Wrote more than usual on here last Easter .... this time around the thought continues. But here's a song instead - yup, I guess 'he could have got a bar and preached at weekends'. Love the layers in this song.
Showing posts with label easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easter. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sunday, April 04, 2010
"A Hell Of A Weekend" - Easter Thoughts - Part 4
Imagine how different it would have been when the girls rocked up at the tomb, where Jesus' body lay, to discover it wasn't empty. And also to discover that neither was it closed up, with a couple of bouncers at the entrance. There's a third option; I sometimes wonder what the reaction would have been if they'd showed up, saw the stone rolled away and as they peered in; saw Jesus sat on a stone bench. Maybe he would be picking his scabs and making mention of having had 'a hell of a weekend' and could they 'nip down the Seven Eleven to get some paracetamol'. Fully alive, but still sat in the tomb, not daring to venture back out into the world.
As bizarre as this thought may be, the reality is that for many Jesus followers, the tomb, is as far as we dare to live out our faith, naval gazing and scab picking. For many and varied reasons it becomes all too easy to live in a Christian ghetto where life becomes stifled, beige, bland and disconnected with reality. The resurrected Christ walked out of the tomb, back into a kaleidoscope of colours, contradictions and questions - back in the company of his mates and their 'warts and all' world - not just watching it walk past his narrow window on the outside. Just as well really.
Got a life? Get walking.
Cheers and God bless ya this Easter time!
Luke 24:1-12
(From The Message Translation of the Bible)
As bizarre as this thought may be, the reality is that for many Jesus followers, the tomb, is as far as we dare to live out our faith, naval gazing and scab picking. For many and varied reasons it becomes all too easy to live in a Christian ghetto where life becomes stifled, beige, bland and disconnected with reality. The resurrected Christ walked out of the tomb, back into a kaleidoscope of colours, contradictions and questions - back in the company of his mates and their 'warts and all' world - not just watching it walk past his narrow window on the outside. Just as well really.
Got a life? Get walking.
Cheers and God bless ya this Easter time!
Luke 24:1-12
(From The Message Translation of the Bible)
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Don't Forget To Pull The Curtains and Put The Lights Out - Easter Thoughts - Part 3
In the recorded stories of Christ's crucifixion the ripping from top to bottom of the 60 foot curtain veil in the heart of the temple is more than a bit of a gust blowing through. This massive curtain was only to be ventured behind by the most devout and on very few select occasions - access was seriously restricted, and denied to 99.9% of people, but it was all part of Israel getting it's house in order with God and the limited access was understood and respected.
When Jesus breathed his last all kinds of wierd stuff happened - including this curtain tearing in two. The way was now blown wide open as a result of Christ's sacrificial death. Access into the presence of God was no longer for a select few on a particular date and time in a designated holy place. Intimacy with God - the seeking and granting of his gifts of forgiveness, grace, mercy, hope, justice, peace - came out of the confines of the temple and into a wounded world for real.
The story of Easter - of Jesus the Nazarene - is not just for a religious few that have got it all together - it's the stuff of revolution as the 'temple courts' are filled with the most unlikely. Bob Dylan picked up on a similar vein:
"Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an worse An for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing."
Bob Dylan - Chimes of Freedom, 1964
Freedom had a price. Freedom is a gift.
Luke 23:44-46
When Jesus breathed his last all kinds of wierd stuff happened - including this curtain tearing in two. The way was now blown wide open as a result of Christ's sacrificial death. Access into the presence of God was no longer for a select few on a particular date and time in a designated holy place. Intimacy with God - the seeking and granting of his gifts of forgiveness, grace, mercy, hope, justice, peace - came out of the confines of the temple and into a wounded world for real.
The story of Easter - of Jesus the Nazarene - is not just for a religious few that have got it all together - it's the stuff of revolution as the 'temple courts' are filled with the most unlikely. Bob Dylan picked up on a similar vein:
"Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an worse An for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing."
Bob Dylan - Chimes of Freedom, 1964
Freedom had a price. Freedom is a gift.
Luke 23:44-46
Friday, April 02, 2010
What Jesus Never Said - Easter Thoughts - Part 2
What Jesus Never Said ... whilst hanging up, butt naked before a mocking world ...
"That's right you lot, bugger off and leave me here to die, you bunch of wasters"
.. I think we find what he actually said ran more along the lines of, "Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing".
