Don’t Make the Familiar, Forgettable

The Story schedule was designed so that chapter 27 falls on Easter (Resurrection) Sunday.  This week’s chapter precedes and culminates on Palm Sunday.  But the content of the chapter ranges from the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday through the crucifixion.  Obviously, then, it covers a great deal of crucial Scripture.  All of it is important.  Most of it is somewhat familiar.  As the holiest of all our Christian holidays, this week has often been eclipsed by the commercialism of Christmas.  Yet, without the events leading up to Easter ever occurring, Scripture says our faith is in vain.  Only a few church bodies today have continued to observe the holy week traditions which include Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, while many evangelical church bodies have foregone the traditional observances and skipped right to Easter morning.  Perhaps we have “thrown the baby out with the bathwater” in this case. Should we not try to make the familiar stories of Palm Sunday and Holy Week, come alive for us every year? How do we not let the familiar become forgettable?

Some people would tell you that we only celebrate Jesus resurrection because that is what he is, alive. They say there is no benefit in lingering on his death. But, it is in his death that we see our own. We see our sin being put to death and our lives are tied directly into the work that only Jesus could do. It reminds me of who I am and where my identity lies; not as a sinner without hope, but as a forgiven child of the almighty God. There is no greater assurance than that. Next week as holy week is once more observed, take the opportunity to see the familiar, to look at it with new eyes and hear it with new ears, to see and experience God’s grace once more just for you!

What will you do this year to help see this familiar story in a real way? What have you done in the past that has helped you before? If Holy Week was never a part of your observance, how can you incorporate that into your experience this year?

The Birth of the King (4 Perspectives)

Perspective 1- Kelsey Rath

Birth of baby Jesus. Everyone knows the story, but what we if dug deeper to find something that isn’t mentioned in the story. Such as all the stress and pressure that was on Mary. The stress came from being visited by Gabriel (the angel). I mean come on, it isn’t every day that a virgin or even anybody is visited by an angel. But also being told that you are going to give birth to Jesus, God’s only Son. I’d say the same thing Mary said, “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” That’s a good question but God managed to handle it. And Jesus was born.

Now the pressure is on Mary. She had a lot of weight on her shoulders.  Having to believe that she’d be alright since she’s never given birth, then getting into the trouble of traveling somewhere to have Him, and they finally get there and there is no room in the inn. What would happen if she said no, or just ignored the angel and went back inside her house. Would God choose another woman, or was Mary meant for the job of bringing God’s Son, the Holy One, the Messiah into the world? But God knew everything would turn out alright.

Perspective 2- Barb Miles 

I had never thought about reading the story of the birth of Jesus except at Christmas until our congregation started reading “The Story”.  I am usually incorporating the story of Jesus’ birth into the rest of our traditional Christmas activities.  Since we attend church regularly, I realized I rely on the church to “tell the story” for me, each year.  So reading the story of Jesus’ birth in the third week of February helped me focus on the events leading up to and after His birth.

Gabriel, an angel came to Mary, and told her she would conceive and bear a son, a son to be named Jesus; Mary was engaged to marry Joseph at that time; An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to marry Mary, that her conception was from the Holy Spirit; Joseph and Mary became man and wife; Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to be counted in a census; Jesus was born in a humble setting there, in a stable; King Herod attempted to find where He had been born, he sent the Magi to find Him; After hiding for a while to escape Herod’s rule, Herod died; It is believed they traveled to the land of Israel but we have no more history of the first 12 years of His life; We remember the story of Jesus parents coming to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover, and leaving for home, at first not knowing Jesus wasn’t with them.  They retraced their steps after one day on the road to home, and found Jesus in the temple among the teachers, learning from them and asking questions.

Jesus’ mother cared for her son as all mothers do.  She felt honored to give birth to Him, she looked after Him, she was by His side when He died on the cross and she was present when He rose from the grave.

This King was a Savior who would deliver all of us.

Perspective 3- Pastor Ron

As I read the chapter for this week Jesus became more human to me.  Reading of the announcement of His birth to both Mary and Joseph, His birth, escape to Egypt, and finally the encounter at the Temple when He was 12 in chronological order brought a deeper sense of knowing His human side.  Although we know nothing of his childhood reading it in this fashion open up the imagination.  I can see the toddler Jesus and then the little boy.  One can imagine Him working side by side with His father.  Just about the time Joseph and Mary begin to forget His miraculous birth the 12-year-old Jesus is astounding those in the Temple courts.  I wonder if there were other times that they were reminded that their son was no ordinary boy?  I wonder what their thoughts were about Jesus and what He would one day accomplish.  Most of the time, though, I would guess they didn’t think anything other than this was their son.

I know that Jesus is God and I know that He is my savior, but I also take comfort in knowing that He was human.

Perspective 4- Dan Petrak

Dan’s video will be up on our Facebook page soon…

Okay, now it’s time to say something!

This is week #9 in our journey through the Gospel of Mark. Up until this point in Chapter 11, Jesus has always been telling people, especially his disciples, not to say anything yet about what they have seen and heard. I know why he said it but I can’t imagine being the one that experienced something that changed my life and then being instructed not to tell anyone.

The thing is…my life has been changed eternally as the result of Jesus actions. I do not always act as though he is the king and let everyone know about it. Have you heard, seen and felt the effects of Jesus in your life but has chosen to keep quiet about it? If so, there is great news for you and I today, it is time to stand up and say something.

Jesus comes into the city of Jerusalem for the last time. He doesn’t tell his disciples not to alert anyone or keep it as a hush-hush event. Not this time. This time Jesus comes into the city as a king, but with a stark difference. He does not come in riding a powerful war-horse; instead He enters on a donkey, an animal of peace.

He is the king, but a very different kind of king. This odd juxtaposition demonstrates that Jesus was King, but that he didn’t fit into the world’s categories of kingship. He brought together majesty and meekness. In Jesus we find infinite majesty yet complete humility, perfect justice yet boundless grace, absolute sovereignty yet utter submission, all-sufficiency in himself yet entire trust and dependence on God. But in Jesus the result of these extremes of character is not mental and emotional breakdown. Jesus’ personality is a complete and beautiful whole. So come and watch this mighty King ride a little donkey into Jerusalem for the last time in his earthly ministry. You will find it hard not to tell anyone about it.

We celebrate Jesus as king on Palm Sunday. What does it mean that Jesus is the king in your life? Do you find it difficult to declare him king every other day of the week?

Will you take the challenge this week (starting on Monday) of reading three chapters a day of the Gospel of Mark? Check back here for daily updates as we take up this challenge along side of you. It will be a good preparation for us as we go through the agony of Holy Week with the culmination of Easter.