pray that you listen to these words and project them onto yourself and others.
Kaitlin Kendel. Junior, Philosophy & Religion.
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled
in spirit and testified, "Very truly I tell you,
one of you is going to betray me." 22 His
disciples stared at one another, at a loss to
know which of them he meant. 23 One of them,
the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining
next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this
disciple and said, "Ask him which one he
means." 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he
asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I will give this piece of
bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then,
dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas,
the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas
took the bread, Satan entered into him. So
Jesus told him, "What you are about to do, do
quickly." 28 But no one at the meal understood
why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had
charge of the money, some thought Jesus was
telling him to buy what was needed for the
festival, or to give something to the poor. 30
As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went
out. And it was night. 31 When he was gone,
Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified
and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is
glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in
himself, and will glorify him at once."
In John 14 Jesus is talking to his disciples about how He is going to prepare a room for them. Now, let's imagine, Jesus, a carpenter, building us a room. He has to bet he best carpenter ever of all time, right? Jesus went to prepare a room for all of us, not just the ones who believe, but even for those who don't. As humans we want what we have to be received. As logical beings, it follows that what we do has to have a functional outcome or purpose. Jesus is making a room for the unbeliever in your business communication class, the Muslim student in your computer science class, and the believer in your philosophy class. All of them.
Jesus knew that Judas would be betraying Him and he was scared. Fear has a way of disconnecting us from God. In every deceptive decision we make, though we may not name it, fear is to blame. But He knew His charge. Fear did not separate Him for saving us. Fear did not stop him from preparing a room for us. Jesus didn't let death stop Him. He leans towards Judas and says, "what you are about to do, do quickly." He knows that even through His fear, his task has to be completed. This is something that I am constantly learning. When He's praying at the Mount of Olives, he prays to the Father, "Not my will, but will be done." And that is my prayer every day, to face my fears and to turn my eyes upon the Father. Not my will, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours.
Below is a video of the wonderful Jimmy Needham. I pray that you listen to these words and project them onto yourself and others.
Kaitlin Kendel. Junior, Philosophy & Religion.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Are the lights on?
John 12:20-38
20-21 Among those who had come up to worship
at the festival were some Greeks. They approached
Philip with the request, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew went
with Philip and told Jesus. 23-26 Jesus told them,
“The time has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified. I tell you truly that unless a grain of wheat
falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain
of wheat; but if it does, it brings a good harvest.
The man who loves his own life will destroy it, and
the man who hates his life in this world will preserve
it for eternal life. If a man wants to enter my service,
he must follow my way; and where I am, my servant
will also be. And my Father will honour every man
who enters my service. 27-28 “Now comes my hour
of heart-break, and what can I say, ‘Father, save me
from this hour’? No, it was for this very purpose
that I came to this hour. ‘Father, honour your own
name!’” At this there came a voice from Heaven,
“I have honoured it and I will honour it again!”
29 When the crowd of bystanders heard this, they
said it thundered, but some of them said, “An angel
spoke to him.” 30-33 Then Jesus said, “That voice
came for your sake, not for mine. Now is the time for
the judgment of this world to begin, and now will
the spirit that rules this world be driven out. As for
me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all
men to myself.” (He said this to show the kind of
death he was going to die.) 34 Then the crowd said,
“We have heard from the Law that Christ lives for
ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be
‘lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35-36a At this,
Jesus said to them, “You have the light with you only
a little while longer. Go on while the light is good,
before the darkness comes down upon you. For the
man who walks in the dark has no idea where he is
going. You must believe in the light while you have
the light, that you may become the sons of light.”
36b-38 Jesus said all these things, and then went
away, out of their sight. But though he had given
so many signs, yet they did not believe in him, so
that the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, when he
said, ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to
whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’
J. B. Phillips, "The New Testament in Modern English", 1962 edition by HarperCollins
So much here. I’m going to focus on v. 35b, “Go on while the light is good… “ Jesus seems to be trying to help the disciples develop some perspective. They don’t realize how good they’ve got it; Jesus is right there with them. Hey disciples, want to know what would Jesus do? Well, just ask him; he’s right by your side. Developing a perspective or framework from which to develop your understandings of situations gets better with depth and breadth of experience and knowledge. Depth and breadth is what you are working on as a student. From my professorial seat, I’d echo Jesus’ exhortation to you—Go on while the light is good. Southwestern College abounds in external points of light that are good: healthy community, teaching teachers, people who have integrated their extraordinary minds with their passionate hearts, this lenten blog that captures a variety of voices of faith, weekly chapel, retreat experiences, leadership development, opportunities to lead worship, trips to explore the larger world of believers, opportunity to be doers and not just observers of ministry, recommendation letters from people who know you, and people who allow you access to their networks and use of their good name. Go on while the light is good. Soak it all in, take advantage of this privileged moment in your life. Let the external light that is with you now, energize your internal light. In the end, the empowering of yourself by the light of the holy spirit is not for yourself but for the world. Is the light good in your heart because the flood lights are on at SC?
Cheryl L. Rude, Ph.D. is the Division Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Leadership Studies
20-21 Among those who had come up to worship
at the festival were some Greeks. They approached
Philip with the request, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew went
with Philip and told Jesus. 23-26 Jesus told them,
“The time has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified. I tell you truly that unless a grain of wheat
falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain
of wheat; but if it does, it brings a good harvest.
The man who loves his own life will destroy it, and
the man who hates his life in this world will preserve
it for eternal life. If a man wants to enter my service,
he must follow my way; and where I am, my servant
will also be. And my Father will honour every man
who enters my service. 27-28 “Now comes my hour
of heart-break, and what can I say, ‘Father, save me
from this hour’? No, it was for this very purpose
that I came to this hour. ‘Father, honour your own
name!’” At this there came a voice from Heaven,
“I have honoured it and I will honour it again!”
29 When the crowd of bystanders heard this, they
said it thundered, but some of them said, “An angel
spoke to him.” 30-33 Then Jesus said, “That voice
came for your sake, not for mine. Now is the time for
the judgment of this world to begin, and now will
the spirit that rules this world be driven out. As for
me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all
men to myself.” (He said this to show the kind of
death he was going to die.) 34 Then the crowd said,
“We have heard from the Law that Christ lives for
ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be
‘lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35-36a At this,
Jesus said to them, “You have the light with you only
a little while longer. Go on while the light is good,
before the darkness comes down upon you. For the
man who walks in the dark has no idea where he is
going. You must believe in the light while you have
the light, that you may become the sons of light.”