"That's right you lot, bugger off and leave me here to die, you bunch of wasters"
.. I think we find what he actually said ran more along the lines of, "Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing".
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Easter Thoughts - Part 1
I've always been quite impressed with the response that G. K. Chesterton gave to the question posed by The Times newspaper, 'What is wrong with the world?' - the reply came simply as; "Dear Sirs, I am."
To a greater or lesser degree throughout the history of humanity we've have been unbelievably successful at defacing so much of what is beautiful, sacred and cohesive. The decay of a physical world and the prevalence of the law of the jungle extinguishes all but the most stubborn flickers of light.
But in the embers the Easter message continues to burn as 'The prophet in rags gives hope to a fearful world'.* Amid best mates' betrayals for cash incentives, desertion and denials, kangaroo courts, and dodgy dealings the death of Christ was surrounded by people like us. Human frailty meets the eternal. Truth and justice collide with catastrophic and miraculous consequences in equal measure as Christ wrestles, prior to his arrest, with the question; 'is this a road I have to go down - a cup I have to drink?'
At the heart of the Easter story there remains an ember that burns in the darkness - sparks of hope, flickers of light, shelter from the cold for 'problems in the world' like you and me.
* 'Man Of No Reputation' - Rick Elias
To a greater or lesser degree throughout the history of humanity we've have been unbelievably successful at defacing so much of what is beautiful, sacred and cohesive. The decay of a physical world and the prevalence of the law of the jungle extinguishes all but the most stubborn flickers of light.
But in the embers the Easter message continues to burn as 'The prophet in rags gives hope to a fearful world'.* Amid best mates' betrayals for cash incentives, desertion and denials, kangaroo courts, and dodgy dealings the death of Christ was surrounded by people like us. Human frailty meets the eternal. Truth and justice collide with catastrophic and miraculous consequences in equal measure as Christ wrestles, prior to his arrest, with the question; 'is this a road I have to go down - a cup I have to drink?'
At the heart of the Easter story there remains an ember that burns in the darkness - sparks of hope, flickers of light, shelter from the cold for 'problems in the world' like you and me.
* 'Man Of No Reputation' - Rick Elias
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Hero To Villain? - Palm Sunday Reflection
Today is what in the Church Calendar is called 'Palm Sunday' - celebrated a week before Easter. Traditionally it's the day when we reflect on Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem amid the welcoming enthusiasm of the crowds that had caught on to Lazarus' raising among other things.
This scenario and the following Easter week is full of contrasts - betrayal and trust, love and hate, denial and faith, justice and coercion, mercy and brutality. I can't help thinking of the bizarre turnaround from the outpouring of emotion of the 'Palm Sunday' moment to the same crowd calling for His execution one week later. Sure they wanted a deliverer, but Jesus didn't fit the mould for their kind of warrior saviour. The crowd wavered in it's support and opinion over these days, but the message and actions of Christ remained constant as indeed it still does - amid our often wavering still.
The full horror and delicate beauty of the Easter week is not contained in a sanitized pic and mix saviour to make us feel good for five minutes to suit our wants, but in the stark reality of a sacrificial ragamuffin saviour bringing hope to a weary and wounded world. How we see the Christ of Easter and how we see the people around him at that time, will have a huge bearing on how we may or may not choose to follow Him. Me, I'll hang on to the hope that while everything around Christ was shifting he stayed true to what needed to be done and for that I am eternally grateful.
Sean
....................................................................................................
The Palm Sunday story is contained in Chapter 12 of John's Gospel which can be found here
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2012&version=65
This scenario and the following Easter week is full of contrasts - betrayal and trust, love and hate, denial and faith, justice and coercion, mercy and brutality. I can't help thinking of the bizarre turnaround from the outpouring of emotion of the 'Palm Sunday' moment to the same crowd calling for His execution one week later. Sure they wanted a deliverer, but Jesus didn't fit the mould for their kind of warrior saviour. The crowd wavered in it's support and opinion over these days, but the message and actions of Christ remained constant as indeed it still does - amid our often wavering still.
The full horror and delicate beauty of the Easter week is not contained in a sanitized pic and mix saviour to make us feel good for five minutes to suit our wants, but in the stark reality of a sacrificial ragamuffin saviour bringing hope to a weary and wounded world. How we see the Christ of Easter and how we see the people around him at that time, will have a huge bearing on how we may or may not choose to follow Him. Me, I'll hang on to the hope that while everything around Christ was shifting he stayed true to what needed to be done and for that I am eternally grateful.
