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Mark 15:37-47 “The Descent from the Cross”

06 Jan

The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups, written and compiled by Ned Bustard. The image is called “Descent from the Cross by Torchlight“ and was created by Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn.

37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

40 Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. 41 They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.

42 This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) 44 Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. 45 The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. 46 Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.

Mark 15:37-47

Dear God, the moments after Jesus’s death are some of the most precious to me because they represent the depths of misunderstanding and lostness for his followers and family, and the wicked delight of those who were threatened by him and killed him. Regarding Caiaphas and those with him, I wonder what the Passover was like for him over the next 24-36 hours. Did he feel convicted over what he had done? Was he afraid of what Jesus’s followers would do (as represented by him asking for guards for the tomb)? Or was it a time of celebration and calculated caution? I don’t know. I do know how Judas felt–guilt to the point of suicide.

What I do know is that the followers and Mary were devastated. Disillusioned, even. This wasn’t what they had dreamed of. This wasn’t what they thought about. Where was the kingdom James and John aspired to help Jesus rule from his right and his left (Mark 10:35-45)? Where was the power? Why was Rome still in charge? What would their standing now be in the church.

With that, I want to look at Rembrandt’s image and see what details he thought about as he pondered this story:

  • Someone is preparing a stretcher on which they can carry his body to the tomb.
  • It looks like they used a sheet to lower Jesus from the cross with someone on the ladder and someone catching him below. The person on the ladder almost looks like a woman with no facial hair and long hair, but I can’t be sure. After reading John’s account, I would think this is Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-42), but I think Rembrandt had another picture of this.
  • The person on the far right of the image has a special hat so I am assuming this is a Pharisee. Perhaps Caiaphas.
  • There is someone down below the man holding Jesus to the right. It looks like he is ready to help should the man holding Jesus lose his balance.
  • There are faint images of others behind the man preparing the stretcher. I assume these are just onlookers.
  • There is the man holding the torch. This is a unique thought. I don’t think anyone ever thought about the need for light. I would actually assume it wasn’t dark yet because they had to get the body down before sundown for the Passover (that’s why the broke the legs of the other two and put a spear into Jesus’s side (John 19:31-34), but because the Sun wasn’t down yet doesn’t mean they didn’t need a little more light.
  • Now here’s the big one I noticed this morning that I’ve never thought of: The man on the other side of the cross from the man with the torch. He’s on the very edge of the image, and he’s holding a hammer. That’s when I looked to see that one of Jesus’s feet is still nailed to the cross and the man with the hammer is banging it out from the other side. Perhaps one of the feet tore off of the spike as they removed him, but they couldn’t get the other one off without banging it out. I had never thought about removing the spikes before, but Rembrandt must have as he pictured this image in his mind.

Here is the commentary Bustard gave for this scene and story:

One single torch illuminates the extinguished Light of the World. Joseph of Arimathea lays out a white shroud as others struggle to remove Christ’s broken body from the Cross, while one figure still reaches out towards the Savior: But he is not alone. What at first seems to be a very lonely scene upon further inspection fills with a crowd of onlookers and mourners. All their hope is lost for the present, but joy will come on Sunday morning. “We are told that Christ was killed for us, that his death has washed out our sins, and that by dying he disabled death itself. That is the formula. That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed.” –C.S. Lewis.

The only thing I would add to Bustard’s description is that their “hope” and expectation was wrong. They wanted the wrong thing. They wanted what you didn’t want. And you knew better than to give them what they wanted.

Father, you know better than to give me what I want too. I was thinking earlier today about some regrets I have–especially as a parent. There is one decision I made that was the best one I knew to make at the time and was done with an earnest heart, but I would love to change it and have gone down another road. But I started wondering what the unintended consequences of that would have been. As much as I don’t like some of my current circumstances, would the alternative have been even worse? There is obviously no way for me to know this, but that’s where I have to not look back or even forward, but keep myself in this moment. This moment is my reality, and this moment is the one that interfaces with you. Not the past. Not the future. So I offer this moment to you. I worship you. I give you my heart and ask that you would redeem the mistakes I’ve made. Heal those harmed by them, including myself. Let your life and fruit live in and grow out of me.