36b-38 Jesus said all these things, and then went
away, out of their sight. But though he had given
so many signs, yet they did not believe in him, so
that the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, when he
said, ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to
whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’
J. B. Phillips, "The New Testament in Modern English", 1962 edition by HarperCollins
So much here. I’m going to focus on v. 35b, “Go on while the light is good… “ Jesus seems to be trying to help the disciples develop some perspective. They don’t realize how good they’ve got it; Jesus is right there with them. Hey disciples, want to know what would Jesus do? Well, just ask him; he’s right by your side. Developing a perspective or framework from which to develop your understandings of situations gets better with depth and breadth of experience and knowledge. Depth and breadth is what you are working on as a student. From my professorial seat, I’d echo Jesus’ exhortation to you—Go on while the light is good. Southwestern College abounds in external points of light that are good: healthy community, teaching teachers, people who have integrated their extraordinary minds with their passionate hearts, this lenten blog that captures a variety of voices of faith, weekly chapel, retreat experiences, leadership development, opportunities to lead worship, trips to explore the larger world of believers, opportunity to be doers and not just observers of ministry, recommendation letters from people who know you, and people who allow you access to their networks and use of their good name. Go on while the light is good. Soak it all in, take advantage of this privileged moment in your life. Let the external light that is with you now, energize your internal light. In the end, the empowering of yourself by the light of the holy spirit is not for yourself but for the world. Is the light good in your heart because the flood lights are on at SC?
Cheryl L. Rude, Ph.D. is the Division Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Leadership Studies
Monday, March 30, 2015
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
John 12:1-11 (NIV)
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came
to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus
had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner
was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,
while Lazarus was among those reclining at
the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a
pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume;she
poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet
with her hair. And the house was filled with
the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who
was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why
wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given
to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about
the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper
of the money bag, he used to help himself to
what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,”
Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should
save this perfume for the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you,
but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out
that Jesus was there and came, not only because
of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had
raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests
made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on
account of him many of the Jews were going
over to Jesus and believing in him.
Our descent is drawing to a close, friends. As we enter into Holy Week, we are reminded through this passage that before Jesus enters into Jerusalem (on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday) he passes through Bethany and has a meal in his honor. This meal is usually seen as significant because of Mary’s devotion for Jesus, as she pours the expensive perfume on his feet, worshipping Jesus.
Just to give you all a glimpse into our chapel life here at Southwestern, we commonly use Mary and the alabaster jar as our prayer when we gather to worship. Our prayer is that all our diligent planning and preparing may be excellent and God-honoring, but in the end that it may be broken at the feet of Jesus in holy surrender.
Instead of diving into that metaphor, let us look at one of the other integral characters in this passage, Judas Iscariot, the one who later to betray Jesus. This is the first time we see Judas really do anything in the gospels. As the group treasurer it makes sense that he is questioning the use of this expensive nard on Jesus’ feet. Was this questioning an indicator of the evil that was in Judas? We see later on that Satan enters Judas at the Passover meal (John 13:27), so perhaps in chapter 12, Judas is still acting as one of the trusted 12.
My question to you today is, would Jesus have forgiven Judas had he the chance. Judas, overwhelmed with guilt hangs himself, before Christ resurrects from the dead. We know that Jesus approaches Peter post-resurrection and allows him opportunity to repent for his “duh-sciple” moment when he denies Christ three times. Do you think that Jesus would have allowed for Judas’ repentance as well? Was Judas’ betrayal too great to allow for repentance? I bet we wonder about that sometimes as well. Regardless of who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, Christ bore it all on the cross. He set his face toward Jerusalem with a purpose, to trample over death by death. Friends, the time is here, to catch up to Jesus on our descent with him towards the cross. Holy Easter is upon us, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Greg Reffner is an undergraduate student of Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came
to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus
had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner
was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,
while Lazarus was among those reclining at
the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a
pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume;she
poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet
with her hair. And the house was filled with
the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who
was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why
wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given
to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about
the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper
of the money bag, he used to help himself to
what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,”
Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should
save this perfume for the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you,
but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out
that Jesus was there and came, not only because
of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had
raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests
made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on
account of him many of the Jews were going
over to Jesus and believing in him.
Our descent is drawing to a close, friends. As we enter into Holy Week, we are reminded through this passage that before Jesus enters into Jerusalem (on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday) he passes through Bethany and has a meal in his honor. This meal is usually seen as significant because of Mary’s devotion for Jesus, as she pours the expensive perfume on his feet, worshipping Jesus.
Just to give you all a glimpse into our chapel life here at Southwestern, we commonly use Mary and the alabaster jar as our prayer when we gather to worship. Our prayer is that all our diligent planning and preparing may be excellent and God-honoring, but in the end that it may be broken at the feet of Jesus in holy surrender.
Instead of diving into that metaphor, let us look at one of the other integral characters in this passage, Judas Iscariot, the one who later to betray Jesus. This is the first time we see Judas really do anything in the gospels. As the group treasurer it makes sense that he is questioning the use of this expensive nard on Jesus’ feet. Was this questioning an indicator of the evil that was in Judas? We see later on that Satan enters Judas at the Passover meal (John 13:27), so perhaps in chapter 12, Judas is still acting as one of the trusted 12.
My question to you today is, would Jesus have forgiven Judas had he the chance. Judas, overwhelmed with guilt hangs himself, before Christ resurrects from the dead. We know that Jesus approaches Peter post-resurrection and allows him opportunity to repent for his “duh-sciple” moment when he denies Christ three times. Do you think that Jesus would have allowed for Judas’ repentance as well? Was Judas’ betrayal too great to allow for repentance? I bet we wonder about that sometimes as well. Regardless of who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, Christ bore it all on the cross. He set his face toward Jerusalem with a purpose, to trample over death by death. Friends, the time is here, to catch up to Jesus on our descent with him towards the cross. Holy Easter is upon us, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Greg Reffner is an undergraduate student of Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Building Time
Exodus 30: 1-10 (NRSV)
You shall make an altar on which to offer
incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit
wide; it shall be square, and shall be two
cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece
with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure
gold, its top, and its sides all around and its
horns; and you shall make for it a molding
of gold all around. 4 And you shall make
two golden rings for it; under its molding
on two opposite sides of it you shall make
them, and they shall hold the poles with
which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles
of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 You shall place it in front of the curtain
that is above the Ark of the Covenant, in
front of the mercy seat that is over the
covenant, where I will meet with you. 7
Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it;
every morning when he dresses the lamps
he shall offer it,
8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the
evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense
offering before the LORD throughout your
generations. 9 You shall not offer grain
offerings; and you shall not pour a drink
offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall
perform the rite of atonement on its horns.
Throughout your generations he shall
perform the atonement for it once a year
with the blood of the atoning sin offering.
It is more holy to the LORD.
So what does all of that mean? Personally I have never heard God or felt a calling from God to build an alter to honor Him BUT I have had times in my life where I felt Him calling me back to Him, reminding me that He is always there. God has called me to build time in my life for Him. Building time is not an easy task and what I’m talking about when I say building time is creating a time in your day, in your life that is for God. Perhaps this is a time where you sit and pray about all that is on your mind and heart or a time when you simply sit in silence and listen for and to God, this may even be time to reflect on scripture – everyone’s “God Time” is a little different. Most of us have some kind of relationship with God but continuing to build that relationship isn’t easy. God asks us to offer him our faith, trust, and love; building these traits happens through relationship with him. So, Moundbuilders I think this passage is asking us to reflect on the time we have built for God and the relationship that has been the result.
Brenna Truhe is a junior English major at Southwestern College.