Sean
....................................................................................................
The Palm Sunday story is contained in Chapter 12 of John's Gospel which can be found here
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2012&version=65
Monday, March 31, 2008
DARK PLACES, SACRED SPACES
Easter should be a sacred time for followers of Jesus. No doubt about it what so ever. Too often though, as with Christmas, I have often struggled to find those genuine sacred moments amid an increasingly commercial emphasis.
This past Easter was different though, in a bit of an unexpected way. Just 25 miles up the road from Swansea, where we live, is the community of Bridgend. Bridgend has hit the headlines in recent weeks for all the wrong reasons. A seemingly in explicable high number of teen suicides over recent months have brought damming headlines such as ‘suicide city’ which have hardly been helpful in a place that is trying to cope with immense tragedy.
On Good Friday as God’s Squad members in South Wales, we hosted a memorial run (ride) to Zac’s Place for a memorial service to remember biking mates in the area that we have collectively lost. About 70 turned up from a numerous local clubs to share in some moments of quiet reflection and remembrance. Hospitality was shared and many of our guests appreciated the artworks on display too. But, here’s the twist, as an additional act, the ride then continued to Bridgend; To a popular kids hangout and near the site of the skate park in the town centre. The purpose was simply to provide a symbolic symbol of solidarity with a community of people that is hurting. As many of our biking mates rode in memory of lost loved ones, they also remembered others, as we placed a brightly coloured wreath and personal notes signed by many of the run participants. Many taking part have their own kids - many of them teenagers. This was closer to home than we thought.
It was a precious moment - many of our mates wouldn’t necessarily share our faith, the sight of all of us riding up the M4 doesn’t initially seem like a sacred act in progress! But it was, somehow it just was. There was a connection going on between people and with God; questions and human frailty were all reference points. Friday was indeed Good.
Sunday, resurrection day, was equally moving. A three hundred mile, last minute, round trip to Reading to visit a friend in the very late stages of cancer. Of all days, the day we celebrate an empty tomb, I struggle to find words of hope and comfort but I do my best. I take his hand and kiss his forehead, praying that God’s peace would be real amid the turmoil. As I walk from the ward and look over my shoulder, he raises a cup of medication, as if to say ‘cheers’........
........I got home that night and kissed each of the four children as they slept and was grateful to have a wife that I love and a God that understands such mystery when my answers have long since dried up.
Tues, 25 March, 2008
This past Easter was different though, in a bit of an unexpected way. Just 25 miles up the road from Swansea, where we live, is the community of Bridgend. Bridgend has hit the headlines in recent weeks for all the wrong reasons. A seemingly in explicable high number of teen suicides over recent months have brought damming headlines such as ‘suicide city’ which have hardly been helpful in a place that is trying to cope with immense tragedy.
On Good Friday as God’s Squad members in South Wales, we hosted a memorial run (ride) to Zac’s Place for a memorial service to remember biking mates in the area that we have collectively lost. About 70 turned up from a numerous local clubs to share in some moments of quiet reflection and remembrance. Hospitality was shared and many of our guests appreciated the artworks on display too. But, here’s the twist, as an additional act, the ride then continued to Bridgend; To a popular kids hangout and near the site of the skate park in the town centre. The purpose was simply to provide a symbolic symbol of solidarity with a community of people that is hurting. As many of our biking mates rode in memory of lost loved ones, they also remembered others, as we placed a brightly coloured wreath and personal notes signed by many of the run participants. Many taking part have their own kids - many of them teenagers. This was closer to home than we thought.
It was a precious moment - many of our mates wouldn’t necessarily share our faith, the sight of all of us riding up the M4 doesn’t initially seem like a sacred act in progress! But it was, somehow it just was. There was a connection going on between people and with God; questions and human frailty were all reference points. Friday was indeed Good.
Sunday, resurrection day, was equally moving. A three hundred mile, last minute, round trip to Reading to visit a friend in the very late stages of cancer. Of all days, the day we celebrate an empty tomb, I struggle to find words of hope and comfort but I do my best. I take his hand and kiss his forehead, praying that God’s peace would be real amid the turmoil. As I walk from the ward and look over my shoulder, he raises a cup of medication, as if to say ‘cheers’........
........I got home that night and kissed each of the four children as they slept and was grateful to have a wife that I love and a God that understands such mystery when my answers have long since dried up.