I pray all of this in your holy, Triune name: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2024 in Mark, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Micah 6:6-8

04 Jan


6 What can we bring to the Lord?
    Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
    with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
    and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
    to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

Dear God, this passage reminds me of what Samuel told Saul after he went ahead with a sacrificial ceremony instead of waiting for Samuel in 1 Samuel 15 :22-23.

22 But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
    and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
    and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

Is it that hard to obey? I was listening to this very faithful young woman talk yesterday about her need to repent, and how she loves how her Presbyterian church has part of each service where she and everyone else, including the pastor gets down on their knees and, to the best of their abilities, repent of their sins. She also teaches young children in Sunday school and she said that one of the children asked her about that part of the church service. She told the child that grown-ups make mistakes too, and all of us need to ask you for forgiveness. I have to admit that I really admire this young woman, and one of my thoughts was, “You sin that often?” But then I thought, “Of course she does. What am I thinking?”

I’m sure some people look at me and think much too highly of me. They might think I am more holy than I am. But you know my heart. You know how selfish and insecure I can be. You know the vices against which I struggle. And you know I try. I don’t just expect to be allowed to sin and then walk back arrogantly claiming the blood of Jesus over them without remorse.

That leads me to addiction. I heard about a young woman today I know who checked herself into a rehab facility yesterday. I have addictions of my own, although, thankfully, they aren’t substances like drugs and alcohol. But food is certainly one. Gossip. Oh, there are all kinds of things I could list.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I want to first pray for this woman. There is a lot of pain in her heart and life right now. Please help her. Please use this to bring her to yourself. Draw her to yourself. Help this to be her bottom. Use this in the lives of those around her too. Bring her your complete and total healing. And help me, Father, to be exactly who you need me to be. Help me to take the vices in my life and be free of them. Help me to be the man you want me to be. Use me. I think of the song “Spirit of the Living God”: “Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray this in your holy, Triune name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2024 in 1 Samuel, Micah

 

My Ideal Church Service

03 Jan

Dear God, I was listening to a podcast today talk about the current paradigm for church services originating 500 years ago when people were mostly illiterate and they needed educated people to teach them what was in the Bible. But this certainly isn’t how the early church worked. There wasn’t a musical prelude, followed by a song, announcements, two more songs, a children’s sermon, an offertory, a sermon, and invitation, and a benediction (with possibly a taking of communion mixed in there somewhere). I would imagine those early church gatherings in Acts looked more like sharing lives, prayer requests, struggles, successes, etc. Maybe there would be a breaking of the bread and taking of the cup in remembrance of Jesus. Maybe someone would feel they had a message from you to share. Maybe someone would have a song they wrote that they wanted to share with everyone.

So I’ve told you many times that I’ve never really liked going to church. I always look at my watch and wonder how long until I can leave. That’s not to say that I don’t get anything out of it. There are times when I really need the experience of singing to you with other believers. Or that the pastor has a message I need to hear. So I’m not saying that I don’t need church. I’ve just never particularly enjoyed going.

So, if I were to start from scratch, take myself back to Jesus’s ascension, and then design what I thought a gathering of believers of The Way should look like, what would I want?

  • I would probably want one or two songs.
  • I would probably want someone to bring a thought for the day. Maybe 5-10 minutes.
  • I can see wanting to spend some time in prayer. Depending on how big the gathering was, I would want to have some time for everyone to go around. Maybe different people take a different aspect of prayer. 1.) Worship 2.) Confession 3.) Thanksgiving and 4.) Supplication.
  • I can see wanting to give people an opportunity to declare in intention or maybe even to accept Jesus as your savior for them.
  • Communion. I would definitely have communion be part of every gathering.

I guess the biggest change for me is the prayer part would largely replace the “sermon” of most churches today. Not that we would have a message, but it would be much less central. There would be a lot more about personal prayer requests and declaring intentions to each other in a pursuit of discipleship.