You shall make an altar on which to offer
incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit
wide; it shall be square, and shall be two
cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece
with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure
gold, its top, and its sides all around and its
horns; and you shall make for it a molding
of gold all around. 4 And you shall make
two golden rings for it; under its molding
on two opposite sides of it you shall make
them, and they shall hold the poles with
which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles
of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 You shall place it in front of the curtain
that is above the Ark of the Covenant, in
front of the mercy seat that is over the
covenant, where I will meet with you. 7
Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it;
every morning when he dresses the lamps
he shall offer it,
8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the
evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense
offering before the LORD throughout your
generations. 9 You shall not offer grain
offerings; and you shall not pour a drink
offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall
perform the rite of atonement on its horns.
Throughout your generations he shall
perform the atonement for it once a year
with the blood of the atoning sin offering.
It is more holy to the LORD.
So what does all of that mean? Personally I have never heard God or felt a calling from God to build an alter to honor Him BUT I have had times in my life where I felt Him calling me back to Him, reminding me that He is always there. God has called me to build time in my life for Him. Building time is not an easy task and what I’m talking about when I say building time is creating a time in your day, in your life that is for God. Perhaps this is a time where you sit and pray about all that is on your mind and heart or a time when you simply sit in silence and listen for and to God, this may even be time to reflect on scripture – everyone’s “God Time” is a little different. Most of us have some kind of relationship with God but continuing to build that relationship isn’t easy. God asks us to offer him our faith, trust, and love; building these traits happens through relationship with him. So, Moundbuilders I think this passage is asking us to reflect on the time we have built for God and the relationship that has been the result.
Brenna Truhe is a junior English major at Southwestern College.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
Hebrews 4:1-13 New International Version (NIV)
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his
rest still stands, let us be careful that none of
you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For
we also have had the good news proclaimed to
us, just as they did; but the message they
heard was of no value to them, because they
did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
3 Now we who have believed enter that rest,
just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They
shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since
the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere
he has spoken about the seventh day in these
words: “On the seventh day God rested from
all his works.” 5 And again in the passage
above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to
enter that rest, and since those who formerly
had the good news proclaimed to them did
not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God
again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”
This he did when a long time later he spoke
through David, as in the passage already
quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden
your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God
would not have spoken later about another
day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest
for the people of God; 10 for anyone who
enters God’s rest also rests from their works,
just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore,
make every effort to enter that rest, so that no
one will perish by following their example of
disobedience.
12 For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the
eyes of him to whom we must give account.
I personally feel like the commandment to “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you” (Dt. 5:12) has slowly faded away in our culture. Believe me, I know it is difficult finding any time away from your studies and activities, let alone a whole day! Nevertheless, God commanded it so we need to obey it. Keeping the Sabbath doesn’t mean strictly not doing your homework on Sunday…It also means to take some of that day to spend with God. Read your Bible, take a walk in God’s beautiful creation, pray. All of these are great ways to grow closer to God. Two of the verses from above really stand out to me, verses 11 and 13. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience” (Dt. 4:11). This sentence puts into effect how serious God is about keeping his commands. It basically screams “learn from others’ pasts and do what I say or else!” The last part of this scripture that I want to highlight is verse 13. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes
of him to whom we must give account” (Dt. 4:13). I love the phrase “everything is uncovered.” There is no hiding our sins from God, He knows everything we do. During this time of Lent I challenge you to be more intentional about the time you spend with God and to grow into a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Hanna House is a sophomore majoring in communication at Southwestern College.
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his
rest still stands, let us be careful that none of
you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For
we also have had the good news proclaimed to
us, just as they did; but the message they
heard was of no value to them, because they
did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
3 Now we who have believed enter that rest,
just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They
shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since
the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere
he has spoken about the seventh day in these
words: “On the seventh day God rested from
all his works.” 5 And again in the passage
above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to
enter that rest, and since those who formerly
had the good news proclaimed to them did
not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God
again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”
This he did when a long time later he spoke
through David, as in the passage already
quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden
your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God
would not have spoken later about another
day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest
for the people of God; 10 for anyone who
enters God’s rest also rests from their works,
just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore,
make every effort to enter that rest, so that no
one will perish by following their example of
disobedience.
12 For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the
eyes of him to whom we must give account.
I personally feel like the commandment to “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you” (Dt. 5:12) has slowly faded away in our culture. Believe me, I know it is difficult finding any time away from your studies and activities, let alone a whole day! Nevertheless, God commanded it so we need to obey it. Keeping the Sabbath doesn’t mean strictly not doing your homework on Sunday…It also means to take some of that day to spend with God. Read your Bible, take a walk in God’s beautiful creation, pray. All of these are great ways to grow closer to God. Two of the verses from above really stand out to me, verses 11 and 13. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience” (Dt. 4:11). This sentence puts into effect how serious God is about keeping his commands. It basically screams “learn from others’ pasts and do what I say or else!” The last part of this scripture that I want to highlight is verse 13. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes
of him to whom we must give account” (Dt. 4:13). I love the phrase “everything is uncovered.” There is no hiding our sins from God, He knows everything we do. During this time of Lent I challenge you to be more intentional about the time you spend with God and to grow into a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Hanna House is a sophomore majoring in communication at Southwestern College.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Boasting in Confident Foundations
Hebrews 3:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a
heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle
and high priest of our confession, 2 who was
faithful to him who appointed him, just as
Moses also was faithful in all God's house.
3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more
glory than Moses—as much more glory as the
builder of a house has more honor than the
house itself. 4 (For every house is built by
someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house
as a servant, to testify to the things that were
to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over
God's house as a son. And we are his house
if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our
boasting in our hope.
I must confess and apologize to my community of faith for my late post having just experienced what snow storms will do to Chicago flight connections. I just returned from Venice, Italy, where my wife Cheryl and I, along with close friends Joni and Steve Rankin, experienced the awesome sights of the Basilica of Saint Mark. When we speak of art in worship and the power of artistic expression to connect us with the mystery of God, there is none greater in my opinion than this house of worship. Every kind of stone, wood, glass, tile, precious metal and jewel worked by thousands of artists with great skill and time was on display. The church is truly indescribable! The church is also sinking and slowly falling apart.
I do not want to imply any lack of appreciation for the reverent sacrifice made in the creation of the Basilica of Saint Mark nor the wonder and glory of this expression of worship, but the very point of creating it illustrates what it cannot adequately do—fully represent the glory of the house of God built in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the builder of all things and the artisan of who we are—our author, builder, and perfecter. We are the precious materials of His glorious work still in progress. We are designed to be more than the expression of the very nature of God but the dwelling of His presence if we hold fast to that purpose whose foundation was laid unsinkable and without decay in the cross. What a hope; what a purpose; what a confident foundation!
Martin Rude is the director of outreach ministries at Southwestern College.
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a
heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle
and high priest of our confession, 2 who was
faithful to him who appointed him, just as
Moses also was faithful in all God's house.
3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more
glory than Moses—as much more glory as the
builder of a house has more honor than the
house itself. 4 (For every house is built by
someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house
as a servant, to testify to the things that were
to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over
God's house as a son. And we are his house
if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our
boasting in our hope.
