The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the apex of the Christian faith. It is a demonstration of what God has done out of his love for us. But it is also a miracle which we struggle with the most in understanding. The resurrection of Jesus from death is supposed to be good news to us, so why do we still struggle with accepting such an act? What does this new age of Christ’s rule mean? How does it invite us, in the lives we currently live, to be active participants within it?

The celebration of Palm Sunday, and the events of the Passion, stand in complete contrast to one another. How can the same people who celebrated Jesus as the King of Israel also call for his torture and death? How can a people who said that Jesus had come in God’s name then call him a blasphemer? And if this is what our ancient faith ancestors did, what is it we are capable of? Do we repeat the events of Palm Sunday and Passion Week on a daily basis, and is Jesus’ example a way to end this tension in our souls?

The pursuit of happiness and fulfillment in this life is sometimes a dead end. We desire a life without pain or suffering, but it is unavoidable when following the way of Jesus. Often the church teaches a Jesus who would rather make us happy, than stand with us in the storms of life. In his life and ministry, Jesus was willing to endure so much in order to reintroduce the people of Israel to the true God of their ancestors. What are we willing to do in order to receive, and accept, such a message?

Everyone has a part of themselves they do not like, a past which makes them ashamed, which they fear makes the rest of society judge and shun them. They also make us see ourselves as broken, useless, and of no help to anybody. But God never uses our past to shame or punish us, but to uplift and help us realize what we truly need. In times of our own self-doubt, what will we look to which will shine our past in a more generous light?

A jarring and scary thing to have happen is confronting someone you though you knew well, but who acts totally different. That is what happens this week in scripture with Jesus. We see him acting in a way which is totally contrary to how we imagine him! But sometimes, that bit of difference and challenge is needed for our lives. To make us focus on what we are representing, and what we value in our lives.

Sometimes we all come across a piece of scripture which rubs us the wrong way. A part of the story of God which has caused misunderstanding for so long, and confusion for so many. But, by coming to it with a honestly of how we feel about it, and a willingness to see past how it has been used, can produce a faith and opportunity to grow beyond what we could imagine.

Lent is a time of discovery and focus, of understanding what God has said to us before and guided us when we were least expecting it. Some questions and understandings of the world might be seen as childish and naïve by some. But are they an opportunity to understand how the God of this world operates, what he offers in terms of healed and ordered world, and our part to play to make it a reality?

Valentine’s Day is more than just a holiday of card, chocolates, stuffed animals, and fancy dinners. It reflects the idea of what we are willing to do as individuals, and as the people of God, to demonstrate our willingness to reflect his goodness. And going into the season of Lent, it is a challenge to each of us responding to God’s call in our lives: how are we willing to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross?

Many of us think that knowledge alone is enough to handle a situation. All we need are all the facts, good observation, and a proper plan of action and we can fix anything! But what happens if there is a problem, a variable which we did not account for? What if it is a person who is getting in the way of our “perfect” plan? Is knowledge enough the do the work of God, or is there something more?

With our nation in a moment of transition, and leadership change, it is a moment to stop and think about what it means to be one people. Unity is a word which has been thrown around as of late, but what does it mean? How do we unify as one people again? How can the people of God be one in the mission and calling God gives us?