Father, help me to know what to do with this. You know I’ve had this idea of having a cross-cultural Bible study. Maybe this could be a format for it. I don’t know. I do know that I love you, and I have enjoyed even this time of exploring my heart and seeing how it wants to pursue you through corporate gatherings. Holy Spirit, speak to me and guide me. Jesus, teach me and show me the way to the Father.

I pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

2 Corinthians 5:13-17

01 Jan

13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthian 5:13-17

Dear God, going to verse 17, what is the new life? Well, it is the last part of verse 15: “…they will live for Christ…” Live for you. It seems counterintuitive to take this small set of years you give to me and use them living for you. Why wouldn’t I live them for myself?

The fascinating thing is I actually get more out of this life for myself when I live for you. If I spend a couple of days selfishly, it doesn’t take me long before I start to feel pretty empty inside. I’ve had unstructured vacations like that where I’ve just laid around all day and done nothing but indulge myself in lethargy. The result is a terrible feeling. The same would be true if I were to allow myself to pursue my vices, focus on accumulation of wealth, or even go down the road of reacting to fear of losing my idols that my sin nature wants to set up as my source for the fruits of the Spirit instead of your actual Spirit. I think about the people who are wrapped around the axle about political issues and how they are not only angry about everything, but they spend a lot of energy getting other people to be as angry as they are. It is very sad to me to watch, but it’s also a cautionary tale because I can see how I could and I have allowed myself to be tempted by those same idols.

Father, I am here today to live for you. That starts with spending this time with you this morning before I get going on the other parts of my day. I need you. I need you totally and completely. I need you so that this one, short life I have will be full of as much joy, love, peace, etc. as there is in this world. Thank you for offering me this new life. For making me a new creation through my rebirth into your kingdom.

I offer all of this to you because Jesus made it possible,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2024 in 2 Corinthians

 

The Attractiveness of Jesus

31 Dec

Dear God, my wife and I had dinner this last week with a young woman who is still in her teens. She’s really terrific, but she is still…searching. I think she’s finding herself. She’s graduated from high school, and is doing some college, but she’s young and unsure. I don’t perceive she has any use for organized religion or a formal relationship with you, but there was one thing I noticed about her that struck me: tattoos and jewelry with Christian imagery. A cross chain. A cross in the midst of wings. A large tattoo of rosary beads. I don’t even think she knew what she was was of rosary beads, but she thought they were pretty.

As I thought about it later, I went back to the talk I heard several months ago by John Dickson and Andy Stanley about the faith and Christian life Jesus authored vs. what Christians end up living (the 43:45 mark of this video). There is something so unique and beyond genius about what Jesus taught us: love your enemies, forgive those who harm you, serve the poor, love you with everything we have, etc. I think there are people who are searching out there and they know at the root that there is something to what Jesus taught us and the path he offers us to you that is the right thing, but they can’t bring themselves to embrace it because of how Christians have represented that path.

I told my wife it reminded me of the movie Jesus revolution. There is a scene where the hippie evangelist is talking to the traditional pastor, and he’s describing the hippies of the late 60s and early 70s (my paraphrase): They are looking for God. They just don’t know they are looking for God. And they are looking in all of the wrong places. And when they find him they are amazed!

I have a friend who shared this with me just a couple of days ago (names deleted for privacy):

“We spent the afternoon and evening with [a family]. Their daughter and live-in boyfriend are here from [another state]. It was obvious that [the parents] wanted their family to be in proximity to us because of our faith life. I kind of dreaded being with them because I knew of [the daughter’s] very liberal bent. She identifies as non-binary and has no point of reference for Christ. However, I immediately felt comfortable and easily connected with [her and her boyfriend]. We spent the evening engaged in lively and energized conversations about God, the world, and other things. We left their house with full hearts and grateful for the opportunity to simply leak out life with the beautiful bonus of observing [the parents] not holding back the joy of their [recent] salvation and their faith journeys. It was a truly beautiful experience.”

I replied, “I think you found to be true what Paul and Jesus taught. It is easy to show Jesus’s love to the lost. And to even be non-judgmental about it because they are lost. It’s when they see our love and come to faith that the Holy Spirit can start to work on them and earnest conversations can begin. But I think [the daughter and boyfriend] would have been very comfortable with Jesus so they were comfortable with you and [your wife] too.”