I must confess and apologize to my community of faith for my late post having just experienced what snow storms will do to Chicago flight connections. I just returned from Venice, Italy, where my wife Cheryl and I, along with close friends Joni and Steve Rankin, experienced the awesome sights of the Basilica of Saint Mark. When we speak of art in worship and the power of artistic expression to connect us with the mystery of God, there is none greater in my opinion than this house of worship. Every kind of stone, wood, glass, tile, precious metal and jewel worked by thousands of artists with great skill and time was on display. The church is truly indescribable! The church is also sinking and slowly falling apart.
Martin Rude is the director of outreach ministries at Southwestern College.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
The Lord Saves
Psalm 107
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
The Lord is always good to us even when we think we are far from help. From the verse above, the Lord loves us and cares for us so much that he will come and save us from any hardship or trouble we are experiencing. He cuts through bars of iron and breaks chains for us. The Lord finds us in the darkness and brings us back to His glorious light. The Lord loves us so much that He will satisfy our hunger and thirst. He will always be there for us even when we don't call for Him. We will struggle without Him but He will be right there when we cry for His help. He will be there to pick us up when we fall and when we need Him the most. The Lord will also be there when we don't think we need Him. The Lord is always there with His unfailing love, watching over His children.
Remember that you are loved by a glorious God this season of Lent. Be thankful for His amazing and endless love. If you are struggling with hardships or trials in your life, God will be there to help you through them. This may not be the way you expect your problems to be solved, but it will be God's way. He knows what is best for us. So trust in the Lord and cry out His name. He will be right by your side to come to your aid. The Lord will always do anything to save His wonderful and priceless children.
Garett Britton is a junior majoring in Elementary Education at Southwestern College.
Monday, March 23, 2015
When The Going Gets Tough
Numbers 20:1-13
Water From the Rock
20 In the first month the whole Israelite
community arrived at the Desert of Zin,
and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam
died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community,
and the people gathered in opposition to
Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with
Moses and said, “If only we had died
when our brothers fell dead before the
LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s
community into this wilderness, that we
and our livestock should die here? 5 Why
did you bring us up out of Egypt to this
terrible place? It has no grain or figs,
grapevines or pomegranates. And there
is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly
to the entrance to the tent of meeting and
fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD
appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to
Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and
your brother Aaron gather the assembly
together. Speak to that rock before their
eyes and it will pour out its water. You
will bring water out of the rock for the
community so they and their livestock
can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s
presence, just as he commanded him.10
He and Aaron gathered the assembly
together in front of the rock and Moses
said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must
we bring you water out of this rock?”
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck
the rock twice with his staff. Water
gushed out, and the community and their
livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
“Because you did not trust in me enough
to honor me as holy in the sight of the
Israelites, you will not bring this community
into the land I give them.” 13 These were
the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites
quarreled with the LORD and where he was
proved holy among them.
There are multiple times in life were we as humans face hardships and struggles. We begin to think that life was so much better last year when we weren’t dealing with ____________, or I wish I could go back before _________ happened, because life was so much easier then. Too often we dwell on our hardships. We forget to count our blessings. We see this in the story above: God has freed the Israelites from slavery. Before this mighty, powerful, and saving act of God the Israelites were being beaten and overworked. God empowers Moses to help free these people from the suffocating grip of Pharaoh.
Through the power of God and Moses the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt and soon find themselves in a desert. They complain and question God’s ability to sustain them in the desert. The Israelites even ask Moses “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?” The Israelites have forgotten that Egypt was a terrible place. They were slaves, they didn’t have the freedom God intended humans to have. The Israelites are not counting their blessings.
However, we cannot simply read this story and say “wow they were very ungrateful people.” We have to read this story and say “wow, I am not as grateful for God’s salvific acts in my life as I should be.” The story of God found in the Holy Scriptures is a living text, it revels truths about ourselves and God. We are in the season of Lent going down with Christ, so that we may be raised up with Christ. Ultimately, God meets our needs in life whether through water or assurance that God is near. God knows the inner workings of our hearts better than we do. During this season of Lent I challenge you to count your blessings and marvel at the goodness of a God who was willing to sacrifice himself for our salvation.
Lindsey Graber is a junior majoring in Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College.
Water From the Rock
20 In the first month the whole Israelite
community arrived at the Desert of Zin,
and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam
died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community,
and the people gathered in opposition to
Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with
Moses and said, “If only we had died
when our brothers fell dead before the
LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s
community into this wilderness, that we
and our livestock should die here? 5 Why
did you bring us up out of Egypt to this
terrible place? It has no grain or figs,
grapevines or pomegranates. And there
is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly
to the entrance to the tent of meeting and
fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD
appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to
Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and
your brother Aaron gather the assembly
together. Speak to that rock before their
eyes and it will pour out its water. You
will bring water out of the rock for the
community so they and their livestock
can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s
presence, just as he commanded him.10
He and Aaron gathered the assembly
together in front of the rock and Moses
said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must
we bring you water out of this rock?”
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck
the rock twice with his staff. Water
gushed out, and the community and their
livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
“Because you did not trust in me enough
to honor me as holy in the sight of the
Israelites, you will not bring this community
into the land I give them.” 13 These were
the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites
quarreled with the LORD and where he was
proved holy among them.
There are multiple times in life were we as humans face hardships and struggles. We begin to think that life was so much better last year when we weren’t dealing with ____________, or I wish I could go back before _________ happened, because life was so much easier then. Too often we dwell on our hardships. We forget to count our blessings. We see this in the story above: God has freed the Israelites from slavery. Before this mighty, powerful, and saving act of God the Israelites were being beaten and overworked. God empowers Moses to help free these people from the suffocating grip of Pharaoh.
Through the power of God and Moses the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt and soon find themselves in a desert. They complain and question God’s ability to sustain them in the desert. The Israelites even ask Moses “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?” The Israelites have forgotten that Egypt was a terrible place. They were slaves, they didn’t have the freedom God intended humans to have. The Israelites are not counting their blessings.
However, we cannot simply read this story and say “wow they were very ungrateful people.” We have to read this story and say “wow, I am not as grateful for God’s salvific acts in my life as I should be.” The story of God found in the Holy Scriptures is a living text, it revels truths about ourselves and God. We are in the season of Lent going down with Christ, so that we may be raised up with Christ. Ultimately, God meets our needs in life whether through water or assurance that God is near. God knows the inner workings of our hearts better than we do. During this season of Lent I challenge you to count your blessings and marvel at the goodness of a God who was willing to sacrifice himself for our salvation.
Lindsey Graber is a junior majoring in Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Here's Your Sign
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 (NIV)
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his
love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of
the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed
from the land of the foe, 3 those he gathered
from the lands, from east and west, from north
and south.
17 Some became fools through their rebellious
ways and suffered affliction because of their
iniquities. 18 They loathed all food and drew
near the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to
the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from
their distress. 20 He sent out his word and healed
them; he rescued them from the grave. 21 Let
them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing
love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. 22
Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his
works with songs of joy.
