No one actually saw the resurrection. No one saw Jesus get up and make his way out of the tomb. But story after story unfolds as the wonder and mystery of that first Easter Sunday dawns. What Jesus' followers did see was enough to change their lives and the world as we know it. What will you see?

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- John 20.1-18

// What DID they see?

1. Possibility (v. 1)

2. Mystery (v. 6)

3. Enough (v. 8)

4. Light (v. 12)

5. Gardener (v. 14)

6. Lord (v. 18)

// QUOTE -- “A Christian is one who points at Christ and says, 'I can't prove a thing, but there's something about his eyes and his voice. There's something about the way he carries his head, his hands, the way he carries his cross—the way he carries me.’” (Frederick Buechner)

// Whatever you see, God can work with that. Just keep looking until you see resurrection life bursting through.

What do you see when you look at Jesus on the cross? A scene of suffering and violence? An expression of sacrifice and love? We explore and invite you to behold the mystery and victory of the cross in this brief video reflection. Then, follow along with the accompanying guide by clicking "Resources" (if you're accessing this on our website) for reading, reflecting, and praying.

On Palm Sunday the Church tells the familiar story of Jesus' triumphal entry into the holy city as King. What a road trip! There's just something about this procession that's different from every other Passover pilgrimage. Maybe it's the song? Maybe it's the ride Jesus is taking? ...Maybe it's all of his followers' expectations reaching a fever pitch? It's one thing to wave a branch and throw down your coat. But as Jesus weeps amidst the rejoicing, will we actually recognize what's going on and pick up a cross at the end of the road?

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Luke 19.28-44

// PRAYER FOR PALM SUNDAY (Book of Common Prayer) -- It is right to praise you, Almighty God, for the acts of love by which you have redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph, and was proclaimed as King of kings by those who spread their garments and branches of palm along his way. Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

// THE ROAD TRIP -- the tunes, the time, the ride = all those expectations!

// BIG QUESTIONS --

- If you want to wave a branch, are you willing to carry a cross?

- If you’re willing to lay down your coat, are you willing to lay down your agendas?

- When are our own expectations, agendas, and actions taking precedent of what Jesus is doing?

// ATTENTION = TIME = LIFE

// REFLECT --

- Who am I unwilling to love?

- What am I unwilling to give?

- Where am I unwilling to serve?

// BIG IDEA -- But why should I lay down my own expectations, agendas, and LIFE? Because there's love and life to be found on the other side of sacrifice and death.

// To follow Jesus on Palm Sunday invites us to follow all the way to the end of the road on the other side of the city. Those who lose their lives on Friday will find it in the garden on Sunday.

We tell stories in order to understand ourselves and the world around us. When we don't have all the answers, our brains naturally connect the dots into a story that gives us some sort of meaning. Stories give shape to our lives and our understanding. The problem, of course, is that some stories aren't true or helpful. In fact, some stories can be harmful. What are the stories we tell ourselves? What are the stories we tell ourselves about God? What if Jesus has a better story to tell? What would happen if we adopted and internalized the story Jesus tells of a radically forgiving Father who is generous with his grace toward his lost children? Maybe, like Jesus, we'd finally start celebrating at his table.

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Luke 15.1-2; 11-32

// What's the story you're telling?

1. Adopting the Narratives of Jesus

2. Engaging in Soul Training

3. Participating in Community

// JAMES BRYAN SMITH, The Good and Beautiful God

// The problem with the YOUNGER brother is that he forgot WHO he was. Replace our false narrative with a better story. ACCEPT THAT WE ARE ACCEPTED (AND SO IS YOUR BROTHER). Save your speech, surrender to the embrace. You're not too far to start heading back home. So are we coming to the party or not?

// The problem with the older brother is he forgot WHOSE he was. Jesus is NOT correcting Jewish ideas about God. God's always been a looking and longing Father. JESUS IS INVITING US TO INTERNALIZE THE IMAGE OF WHO GOD TRULY IS. God's not penny-pinching...God is prodigal. God's not cold and unapproachable...God is joyful and ready to welcome his wayward children. So are we coming to the party or not?

This week we're removing the varnish that Jesus and his grace are exclusively ours, avoiding the pitfalls of being convinced of our own righteousness, and acknowledging the journey of Jesus in progress--moving towards inclusion of those who the "Moral" have excluded.

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Luke 18.9-14; Luke 19.1-10

Jesus re-tells a rabbinic folktale with a twist ending to an audience who are in danger of missing the point of life. Ironically, modern readers often miss the point of this parable -- thinking that this story offers only a visceral glimpse into hell. But what if Jesus' point isn't about the afterlife but THIS life and how we live it right now? And if so, what IS the point anyway?

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Luke 16.19-31

// In what way is Jesus inviting us to see him more clearly this week?

// What is the varnish that needs removing from our image of Jesus and his way?

// SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT HELL...

- OT: Sheol / Greek: Hades / Gospels: Gehenna

- God alone is immortal (1 Tim. 6.16)

- God gives Life (John 3.16, 10.28, 17.2; Rom. 2.7, 6.23, 1 Co. 15.42-54, Ga. 6.8; 1 Jo. 5.11...)

- To reject Life is to choose death

- This separation is eternal in consequence, not eternal conscious torment...