Father, as my friend puts it, help me to be leaky for you. Give me a bucket that leaks out your fruit into the world. Whether it be on my relatives, my friends, or even strangers who read this prayer I share with the world. You, Jesus, showed us an amazing glimpse of how the Father intends us to live. Holy Spirit, guide me into that. Guide my wife as well. Show us your path.

I offer this to you in the name of my Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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The Mockery of Baal – 1 Kings 18:25-40

28 Dec
The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups written and compiled by Ned Bustard. The image is called “Prophets of Baal” and was created by Diego Jourdan Pereira.

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.”

26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

1 Kings 18:25-40

Dear God, I whenever I use these images from Ned Bustard’s book Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-ups, I start with the image, but today I want to start with Elijah’s prayer to you. Why did he do all of this? He did it for your glory. “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

I wonder how much more I should be calling on you to prove your existence to those who do not believe. How much more should I be taking you to them and letting them know about the God who loves them and wants the best for them? I should probably be more mindful of doing this.

Now, as for the image, this is a difficult one for me to see what’s going on. I seethe bull in the bottom right. I see the sun overhead. I see bearded faces in the background. And I see a man in the foreground, but, honestly, I can’t tell if he is Elijah or one of the prophets of Baal working in vain. I haven’t read the description of the image until now, but I’ll go ahead and read it. Okay, so Bustard didn’t interpret the image, but instead talked more about the story in his description. But in the description, he quotes D.A. Carson: People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith…we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, this is a reminder to me to not drift, but to be bold. As I experience vacation this week, there is certainly a tendency to “drift” towards lethargy. But there is so much to do in your name. Whether it is ensuring my heart is pursuing you and loving you with everything it has or loving on others in your name, there is work to be done. So help me to do this work today. Help me to do it in great faith. Be glorified through my little life.

I pray all of this in the joy of my reconciliation to you through Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 28, 2023 in 1 Kings, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Psalm 103:1-5

27 Dec

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
Psalm 103:1-5

Dear God, it’s a couple of days after Christmas, and I feel the need to just worship. It’s not like I didn’t worship you over the last week or two as Christmas got nearer, but I didn’t worship you much yesterday. I thought about you. I prayed. I wrote an encouraging letter to a new Christian. But this morning, I walked into a room where my wife had some music playing, and it was just worship music. It hit me in such a refreshing way. Ahhh. Worship!

Then I looked to see what the verse of the day was for Bible Gateway, and this was it. Perfect! Yes. This is what is on my heart right now. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. And all that is within me bless His Holy Name! That is what is in my heart right now. You are my God and I want to worship you. I need to worship you. My soul longs to worship you. And worship you beyond the Christmas story. While the Christmas story is pivotal, it’s only a small piece of what Jesus did. It’s you becoming man for me. But it’s what you did while you were man that is really amazing.

It makes me think of a couple of songs. One is “Bless His Holy Name” by the Gaithers and the other is “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin. You are amazing, God!

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I have an unstructured day in front of me and you know I don’t usually do well with little structure. Help me to use this day for you and your glory. Help me to use it to have you nurture my soul. Let this be a day when you will use me to help your kingdom to come and your will to be done on this earth as it is in your heaven. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. Forgive me of my sins as I forgive those who sin against me. And please give me this day my daily bread. Make me worthy of being your ambassador.

I offer this prayer to you through the grace offered to me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 27, 2023 in Psalms

 

“The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets

25 Dec
“The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets
Three in the morning and I’m still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I’d say
If we were face to face
I’d tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and
Never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got his hand on you so
Don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
Love will find you where you are
I know, ’cause I’ve already been there
So please hear these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and
Never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got his hand on you so
Don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

From one simple life to another
I will say
Come, find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord and
Never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got his hand on you so
Don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
Thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Sam Mizell / David Frey / Ben McDonald

Dear God, I think this is the third time I’ve journaled about this song. That might be a record. The first time I did it was in 2012 and the second was earlier this year. But this time it’s because I have a relative who accepted the reality of you into her life yesterday at a Christmas Eve service. Ever since I heard about it, I have been thinking about what advice I would want her to have from me. What words would I say? This song is a good start, but it’s not what I would lead with. I would lead with warning her about the pitfalls I fell into–especially of weedy soil.