“Here’s Your Sign” goes the bit made popular by comedian Bill Engvall. And I wonder, how many times a day does God peer down on earth and think that in his head? I’m fairly certain it’s been thrown my way more than a few times.
The writer of this Thanksgiving psalm starts by reminding us that God is good. God’s love for us is unfailing – forever. And even when we are fools, even when we mess up, even when we do stupid things – his mercy is there if we call on him. How convicting! Why is it that we stubbornly attempt to solve problems we face on our own? Why is it that we wait until things get a little out of hand to turn to God and ask for help?
Fortunately, we eventually remember. God is there. God is with us. God will help. And so we ask. And so we pray. And God sends us help. But! The psalmist is reminding us that our job is not done. “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story!” We are to look for God’s influence, mercy and love. We are to talk about it. We are to share. We are to say thank you.
Some people learn by example, others learn by experience. Unfortunately, I’m the kind that learns by experience. And, as the psalmist says, THANKS TO GOD for he is good and his love endures forever! Part of me is looking forward to when I get to heaven so that God (and my mother) can look back over my life, hand me my sign and we can have a good chuckle.
Brenda Hicks is the Director of Financial Aid at Southwestern College
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his
love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of
the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed
from the land of the foe, 3 those he gathered
from the lands, from east and west, from north
and south.
17 Some became fools through their rebellious
ways and suffered affliction because of their
iniquities. 18 They loathed all food and drew
near the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to
the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from
their distress. 20 He sent out his word and healed
them; he rescued them from the grave. 21 Let
them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing
love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. 22
Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his
works with songs of joy.
“Here’s Your Sign” goes the bit made popular by comedian Bill Engvall. And I wonder, how many times a day does God peer down on earth and think that in his head? I’m fairly certain it’s been thrown my way more than a few times.
The writer of this Thanksgiving psalm starts by reminding us that God is good. God’s love for us is unfailing – forever. And even when we are fools, even when we mess up, even when we do stupid things – his mercy is there if we call on him. How convicting! Why is it that we stubbornly attempt to solve problems we face on our own? Why is it that we wait until things get a little out of hand to turn to God and ask for help?
Fortunately, we eventually remember. God is there. God is with us. God will help. And so we ask. And so we pray. And God sends us help. But! The psalmist is reminding us that our job is not done. “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story!” We are to look for God’s influence, mercy and love. We are to talk about it. We are to share. We are to say thank you.
Some people learn by example, others learn by experience. Unfortunately, I’m the kind that learns by experience. And, as the psalmist says, THANKS TO GOD for he is good and his love endures forever! Part of me is looking forward to when I get to heaven so that God (and my mother) can look back over my life, hand me my sign and we can have a good chuckle.
Brenda Hicks is the Director of Financial Aid at Southwestern College
Thursday, March 12, 2015
A Double Rainbow and a Single Promise
Genesis 9:8-17 (NIV)
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with
him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you
and with your descendants after you 10 and with
every living creature that was with you—the birds,
the livestock and all the wild animals, all those
that came out of the ark with you—every living
creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with
you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the
waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood
to destroy the earth.”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant
I am making between me and you and every living
creature with you, a covenant for all generations
to come:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds,
and it will be the sign of the covenant between me
and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over
the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
15 I will remember my covenant between me and
you and all living creatures of every kind. Never
again will the waters become a flood to destroy
all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the
clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting
covenant between God and all living creatures
of every kind on the earth.”
17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the
covenant I have established between me and all
life on the earth.”
Before you read this, I would like to direct you to the video below. Go ahead, go click on it. I’ll wait. Meet you back here when you’re done.
Maggie Collett is a graduate student and Graduate Fellow for Student Life and Leadership.
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with
him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you
and with your descendants after you 10 and with
every living creature that was with you—the birds,
the livestock and all the wild animals, all those
that came out of the ark with you—every living
creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with
you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the
waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood
to destroy the earth.”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant
I am making between me and you and every living
creature with you, a covenant for all generations
to come:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds,
and it will be the sign of the covenant between me
and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over
the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
15 I will remember my covenant between me and
you and all living creatures of every kind. Never
again will the waters become a flood to destroy
all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the
clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting
covenant between God and all living creatures
of every kind on the earth.”
17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the
covenant I have established between me and all
life on the earth.”
Before you read this, I would like to direct you to the video below. Go ahead, go click on it. I’ll wait. Meet you back here when you’re done.
Are you back? Awesome. Could you feel that guy’s uncontained joy just at the sight of a rainbow (excuse me, a DOUBLE rainbow)? I can’t remember the last time I ever got that excited about a rainbow but I probably should be that excited about a rainbow because it’s so much more than just some light refracting through some water vapor. At 1:20 in the video, we hear the guy exclaim, “What does it mean?!” I’ll tell you what it means, friend: it means God loves us a whole lot. A covenant, by definition, is an agreement. So technically there should be two sides to this deal; God promised that He would never again destroy all life by a flood but what do we need to do in exchange? What’s the catch? That’s the awesome part: there is no catch. God’s promise to Noah was unconditional and completely based on His faithfulness alone. That’s how much He loves us. And we are reminded of how much He loves us every time we see a rainbow. So while, no, I will probably never break down into uncontrollable sobs at the sight of a (double) rainbow, I will always remember God’s promise, His faithfulness, and His unfailing love. And that is something worth getting excited about.
Maggie Collett is a graduate student and Graduate Fellow for Student Life and Leadership.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
In His Eyes
Mark 11:15-19 (The Voice)
15 They continued into Jerusalem
and made their way up to the temple.
Upon reaching the temple that morning,
Jesus dealt with those who were
selling and buying animals for sacrifices
and drove them out of the area. He
turned over the tables of those who
exchanged money for the temple pilgrims
and the seats of those selling birds,
16 and He physically prevented anyone
from carrying anything through the temple.
Jesus (to those who were listening):
17 Didn't the prophets write, “My house
will be called a house of prayer, for
all the people”? But you have made it
into a “haven for thieves.”
At the temple, Jesus responds in shock
to the scene before Him. He acts
decisively and with great emotion against
those who have turned God’s house
into a place where pilgrims are exploited.
He has a message and, like the prophets
of old, this message is better seen than
heard. Because the temple leadership
has allowed profiteers and merchants
to set up shop in the court of the Gentiles,
they are making ridiculous profits. For
the people who come long distances to
worship, it is a normal practice to have
merchants selling animals for the
pilgrims to sacrifice. What is not normal
and what is immoral is where and how
they transact business. Jesus takes issue
with robbers profiteering in His Father’s
house.
18 The chief priests and the scribes heard
these words and knew Jesus was referring
to them, so they plotted His destruction.
They had grown afraid of Him because
His teachings struck the crowds into
astonishment. 19 When evening came,
[Jesus and His followers] left the city again.