- Eternal destruction (2 Thess. 1.9)

- Eternal punishment (Matt. 25.46)

- Eternal judgment (Heb. 6.2)

- Eternal redemption (Heb. 5.9, 9.12)

- Lake of fire as second death (Rev. 20.14-15)

- "Hell is the love of God refused" (Brian Zahnd, "Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God," 140)

- "The doors of hell are locked on the inside." (C. S. Lewis, "The Problem of Pain," 126)

// Our lives are on a trajectory. We were created in love, for love, and it is to Love we shall return. How will we experience this Love? The choice to love is ours.

Jesus liked to use the mustard seed as a metaphor for faith. The mustard seed may be small but there is enough life packed inside to allow the seed to sprout, grow, and transform into something larger. So we better leave room for it to grow. Too often religious people think we have this "Faith" figured out. We have all the answers and we know all the plays in the playbook of spirituality. But the sooner we can admit that there is room for our seeds of faith to grow, the sooner we can start seeking and finding new experiences in our faith journey.

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Matthew 17.14-21

// A few words about "FAITH"

- "Faith" at its core literally means "Trust"

- Faith involves belief but moves beyond it

- Faith is practical reliance on the living God

- Faith must become life-tested

- "Faith is organic, living, and capable of growth. Faith is like a seed, not a coin.

// In what way is Jesus inviting us to see him more clearly this week?

// What is the varnish that removing from our image of Jesus and his way?

Can we admit that we have added layers of meaning (or even misunderstanding!) to our image of Jesus and our assumptions about his way? Some layers we've inherited, others we've discovered, some have creeped in from our culture. Not all layers need removing (like, "Jesus is Lord!") but all layers need examining. Jesus is too surprising & compelling to stop seeking & finding. This message kicks off our Lenten series "The Unvarnished Jesus."

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Luke 9.18-27

// SERIES QUESTIONS --

1. What is the varnish that needs removing from our image of Jesus & his way?

2. In what way is Jesus inviting us to see him more clearly this week?

// BIG IDEA 1 -- There is no red-carpet route to glory on our journey with Jesus...the path to life goes through death.

// If Jesus looked at you and asked, "What about you...who do you say I am?" How would you answer?

// BIG IDEA 2 -- Hold loosely the things of this world, cling tightly to Jesus. When things are hard, lean hard into love.

There comes a point in spirituality when, if we're not careful, we miss THE point. Somewhere along the way, seeking can get traded for settling, passion can get traded for routine, and serving others can get traded for ignoring others. Jesus and the prophets wake us up and call us not to neglect spiritual practices altogether, but to use them as a way of reclaiming what really matters most. This is vital as we enter the season of Lent and pick up the tools of giving, praying, and fasting. Don't miss the point. Instead, will we re-focus and journey toward the cross and empty tomb?

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Isaiah 58.1-10

// Lent is the only season in the church calendar that is focused on us. It's a season to help us re-focus our lives on what really matters. Lent gives the church 3 tools (giving, praying, and fasting) to help us re-align our lives with God's life-giving way.

// Empty Religion Cycle -- a deep commitment to ritual with a heart that's far from God.

- Stop listening to God

- Keep doing your rituals because it's tradition and you "get something" out of it

- Forget what we're here to do

// Formation for Mission Cycle --

- We give because God gave

- We fast and pray not to get God to give us what we want but to be properly formed for God's mission

- We love because God loves

// Jesus taught us not to neglect the practice but to reclaim the point (Matthew 6). The love of God is working in you when love of neighbor is flowing out of you (Like God wants for his people in Isaiah 58).

// "FASTING is the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity." (RICHARD FOSTER, The Celebration of Discipline)

// We disengage to more fully engage with God.

Our 5th and final Core Practice is "Bring Peace." The English word "Peace" doesn't quite capture the holistic kind of flourishing that the Hebrew word for peace does. "Shalom" is a word that conveys the well-being that's possible when all is right with the world. God in Christ through the Holy Spirit has undertaken a peace-making project as his kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. And here's the Good News...God is looking for co-laborers. Will we join God in bringing peace to our families, neighborhood, and world?

NOTES --

// SCRIPTURE FOCUS -- Luke 9.1-9

// CORE PRACTICE 5 -- We commit to partner with God in his mission to bring his Shalom (holistic peace and well-being) to our neighborhood and world.

// Shalom is present when the kingdom of God is resident. Every moment of Jesus' ministry was an announcement or enactment of the kingdom of God.

// “Jesus is the kingdom of God in person.” -- ORIGEN (c. 185 – c. 253)

// BIG IDEA -- God's still looking for co-laborers in his Shalom project. Jesus gives what he has to do what he does how he does it to make the kingdom visible in the world.

// Shalom work is a matter of "Show and Tell"

// THE GOSPEL -- In 1 word: Jesus. In 3 words: Jesus is Lord. In 38 words: The Good News that Jesus--through his life, death, and resurrection--is the reigning Lord of heaven and earth and all people are invited to live in God's kingdom, filled with God's Spirit, free from sin and death.

// How we do what we do matters to a watching world

1. Refuse hate (Matt. 5.43-44)

2. Release retaliation (Matt. 5.38-42)

3. Resolve conflict (Matt. 5.23-25)

// “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” (FREDERICK BUECHNER, Wishful Thinking)