Commons Church Podcast

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

The legend of Esther is about a Jewish queen in the Persian empire. It’s a story of imperial power, wise beauty, and devious plots. It’s got lavish banquets, rebel queens, and conniving court officials. The story of Queen Esther is found in the Hebrew Festival Scroll. The Book of Esther is tied to the Feast of Purim. It’s a feast that celebrates the near-miss of disaster. It celebrates all the times we are outnumbered but aren’t ruined, bullied but not overwhelmed, pushed to the sidelines only to find our voice needed at the centre of the story. In and amongst a great story is the human predicament of what we become when we are threatened. Will we rise to become greater than we thought we could be? Or will threat turn us against those we love and those we are meant to serve? The book of Esther isn’t explicit in its language of God. But you will find wisdom in the workings of relationships, in the challenge of power that abuses, and in the strength of a young woman who shouldn’t be anyone’s hero ... but is. 

Easter Sunday is here. We have arrived. This morning, we woke up knowing that this is not the end of the story. 

On Easter Sunday we hear this resounding response:
 “Love is always stronger than death, and unto love you have now returned.” 

So, welcome to Easter! To the Feast of Feasts! The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world. 

Feel it, savour it, allow it to renew you too. 

Hear God sing over you: 

“I order you, o sleeper, to awake!
 I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.
 Rise up, work of my hands, you were created in my image.
 Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you.
 Together we form only one person and we cannot be separated!” 

In the narrative of Palm Sunday, the crowds surround Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. There’s so much enthusiasm for a new kind of king. Could it be that their liberator is finally here? The crowd shouts, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” It’s a cry for salvation from Psalm 118. It’s a cry to be saved. 

The Palm Sunday celebration is an ancient tradition. Just a few centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection, pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem to rehearse Jesus’ entry into the city. The Palm procession meant a lot to these ancient worshippers of Jesus. Thousands of years later, we enact the story of Jesus’ provocative entrance into the city all over again. 

We wave palm branches, we welcome the children to lead us, we cry out from our own lives, “Save us! Never stop saving us.” May Palm Sunday welcome you into the holiest of weeks. May you not fear your suffering, but sense God’s desire to confront and transform your pain. 

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity. The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey. And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, traveled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now. As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity. The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey. And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, traveled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now. As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity.
The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey.
And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, travelled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now.
As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.

A travelogue is an account of a journey. It can be written with either factual details or as a narrative story but the interplay between the movement through the world and the transformation within the writer presents a unique opportunity.
The writer of Luke takes full advantage of this in his Gospel as Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and begins his journey.
And Jesus walked. He wandered hills, travelled highways, strode across fields, and meandered streets of towns and cities. And as he walked he encountered people, asking them to join him. Once, making his way along the shore of the Galilee, he found some fishermen by the names of Peter and Andrew. He called them to follow him as he walked. They did. That small beginning carried repercussions far beyond whatever they could have initially guessed. To follow Jesus down the road will lead you to a place you cannot see or know now.
As we begin our journey to Easter this Lent, we follow Jesus along the road less traveled. And trust that this will make all the difference.