I ask the same question every time I read this passage, Jesus is mad? I don’t recall any other Biblical narrative that tells us about Jesus getting angry. It just isn't normal…furthermore, He’s always preaching and teaching about love, kindness and forgiveness… Well, this version of the text provides a more plausible explanation of Jesus flipping tables. According to this translation, it was normal to have merchants selling animals for sacrificial purposes back then. The problem lies in the way they transact business. It is very possible that these merchants were dishonest in their business and Jesus most probably knew that the only way to reveal their dishonesty was by turning the tables for the public to see. There’s a lesson here which is easy to miss: Love what is righteous and protect it from the unrighteous. We’d be less selfish if we all stood up for what is right, and if we came to honor what is sacred (the House of Prayer) in our Father’s eyes in order to achieve what we hope for – a restored relationship with Christ because it is for all people.
Deborah Martin is a junior pursuing a B.A. in Music with a minor in Business Administration.
15 They continued into Jerusalem
and made their way up to the temple.
Upon reaching the temple that morning,
Jesus dealt with those who were
selling and buying animals for sacrifices
and drove them out of the area. He
turned over the tables of those who
exchanged money for the temple pilgrims
and the seats of those selling birds,
16 and He physically prevented anyone
from carrying anything through the temple.
Jesus (to those who were listening):
17 Didn't the prophets write, “My house
will be called a house of prayer, for
all the people”? But you have made it
into a “haven for thieves.”
At the temple, Jesus responds in shock
to the scene before Him. He acts
decisively and with great emotion against
those who have turned God’s house
into a place where pilgrims are exploited.
He has a message and, like the prophets
of old, this message is better seen than
heard. Because the temple leadership
has allowed profiteers and merchants
to set up shop in the court of the Gentiles,
they are making ridiculous profits. For
the people who come long distances to
worship, it is a normal practice to have
merchants selling animals for the
pilgrims to sacrifice. What is not normal
and what is immoral is where and how
they transact business. Jesus takes issue
with robbers profiteering in His Father’s
house.
18 The chief priests and the scribes heard
these words and knew Jesus was referring
to them, so they plotted His destruction.
They had grown afraid of Him because
His teachings struck the crowds into
astonishment. 19 When evening came,
[Jesus and His followers] left the city again.
I ask the same question every time I read this passage, Jesus is mad? I don’t recall any other Biblical narrative that tells us about Jesus getting angry. It just isn't normal…furthermore, He’s always preaching and teaching about love, kindness and forgiveness… Well, this version of the text provides a more plausible explanation of Jesus flipping tables. According to this translation, it was normal to have merchants selling animals for sacrificial purposes back then. The problem lies in the way they transact business. It is very possible that these merchants were dishonest in their business and Jesus most probably knew that the only way to reveal their dishonesty was by turning the tables for the public to see. There’s a lesson here which is easy to miss: Love what is righteous and protect it from the unrighteous. We’d be less selfish if we all stood up for what is right, and if we came to honor what is sacred (the House of Prayer) in our Father’s eyes in order to achieve what we hope for – a restored relationship with Christ because it is for all people.
Deborah Martin is a junior pursuing a B.A. in Music with a minor in Business Administration.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
From Pointe to a Place
Psalm 84 (NASB)
How lovely are your dwelling
places
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longed and even yearned
for
the courts of the Lord
My heart and my flesh sing for
joy to the
living God.
The bird also has found and
house,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of
hosts,
My King and my God.
How blessed are those who dwell
in
Your house!
They are ever praising You. Selah.
How blessed is the man whose
strength
is in You.
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
Passing through the valley of
Baca they
make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it
with
blessings.
They go from strength to
strength,
Every one of them appears before God
in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my
prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your
anointed.
For a day in Your courts is
better than a
thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the
threshold of
the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and
shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold
from
those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts
in
You!
I was playing the game Headbandz
this weekend (if you don’t know what that is, you are missing out on life) and
I was reminded about something elementary but interesting: A place doesn’t have
to be a building.
I was once again reminded of this
when I think of one of my favorite comical quotes from one of my favorite
cartoons: “You will always hold a special place
in the organ that pumps my blood.”
So, when the scripture began
discussing places, I was all like, “CHURCH BUILDING TABERNACLES THINGS
YEAH!!!!” And then…….souls and hearts and bird’s nest. I was clearly very far
off from what the scripture actually had in mind of places.
But this is exciting! Do you know
what this means? It means that if hearts are places (yes, the organ that pumps
your blood) then that means feet are places, too!
Okay maybe that is not as
exciting for you as it is for me.
I have been trained in ballet for
nearly my entire life, and for two years I danced en pointe. I do realize that
a majority of dancers dance en pointe for much longer than that, and I salute
them, but I really felt like I got a good grasp of the strength it takes to
dance en pointe and make it look
effortless. The key to all of this is *insert dramatic drum roll here*
strength!!
So, preparing to dance en pointe
takes a long time. Like, I’m talking three to four years of footwork and
pre-pointe classes (and crying what?). And then, you get the shoes. Contrary to
popular belief, there are a few more steps before you actually get to dance in
the new shoes.
I guess finding the correct shoes
to fit your foot is a step of its own. There are different companies that make
pointe shoes, like Capezio, Grishko, Bloch, Freed, and about a million others.
Then there are styles. Let’s just not talk about those. My pointe is (what a
pun) that there are a lot of different types of pointe shoes out there, and not
all feet fit into all shoes.
Then comes the fun part! (Not
really) After you spend your life savings on a pair of pointe shoes, you get to
sew them to fit your foot! Yes, you have
to sew them because your foot is
different than every other foot on the planet, and it is up to you to make those shoes 100% yours. It’s beautiful and patience
testing, but it is also annoying, and, well, patience testing.
Now that you have your shoes sewn
you actually get the chance to dance in them. This requires even more months of
footwork, adjustments, crying (what?), band-aids (blisters are real, my
friend), and strength.
Oh, look! It’s that word again!
It’s like it wants to be in my blog post!
“They come from strength to
strength.” I really like the idea that “they” being the men whose strength is
in God have the ability to be seen as coming from strengths. It is like
strengths are places and each man comes from a different places before the
Lord.
But why did I talk about pointe
shoes?
You ask wonderful questions. I
come from a place in my life where strengths are not only places, but they are
journeys. Working in my pointe shoes took much more than two years of my life,
and it took a big role in forming who I am today. There is a place on my body
that has gained strength due to a transformational journey God dwelled in.
Places are not stationary, so
when we reread the beginning of this scripture “How lovely are your dwelling
places O Lord of hosts!” understand that this place does not have to be a
building. It does not have to be an inanimate object. It does not have to have
deep Biblical history. The place can be you, and you can come from a place of
strength within yourself.
Carlene Dick is a sophomore
majoring in elementary education at Southwestern College.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Walking in Faith
Exodus 19:16-25 (NIV)
16 On the morning of the third day there
was thunder and lightning, with a thick
cloud over the mountain, and a very loud
trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
17 Then Moses led the people out of the
camp to meet with God, and they stood at
the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai
was covered with smoke, because the LORD
descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed
up from it like smoke from a furnace, and
the whole mountain trembled violently.
19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder
and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of
God answered him.
20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount
Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain.
