Everything is God's Grace

When the righteous man searches for the nature of all things,
he makes his own admirable discovery:
that everything is God's grace.
Every being in the world, and thhe world itself,
manifests the blessings and generosity of God.
- Philo of Alexandria

In this in-between space . . .

‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ - Jesus (John 16:16)

Dear Friends in Christ -

One of our parishioners sent this prayer to me this week, and it struck a chord deep in my spirit . . . There's something comforting about it. In essence, it says that we can be who we are because God is who he is.

In this in-between space of Holy Saturday, may praying this prayer bring you clarity, humility, confidence - and peace.
Faithfully,
Janet+

I thank you, Lord Jesus, for becoming a human being
so I do not have to pretend or try to be God.
I thank you, Lord Jesus, for becoming finite and limited
so I do not have to pretend that I am infinite and limitless.
I thank you, crucified God, for becoming mortal
so I do not have to try to make myself immortal.
I thank you, Lord Jesus, for becoming inferior
so I do not have to pretend that I am superior to anyone.
I thank you for being crucified outside the walls,
for being expelled and excluded like the sinners and outcasts,
so you can meet me where I feel that I am,
always outside the walls of worthiness. Amen.

-- Richard Rohr, Hope Against Darkness, p. 38

The End of the Story

"It is finished." - Jesus (John 19:28-30)

"The infinite beauty of God is constantly being discovered anew." - Gregory of Nyssa

Dear Friends in Christ -

The story we hear on this Good Friday is old to us: we've heard it over and over again. We come to it again in sadness, in curiosity, in hope, in wonder. We come to this story again because it is powerful to us.

Though they don't know it, my children watch their favorite movies over and over again for the same reason. They bask in the power - and comfort - of seeing the bad guys lose and the good guys win.

HOW we come to these stories makes all the difference. My children come to their favorite movies as if they had never seen them before, with fresh eyes and open hearts, ready to say "take that!" when the bad guys are vanquished and to cheer "yeahhhh!" when the princess is saved. Are your eyes ready to see something new? Is your heart open to experiencing this story afresh?

The end of this story is just the beginning . . . .
Faithfully waiting for the end
and the beginning,
Janet+

Examine yourselves . . .

"Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup." - 1 Corinthians 11:28

Dear Friends in Christ -

By this point in Holy Week, I've done it all. Yelled at my adorable kids. Ignored my loving husband. Shouted unkind words at people "in my way" in traffic. Lied to myself and others . . . by not being sober about my finitude and overextending. Watch out. Cheating and stealing could be next. At this point in Holy Week I know the truth: I really am capable of anything . . .

The Angel on my shoulder (the same one who was at the open tomb??) says, "OK, then. That means you're ready. Ready to let go and let God. Ready for Resurrection . . .

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There's crack in everything
That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)

Bring on the light!
Unfaithfully - and yet, by grace, still here with God and you,
Janet+

Jesus knows

Jesus: ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’
John: ‘Lord, who is it?’
Jesus: ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’
(exerpts from John 13)

Dear Friends in Christ -

Jesus knew who would betray him. In this scene, Jesus points out the one who betray him to the authorities: Judas.

But the reason this scene sticks in John's mind so clearly is that he realized the implication of what happened here: Jesus knew EVERYTHING. He knew that not only Judas, but also, eventually, all of the disciples would betray him. Not one of the twelve would be loyal to the end.

Jesus knew about them. He knows about us, too. He knows that sometimes we're more honest than we care to admit because we don't want to look like a goody-two-shoes. He knows that sometimes we're less honest than we care to admit because . . . well, for all sorts of reasons.

Jesus NEVER stops knowing us, NEVER stops loving us. Even when we blow it.

May that thought comfort us all as we stumble our way to the Cross this week. (And may it dis-comfort you if you're not stumbling your way to the Cross this week!)

Faithfully stumbling,
Janet+

It's amazing, really

"‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say - "Father, save me from this hour"? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.'" - Jesus (John 12:27)

Dear Friends in Christ -

As I've been preparing for this Holy Week, one thought has greatly impressed me, remained with me . . . Jesus CHOOSES to do his Father's will. God never coerces Jesus to go to the cross. God doesn't guilt Jesus into into it. God doesn't manipulate or trick Jesus into it. In spite of the fact that he's troubled about what lies ahead, Jesus goes to the cross freely because he wants us to have the what we've lost: love, freedom, peace, eternity.

It's amazing, really . . . "For since by man came death, by man came also resurrection . . . " Astonishingly amazing.

In awe,
Janet+

There's nothing more compelling than . . .

"When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus." - John 12:9-11

Dear Friends in Christ -
. . . a resurrection story. We all love them. Remember last fall when, for 69 days, we were fixated on the story of the miners trapped underground - and rescued - in Chile. Remember just a month ago, when we followed the story of the tsunami in Japan, waiting to hear about - and rejoice with - survivors and their families.

We know what death is. People around us have died. Parts of our very own selves have died - due to grief, physical injury, heartbreak, betrayal.

Our deepest longing is to live. The longing for life is so great in us that we breathe without even consciously willing it. The longing for life - abundant life - is so great that we strive not just to make ends meet, but also to make a difference.

For those who follow Jesus, this week is more than just a family gathering, a special dinner. This week, we walk again with Jesus, who died and rose again FOR US. There's nothing more compelling that a resurrection story, THIS resurrection story, the greatest story ever told.

Don't forget to share YOUR resurrection story with a friend this week. It just might bring them to Jesus. It just might change a life.

Faithfully,
Janet+