I think when it comes down to it, there are four different parts of the Bible I would tie together, starting with the end and then reverse-engineering to how you get to the end.

What is the end? In my mind, it is living a life from which the fruits of the Spirit flow (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control – Galatians 5:22-23).

So how do I grow the fruits of the Spirit? Well, it is by connecting my branch to your vine (John 15:5). You are the vine and I am the branch. I connect my branch to your vine so I might grow your fruit of which others can partake.

How do I connect my branch to your vine? Two ways: Loving you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:29-31), and my making sure the connection is good by weeding my soil. What do I mean by that? Well, it comes back to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). I can have four types of soil. At this point, it is obvious I do not have a heart that is like the path, and I do not have rocky soil. My faith does have roots. But I do often allow the weeds of the cares of this world or pursuit of wealthy to choke out your Spirit.

So to recap, but in the right order, if my relative will worship you with everything she has and love her neighbors all while weeding her soil and turning away from the idols the world offers, then she will have a branch that is firmly attached to your vice and will bear great fruit. It is much easier said than done. These are the words I would say.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I pray over the precious woman. I pray over everyone in her sphere of influence as well. Her parents. Her siblings. Her friends. Everyone. Help her to be strong in you through the basics of loving you, loving others and weeding her soil. Raise up people around her who can be your voice and teach her. Bring her along in your joy. Oh, Lord, bless her life.

I pray all of this through the miraculous healing of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 25, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Charlie Brown Christmas

24 Dec

Dear God, it’s Christmas Eve, and I was thinking a couple of days ago about American “Christians” (I put “Christians” in quotes because I feel like it is largely cultural Christians who have no real knowledge of you), and I was thinking about how they celebrate the Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol version of Christmas (family and loving the unfortunate) instead of the real meaning of Christmas. And I’ve been sucked into this too. I think more about the It’s a Wonderful Life version than really sinking myself into they mystery of not only what you did over 2,000 years ago but why you did it.

As I thought more about this, it occurred to me that Charlie Brown Christmas is actually a brilliant example that illustrates Christian emptiness at Christmas–and this was back in the mid-60s when American was supposedly still great according to recent politics. So, this morning, I thought I would watch Charlie Brown Christmas and outline the content to see if it really is as sneakily brilliant as I have it in my head.