So Moses went up 21 and the LORD said to him,
“Go down and warn the people so they do not
force their way through to see the LORD and
many of them perish. 22 Even the priests,
who approach the LORD, must consecrate
themselves, or the LORD will break out against
them.”
23 Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot
come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned
us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart
as holy.’”
24 The LORD replied, “Go down and bring
Aaron up with you. But the priests and the
people must not force their way through to
come up to the LORD, or he will break out
against them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and
told them.
All my life, I have asked questions like: How come? Why should I? What’s that do? How does that work? What will that mean? What for? and so on. It is not a bad thing to question. I have learned a lot by asking questions. Jesus invites questions and discussion. The college is built on the idea that asking questions is important to learning.
In today’s passage, Moses is trying to understand what is going on, and why. I can relate to that. Can you? I think we all can. So for today, I suggest our meditation time lead us to how we faithfully respond to God in times when the explanation is not clear. An old hymn my grandparents use to sing a lot was: “Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be faithful to Jesus, than to trust and obey”. And in this lies the tension for which we must pray and rely on the Holy Spirit to give us discernment.
When to seek understanding and when to walk out in faith. Much of our lives involve some of both. Sometimes a lot of both.
My prayer today and every day is: give me the curiosity to learn your ways Lord, and the faith to be obedient like Moses when I am called and I don’t understand why.
Steve Wilke is the VP of planning and new programs and the Executive Director of the Institute for Discipleship at Southwestern College.
16 On the morning of the third day there
was thunder and lightning, with a thick
cloud over the mountain, and a very loud
trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
17 Then Moses led the people out of the
camp to meet with God, and they stood at
the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai
was covered with smoke, because the LORD
descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed
up from it like smoke from a furnace, and
the whole mountain trembled violently.
19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder
and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of
God answered him.
20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount
Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain.
So Moses went up 21 and the LORD said to him,
“Go down and warn the people so they do not
force their way through to see the LORD and
many of them perish. 22 Even the priests,
who approach the LORD, must consecrate
themselves, or the LORD will break out against
them.”
23 Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot
come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned
us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart
as holy.’”
24 The LORD replied, “Go down and bring
Aaron up with you. But the priests and the
people must not force their way through to
come up to the LORD, or he will break out
against them.”
25 So Moses went down to the people and
told them.
All my life, I have asked questions like: How come? Why should I? What’s that do? How does that work? What will that mean? What for? and so on. It is not a bad thing to question. I have learned a lot by asking questions. Jesus invites questions and discussion. The college is built on the idea that asking questions is important to learning.
In today’s passage, Moses is trying to understand what is going on, and why. I can relate to that. Can you? I think we all can. So for today, I suggest our meditation time lead us to how we faithfully respond to God in times when the explanation is not clear. An old hymn my grandparents use to sing a lot was: “Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be faithful to Jesus, than to trust and obey”. And in this lies the tension for which we must pray and rely on the Holy Spirit to give us discernment.
When to seek understanding and when to walk out in faith. Much of our lives involve some of both. Sometimes a lot of both.
My prayer today and every day is: give me the curiosity to learn your ways Lord, and the faith to be obedient like Moses when I am called and I don’t understand why.
Steve Wilke is the VP of planning and new programs and the Executive Director of the Institute for Discipleship at Southwestern College.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Continuous Grace
Acts 7:30-40 (NIV)
30 “Forty years later, an angel appeared to
Moses in the flame of a burning bush in the
wilderness near Mount Sinai. 31 Enthralled
by the sight, Moses approached to get a
closer look and he heard the Lord’s voice:
32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Trembling
with fear, Moses didn’t dare to investigate
any further. 33 The Lord continued, ‘Remove
the sandals from your feet, for the place
where you are standing is holy ground. 34
I have clearly seen the oppression my people
have experienced in Egypt, and I have heard
their groaning. I have come down to rescue
them. Come! I am sending you to Egypt.’
35 “This is the same Moses whom they rejected
when they asked, ‘Who appointed you as
our leader and judge?’ This is the Moses whom
God sent as leader and deliverer. God did this
with the help of the angel who appeared
before him in the bush. 36 This man led them
out after he performed wonders and signs in
Egypt at the Red Sea and for forty years in the
wilderness. 37 This is the Moses who told the
Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from your own people.’ 38 This is the
one who was in the assembly in the wilderness
with our ancestors and with the angel who
spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He is the one who
received life-giving words to give to us. 39 He’s
also the one whom our ancestors refused to
obey. Instead, they pushed him aside and,
in their thoughts and desires, returned to Egypt.
40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will lead
us. As for this Moses who led us out of Egypt,
we don’t know what’s happened to him!’
Acts 7 is a speech given by Stephen. Stephen was an outstanding leader and was also the first to give his life for the Gospel. Within this chapter, Stephen is presenting Israel’s relationship with God and relating that specific relationship to how the Jews had constantly rejected God’s message. Stephen reviews Jewish history throughout the chapter and then he talks about a familiar person: Moses. Stephen continues in talking about how the Jews rejected Moses as their leader and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. In verse 40 we can see that the Israelites turned away from the One True God and worshipped false gods, which lead to disobedience.
As we continue the Lenten journey together, I think it is important to examine our own lives. As college students, it is easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of our individual schedules. Sometimes I find myself focusing more on my studies, friends, or any other event than actually focusing in on God: the One who continually keeps His promises! The same God who appeared to Moses appears to us daily in multiple ways! Do we follow him, or do we turn the other way as the Israelites did? God wants to use us just as He used Moses and Stephen!
Caitlyn Martin is a junior majoring in Religion/Philosophy and Elementary Education with a minor in Youth Ministry.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
It's Not About Me
Psalm 19 (NIV)
1 The heavens declare the glory of
God; the skies proclaim the work of
his hands. 2 Day after day they
pour forth speech; night after night
they reveal knowledge. 3 They have
no speech, they use no words; no
sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their
voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent
for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom
coming out of his chamber, like a
champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and
makes its circuit to the other; nothing
is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul. The statutes of the
Lord are trustworthy, making wise the
simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are
right, giving joy to the heart. The
commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of
the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The
decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of
them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold; they are sweeter
than honey, than honey from the
honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is
warned; in keeping them there is great
reward. 12 But who can discern their
own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful
sins; may they not rule over me. Then I
will be blameless, innocent of great
transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this
meditation of my heart be pleasing in
your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
While reading the first several verses of this chapter I kept thinking that God is just so amazing, everything that He created is in constant awe and praise of His awesome power. It got me thinking about how I live my life and if I live in the constant state of awe and Praise that He deserves. Everything that God does, He has done because He loves me and He will never stop loving me. Through all of my struggles and sins of this life He is constantly there with me. That is what this passage reminded me of. Everything that is in The Lord is pure and righteous so everything that I do for Him should be pure and righteous. That is easier said than done, but when you think about it, nothing could be simpler. Verse 7 says that “The law of the lord is perfect, refreshing the soul” when I remember that a perfect God gave me perfect laws to follow through his perfect son by perfect love, living a pure and righteous life comes as easy as it gets. It is when I look to the world or myself for guidance that I stray from the path. The point that I am trying to get at from this scripture is that everything in the universe was made by a perfect God and everything that is in the universe worships Him for all eternity. So why on earth would I not want to join in on the greatest party that is ever going to happen? Spending my entire life praising God with all that I have and all that I am seems like the best possible way one can spend his or her life. Christ gave his life so that I may live, the least I can do is live that life in a way that would bring Him all the Glory. After all, it isn't my life I’m living in the first place, He lives through me.
