This Road

The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally focused on Christ as the Good Shepherd. In this passage, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd. One who would lay his life down for his sheep. A shepherd lives with his sheep. Not only does he know each of them, but the sheep know his voice. They know the shepherd's scent and the touch of his hand. The sheep will only follow one shepherd. This is so poignantly stated in Psalm 23, when the Psalmist writes, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." The sheep will follow the shepherd's lead because they know his voice, and they know he will do anything to provide for them. A true shepherd will protect the sheep at all costs, and as a result, the sheep will follow the shepherd's guiding voice.

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Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Petals by Gold Coast

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On the Third Sunday of Easter, I want to ask the question, is any of this real? Last week, we discussed believing without seeing. How our faith must be such that we can trust Jesus is the son of God, even if we can’t see him as Thomas and the disciples did. But, in our scripture passage today, we see a slightly different side of Jesus. “Touch me, and see For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is encouraging his followers to touch him and look upon him. He even ate real food in front of them! This is slightly different than John’s emphasis on believing without seeing. Why now is he so concerned with them seeing and believing?

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Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Stay (Feat. Jessie Villa) by Nu Alkemi$t

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Today is the Second Sunday of Easter. Yes, much like Christmas in the church tradition is more than one day. Easter is a celebration that carries us into Pentecost. Robert Webber says, “Easter is a time to call the church back to its roots,” and I believe this call is just as relevant today.

Traditionally, the Second Sunday of Easter focuses on the story of Thomas and his unbelief. We might know this as the story of “Doubting Thomas,” but that might not be a proper name for this follower of Jesus. In my opinion, he probably wasn’t any less inclined to believe Jesus had risen as the rest of the disciples; he just happened to not be in the room when Jesus appeared.

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Weightless by Caleb Etheridge

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Today is Easter Sunday. It is the culmination of the Christian story. Easter is the recognition that Christ is truly the Son of God and Savior of the world. He has shown power over death and the grave. Today is a day of celebration for all followers of Jesus.

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Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Music:

Shores by Greater Still

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Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, which commemorates the final week of Jesus’ life before being crucified. Traditionally, this week is the most challenging week of Lent, as it asks us to walk prayerfully with Christ toward certain death. But, as mentioned when we began the observance of Lent, death is not the end, but it is, in fact, a glorious new beginning with our Creator.

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Not All Who Wander are Lost by Greater Still

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Have you ever lost something that you can’t live without? Car keys, money, the TV remote? Have you ever lost something that is very near to you? An heirloom? Someone who is close to you? Throughout the course of life, we will encounter loss, and it is never fun. It hurts to lose something or someone that truly matters to us. Yet, in this passage, we hear Jesus say that it is by losing something that we really gain.

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

What is Jesus asking of us?

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Music:

Remember by Gold Coast

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The fourth Sunday of Lent is commonly known as “Rose Sunday.” As opposed to the previous weeks, it is a Sunday that strikes a more joyous note. It begins to shift our focus ever so slightly from an emphasis on our repentance to that of Christ’s healing power. Today, we recognize the joy that comes from salvation.

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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The Lights Within by Moments

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As we walk steadily toward the cross, we come across an interesting portion of scripture. We commonly refer to this moment as "Jesus cleansing the temple," we might be more accurate in saying this is Jesus' protest against the temple system. Quoting the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, Jesus calls into question the heart behind the religious elite. At this moment, he prophecies of a new temple being built, one that Christ will make.

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Music:

Still Waters by Greater Still

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As we enter into the second Sunday of Lent, we face the challenge of denial. In this passage, Jesus asks any who would follow to deny themselves of anything that would hinder them from following him. On the surface, this is a tall task. Deep in our souls, it is even more difficult than our flesh can imagine!

If we are not careful, the power of evil has a strong pull on our lives. It’s interesting how evil can even hide inside seemingly good things? Chocolate, anyone?

In my opinion, one of the modern evils we are facing is that of self-centeredness. I promise I am not trying to go on a rant here, but it stuns me how self-centered our world has become. There are many things to blame, including social media, but I would instead focus on the solution than the problem.

When I read the words of Jesus, I see that the solution is to deny our desires. The desire to build a platform. The desires of being unable to look beyond ourselves. The desire of gratifying our wants with instantaneous, if not short-lived, gratification. All of these desires are the things Jesus is asking us to give up.

Denying ourselves is a big ask, but I think Jesus follows up his big ask by reassuring us that in the end, it will be worth it. Jesus repeatedly mentions how anything we build on earth is pointless once our life is over. But our soul? Our soul can live on.

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Music:

Retreat by Chelsea McGough

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Today marks the first Sunday of Lent, a time when we journey with Christ into death and are reborn through his resurrection. In Mark’s Gospel, one line tells us a dramatic story. “And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.” The early church fathers often used this scripture to compare Adam and his temptation in the garden, with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Paul often uses the terms first Adam and second Adam to describe their purpose in this story of redemption.

According to Robert Webber, “the first Adam did something to us. He brought sin, death, and condemnation and triggered the chain of events that brought ruin to the human family. But the second Adam did something for us. He reversed what the first Adam did, bringing life, righteousness, and justification and setting into motion a new chain of events that will eventually bring redemption to the whole world.”

Notes:

Daily Readings

Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber

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Music:

Rest by Acreage

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