Tues, 25 March, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Bryn Haworth Track Added on MySpace Page...and other updates.
As expected the recent Martyn Joseph Gig at Zac's Place went brilliantly. Alternative format in the second half giving opportunity for questions proved a worthwhile exercise with a whole range of questions from the deep to the trivial, moving to the amusing. His 'storyteller' song was 'Carried In Sunlight' which he performed and then movingly explained the song line by line as he recounted much of his Grandfathers life and influence on him and his struggle and death from Alzheimer's. Numerous folk at the show commented on, despite seeing MJ on many occasions, they thought this performance was the best they'd heard - high praise indeed. Thanks to all who supported the gig and to MJ for choosing to use Zac's as his preferred venue in this area.
Continuing on the theme of live Zac's gigs, I have uploaded a short instrumental track recorded live at Zac's from Bryn Haworth on our MySpace page. It's a beautiful rendition of 'Were You There..' and a dobro masterclass for any guitarist. Quite superb.
Also did a radio spot for Swansea Bay Radio on Helen Enser Morgan's Show in recent weeks - pic below of muggin's and Helen meeting 'Doris' - one of our Beatitudes art exhibits. (Although Doris didn't say alot on the interview..)
Next couple of weeks sees me return to Spring Harvest to work on the Pastoral Team and then onto Holland to take a wedding. Some of which either some or all of the family join me. This is all after (Good) Friday's Bikers Memorial Run via Zac's which God's Squad is running and then onto Bridgend to show support for the community there.
May the challenge and eternal hopes of the Easter message be real in these coming days to each of us.
Continuing on the theme of live Zac's gigs, I have uploaded a short instrumental track recorded live at Zac's from Bryn Haworth on our MySpace page. It's a beautiful rendition of 'Were You There..' and a dobro masterclass for any guitarist. Quite superb.
Also did a radio spot for Swansea Bay Radio on Helen Enser Morgan's Show in recent weeks - pic below of muggin's and Helen meeting 'Doris' - one of our Beatitudes art exhibits. (Although Doris didn't say alot on the interview..)
Next couple of weeks sees me return to Spring Harvest to work on the Pastoral Team and then onto Holland to take a wedding. Some of which either some or all of the family join me. This is all after (Good) Friday's Bikers Memorial Run via Zac's which God's Squad is running and then onto Bridgend to show support for the community there.
May the challenge and eternal hopes of the Easter message be real in these coming days to each of us.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Easter Bunny Get's Slaughtered On Rubbish Dump
I started this blog around this time last year with an Easter reflection. A chaotic lifestyle leaving little time for marshalling thoughts into an ordered fashion to share with the expactant few, is a little frustrating to say the least.
As we approach Easter time, the lead up has continued to be hectic and I know I will struggle to find much space to truly reflect on this glorious celebration of reunion of creator and created. Amid all the Easter imagery of the butchered and bleeding Christ in various states of undress we can still be missing the greatest pain of all. 'Why have you forsaken me?' The pain of the severing and separation of the Father and the Son renders the brutal physical torture and humiliation of Christ a mere stubbed toe on the redemption journey. One day, maybe one day we'll fully appreciate it.
As we approach Easter time, the lead up has continued to be hectic and I know I will struggle to find much space to truly reflect on this glorious celebration of reunion of creator and created. Amid all the Easter imagery of the butchered and bleeding Christ in various states of undress we can still be missing the greatest pain of all. 'Why have you forsaken me?' The pain of the severing and separation of the Father and the Son renders the brutal physical torture and humiliation of Christ a mere stubbed toe on the redemption journey. One day, maybe one day we'll fully appreciate it.
Breaking down of relationships at any level is a painful experience. Just this past few days and weeks one of my kids has experienced bullying and I believe a betrayal of trust from friends. How hard it is to see the disappointment and pain in a young life. But how sweet it is, to see signs of reconcilaition, apology, forgiveness.......
At Zac's Place on Tuesday night half the group has been looking at the New Testament letter of Paul's to the Ephesians. One of the reminders in these pages is that the non-jews, the non religious, were as welcome in God's family as anyone - the curtain separating the holy from the not so holy in the temple was torn in two on that crucifixion night. The way continues to be open for the religious and non-religious, the hurting and the lost, the betrayed and belittled, the bullied and the thug........
Happy Easter? Depends how grateful you are I guess.
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