Robert Hernandez is a junior majoring in History and secondary education.
1 The heavens declare the glory of
God; the skies proclaim the work of
his hands. 2 Day after day they
pour forth speech; night after night
they reveal knowledge. 3 They have
no speech, they use no words; no
sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their
voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent
for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom
coming out of his chamber, like a
champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and
makes its circuit to the other; nothing
is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul. The statutes of the
Lord are trustworthy, making wise the
simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are
right, giving joy to the heart. The
commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of
the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The
decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of
them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold; they are sweeter
than honey, than honey from the
honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is
warned; in keeping them there is great
reward. 12 But who can discern their
own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful
sins; may they not rule over me. Then I
will be blameless, innocent of great
transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this
meditation of my heart be pleasing in
your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
While reading the first several verses of this chapter I kept thinking that God is just so amazing, everything that He created is in constant awe and praise of His awesome power. It got me thinking about how I live my life and if I live in the constant state of awe and Praise that He deserves. Everything that God does, He has done because He loves me and He will never stop loving me. Through all of my struggles and sins of this life He is constantly there with me. That is what this passage reminded me of. Everything that is in The Lord is pure and righteous so everything that I do for Him should be pure and righteous. That is easier said than done, but when you think about it, nothing could be simpler. Verse 7 says that “The law of the lord is perfect, refreshing the soul” when I remember that a perfect God gave me perfect laws to follow through his perfect son by perfect love, living a pure and righteous life comes as easy as it gets. It is when I look to the world or myself for guidance that I stray from the path. The point that I am trying to get at from this scripture is that everything in the universe was made by a perfect God and everything that is in the universe worships Him for all eternity. So why on earth would I not want to join in on the greatest party that is ever going to happen? Spending my entire life praising God with all that I have and all that I am seems like the best possible way one can spend his or her life. Christ gave his life so that I may live, the least I can do is live that life in a way that would bring Him all the Glory. After all, it isn't my life I’m living in the first place, He lives through me.
Robert Hernandez is a junior majoring in History and secondary education.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
Psalm 105 (New American Standard)
The LORD’S Wonderful Works in Behalf of Israel
105 Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon
His name; Make known His deeds among the
peoples. 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders. 3 Glory in His holy
name; Let the heart of those who seek the
LORD be glad. 4 Seek the LORD and His
strength; Seek His face continually. 5 Remember
His wonders which He has done, His marvels
and the judgments uttered by His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of
Jacob, His chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our
God; His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand
generations, 9 The covenant which He made
with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. 10 Then
He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To
Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 Saying,
“To you I will give the land of Canaan As
the portion of your inheritance,”
37 Then He brought them out with silver and
gold, And among His tribes there was not one
who stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad when they
departed, For the dread of them had fallen
upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to illumine by night. 40 They asked,
and He brought quail, And satisfied them with
the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock
and water flowed out; It ran in the dry places
like a river. 42 For He remembered His holy
word With Abraham His servant;
43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout. 44 He
gave them also the lands of the nations, That
they might take possession of the fruit of the
peoples’ labor, 45 So that they might keep
His statutes And observe His laws, Praise the LORD!
Back when my four boys were youngsters, getting them dressed to go someplace was a huge effort. With only five years between the oldest and the youngest, they had all of the orderliness of a box full of puppies and they all needed help at the same time.
Find the clothes—two socks and two shoes for every single kid? Impossible! Are the right clothes are on the right kid—no, that one is too small for you. Give it to your brother. Oh, no! Did the baby just spit up all over his shirt?
That was the case until I discovered the key to getting ready—preparation. I began organizing the getting-dressed process. By finding clothes in advance (including socks and shoes) and setting out the going-out clothes for each boy, I had time to take care of any last-minute spit-ups or emergencies, and the boys learned their responsibilities for getting dressed and on the road.
Preparation was indispensable.
God knows the important of preparation—He invented it. When He called the Israelites to leave Egypt for the Canaan, he prepared a leader to take them there, he prepared a place for them live, and he prepared livelihoods for them to step into.
Now we are in the midst of the greatest preparation God has ever made. During Lent, as we ready our hearts through spending time with Him in prayer and reflection, we remember that by sending Christ as our Savior, God has prepared an eternal home for us, and given us the means to arrive in this eternal home.
He prepares us for both the journey and the destination. Now we can be ready.
Sara Weinert is vice president for communications at Southwestern College.
The LORD’S Wonderful Works in Behalf of Israel
105 Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon
His name; Make known His deeds among the
peoples. 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders. 3 Glory in His holy
name; Let the heart of those who seek the
LORD be glad. 4 Seek the LORD and His
strength; Seek His face continually. 5 Remember
His wonders which He has done, His marvels
and the judgments uttered by His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of
Jacob, His chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our
God; His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand
generations, 9 The covenant which He made
with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. 10 Then
He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To
Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 Saying,
“To you I will give the land of Canaan As
the portion of your inheritance,”
37 Then He brought them out with silver and
gold, And among His tribes there was not one
who stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad when they
departed, For the dread of them had fallen
upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to illumine by night. 40 They asked,
and He brought quail, And satisfied them with
the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock
and water flowed out; It ran in the dry places
like a river. 42 For He remembered His holy
word With Abraham His servant;
43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout. 44 He
gave them also the lands of the nations, That
they might take possession of the fruit of the
peoples’ labor, 45 So that they might keep
His statutes And observe His laws, Praise the LORD!
Back when my four boys were youngsters, getting them dressed to go someplace was a huge effort. With only five years between the oldest and the youngest, they had all of the orderliness of a box full of puppies and they all needed help at the same time.
Find the clothes—two socks and two shoes for every single kid? Impossible! Are the right clothes are on the right kid—no, that one is too small for you. Give it to your brother. Oh, no! Did the baby just spit up all over his shirt?
That was the case until I discovered the key to getting ready—preparation. I began organizing the getting-dressed process. By finding clothes in advance (including socks and shoes) and setting out the going-out clothes for each boy, I had time to take care of any last-minute spit-ups or emergencies, and the boys learned their responsibilities for getting dressed and on the road.
Preparation was indispensable.
God knows the important of preparation—He invented it. When He called the Israelites to leave Egypt for the Canaan, he prepared a leader to take them there, he prepared a place for them live, and he prepared livelihoods for them to step into.
Now we are in the midst of the greatest preparation God has ever made. During Lent, as we ready our hearts through spending time with Him in prayer and reflection, we remember that by sending Christ as our Savior, God has prepared an eternal home for us, and given us the means to arrive in this eternal home.
He prepares us for both the journey and the destination. Now we can be ready.
Sara Weinert is vice president for communications at Southwestern College.
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