Santa celebrates the Eucharist

We gathered around the lake before dawn waiting for the tell-tale sliver of light to pierce the darkness and announce to all the world that it was Easter Morning, the day of great triumph and that victory over our ancient foe Death was wrought by Christ, our victor!

We had brought bells from our home to join our shouts of Hallelujah and ring in this great day. My beloved deacon, Marios, had brought his bell, as he had done for many years. 

Marios was raised in Cyprus in the Greek Orthodox Church. His love for Christ is palpable and permeates his life to the core. His love for the Church beings tears to his eyes many Sundays. We have wept together, he and I, often during prayer, many a song, and many a Eucharist.

He held his bell with a smile pasted across his entire face. I noticed the figure on top and asked him who it was. Knowing his love for icons and the saints I expected it to be one of his heroes of the faith, a fellow sojourner to shout out the Great Peace of Easter.

"This, oh it's Sant....." came out with his think Greek accent...."a Clause!" Santa Clause!

The entire gathering erupted with laughter! Our first shout into the darkness was joy.

Perfect.This is all that the Great Vigil is...an deep expression of the Ultimate Joy.

My last Sunday my beloved deacon handed me a gift:
 "Father, you have given me a great gift. I have never seen a man celebrate the Eucharist with such joy in my life.  I wanted you to have this to remember the joy." He handed me the bag. It was his Santa Clause bell.

How can I not have such joy? When I look at the plate I see the Body of Christ, not me.

All I can say is thank you. I am not dead. And Lord, neither are you!

It is true. Really, really true.

Ring it out from every hill and mountainside! Christ the Lord is risen to day! Hallelujah!

There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us

"Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?  I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.  And if you had known what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Why would Jesus have confronted the keepers of the Law and the Temple with these words? Did God not command the sacrificial system? 

It's rather simple: 
We can offer our sacrifices without fully understanding the mercy that was given to us. Jesus was clear on this when he spoke of the debtor who's debt had been cancelled and did not show the same mercy (Matthew 18:28ff).

If we know that we have been spared from the wages of sin, which is death, then we will live lives of mercy. 
We will offer forgiveness to those who kill us. 
We will not slander those who slander us. 
We will give to those who cannot pay us back. 

Simply because that is the way of God.  

"There is more mercy in Christ, that sin in us"

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. 

“The Father has given me all these things to do and say....I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:25-30 (ish)

Years ago I learned from a pastor that you can tell which side of an ox yoke the lead ox took because it will show more wear. Silly me. I should have asked a farmer who uses them. I would have learned this a lot sooner: 

 "Training oxen requires taking two separate animals,  which have previously been their own masters, and making them a team, that will work for another master. Behaving this way is contrary to nature. These animals have already learned many things before they began this training. It is your job to undo some of the things they have learned, and to teach many new things. Every time they are in the yoke they will learn something, either beneficial or unbeneficial. And they will challenge you as their new master, as they try to continue to meet their own needs and desires."

He invites us to take the yoke. He is trust-worthy. Why do you pull so hard on your own?

Slowly, over time, we no longer need to be pulled. Our will conforms to his. We walk in rhythm with the Master.

He knows the way.

dirty diapers and discipleship

I have two kids and when my oldest was born hers was the first diaper I had ever changed in my life.  I would tell folks I took the "silver diaper pledge" and they would laugh and then say "really? The FIRST?"

Yes. Why does that sound stupid? Diapers are not a pleasant thing....everyone finds this out and has a favorite story they share at daycare, or church, or wherever.

But it's reality. It's messy. It has to be done.

And it is the way our salvation plays itself out. Honest.

I first heard this from my Old Testament Professor in seminary...he walked around this desk at the end of his lecture and sat on the corner. His slowly lifted his head and gave us all a look over and dropped the most life-changing words I had heard in school:

"God works out his plan of salvation in the mundane tasks of everyday living. Changing diapers, taking out the garbage, doing the shopping."

I mean, here is the guy who opened my eyes to the first five books God had given his people, had spent his life studying it in the original languages, and had such a faith and passion for God. Diapers?

Yeah, diapers.

See it's all about trust. Trust in God, not in ourselves.

It takes trust in God to change a diaper when your wife has cancer.
It takes trust in God to take out the garbage when your husband has been laid off.
It takes trust in God to buy groceries when your daughter is back in the hospital because of her eating disorder.

The book of Lamentations says it well. It's a book that is brave, bold and honest. It pours out our hearts to God in all it's pain. And then, in the midst of it, a chorus of hope:

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left.

Lamentations 3:23-24

Some days it is very hard to see that God is good. 

Some days it is very hard to see that God will redeem all things. 

Some days it is very hard to trust that God is indeed for us and nothing can be against us. 

On these days, change a diaper, take out the garbage, buy some food, and in the numbness of the fog get real and honest with God and pray as simply as you can. 

God, I have no freaking idea how you are going to turn this around. I have no freaking idea how I am going to make it through today. But you said you are good, and I am going to trust you. 

the slaughter of the King

Made in His image,
crafted,
formed,
warm moist breath that hoved over the void in a long puff as a gentle wind fills dift-caked flesh.

muscle, tendon
love, and fear join together and stand

new eyes behold the face of the King,
and run...

and turn on each other
in murder
in theft
they beat their young,
sell their women for lustful desires
steal food from the weak, the sickly

they mock the hand that pulled them from the earth
...and spit on his face
     ...and made him a crown of thorns
          ...and placed him on the alter and killed the lamb of life

and his last words...
forgive them?
yes, forgive them...