  • Open with Charlie Brown (from now on I’ll just refer to him as Charlie) and Linus standing at the wall talking. Charlie says, “l think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel. I just don’t understand Christmas I guess. I like getting presents, and sending Christmas cards, and decorating trees, and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.” Linus replies, “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.”
  • Ice skating scene with all of the children and Snoopy.
  • Charlie looks in his empty mailbox and is upset that no one sent him a Christmas card. “I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?”
  • He confronts Violet for not sending him a card.
  • The children play at trying to hit a can with snowballs (Linus uses his blanket to hit it).
  • Charlie goes to Lucy for psychiatric help (he must pay in advance). He tells Lucy he’s depressed. Lucy decides to label his problem with a phobia. Lucy ultimately decides he needs “involvement.” That will solve the problem, so she puts him in charge of the Christmas play. Then she complains she gets depressed at Christmas every year, but she gets depressed because all she gets is toys and not what she really wants: real estate.
  • Snoopy decorates his house and Charlie complains the neighborhood decorating contest claims it’s about finding the true meaning of Christmas and Snoopy has gone commercial.
  • Sally asks Charlie to help her write her letter to Santa. Her letter disgusts Charlie too.
  • At rehearsal, Lucy tells the kids Charlie will be the director. They complain and Snoopy boos.
  • Charlie tries to take charge of the play. The kids stop paying attention and start dancing again.
  • Lucy (Script Girl) passes out the scripts and assigns roles.
  • Charlie starts to direct. First up, the “scene at the inn.” Sally will be Linus the Shepherd’s wife.
  • Lucy calls lunch break and asks for role as Christmas Queen.
  • Every time Charlie calls action they break into dancing to Schroeder’s piano playing.
  • Lucy explains to Charlie that “we all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate, you know.”
  • Charlie decides to resist the commercialization of the Christmas show by getting a Christmas tree. He and Linus start their quest for a tree.
  • Amidst the orange and purple metal trees, he finds one that looks like it “needs a home.” “I think it needs me.”
  • Lucy and Schroeder have a scene about Beethoven and Christmas music.
  • Charlie and Linus return with the now infamous tree. The children immediately react: “Boy, are you stupid, Charlie Brown!” “What kind of a tree is that?!?” “You were supposed to get a good tree! Can’t you even tell a good tree from a poor tree?!?” “I told you he’d goof it up! He’s not the kind you can depend on to do anything right.” “You’re hopeless, Charlie Brown.” “Completely hopeless!” “You’ve been dumb before, Charlie Brown, but this time you really did it!” “What a tree!” Then they all mockingly laugh at him and walk away.
  • Charlie relents to Linus that he picked the wrong tree and he just doesn’t know what Christmas is all about. “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!?”
  • This is when Linus tells the shepherds’ story from Luke 2. “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
  • Charlie takes his tree and heads home with a smile on his face (“Oh Christmas Tree” plays instrumentally and we get Linus’s voiceover of the shepherds’ story from Luke 2 again.”
  • Snoopy’s house won first prize and Charlie initially is dumbfounded, but the decides to rise above and not let the commercialization ruin his Christmas.
  • Charlie puts a single ornament on the tree and it leans over from the weight. “I’ve killed it. Oh! Everything I touched gets ruined.” He sulks off.
  • The children come upon the tree, Linus says, “I never though it was such a bad little tree. Maybe it just needs a little love,” lifts it up straight, and wraps hit blanket around the bottom like a Christmas tree skirt. Then all of the children take the decorations from Snoopy’s house and use them to decorate the tree.
  • Lucy says, “Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but he did get a nice tree.” Then they all start singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” echoing the shepherds’ story Linus told them.
  • Charlie comes back and finds everyone next to his tree. “What’s going on here?!?” They all shout, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown,” and start singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” over the credits.
  • The End

So this is interesting. At the end of the day, the writers of Charlie Brown Christmas aren’t pointing us to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and their experience that day. They are pointing us to the shepherds. For unto us (including me) is born the Messiah, the Lord. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I can’t remember a year when I was more dialed in on the incarnation of Jesus at Christmas. Yes, I’ve watched It’s a Wonderful Life and other traditional “Christmas movies” (including Die Hard), but I’ve also spent more time than ever really examining, thinking about and praying about what you did for us–for me. I’m going to four church services over the next 20 hours. One Protestant so I can have communion, and three with my wife while she sings and leads worship. I’m looking forward to these celebrations. I’m looking forward to appreciating you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

I pray all of this only because I am able to as a result of this very gift,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 24, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” by Henry Longfellow (1863)

23 Dec

Dear God, what would we do with peace? What if? What if there were all of a sudden peace on the entire earth? Not only would wars cease, but cartel violence, theft, and murder would cease as well. No more domestic violence. No more bullying in school. Just good will between us all. What would that look like? I simply cannot imagine because we are all so sinful. I am so sinful. While we are here in our sin, how can there be peace on earth and good will toward men?

My wife talked to me about this poem/song this morning. Henry Longfellow wrote “I Heart The Bells On Christmas Day” in 1863. Right about the time Abraham Lincoln was proclaiming the first national day of Thanksgiving. In the midst of terrible fighting and suffering. Suffering that came from our country’s original sin: slavery and racism (unless you count treatment of Native Americans as our original sin. Maybe we have two).

I’ll admit I’ve had Longfellow’s thoughts before. When the angels appeared to the shepherds in Luke 2:14 (KJV) and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” I wonder exactly what they meant. Maybe it wasn’t about peace between us, but peace and good will now being available from you to us.

Verse 3 is so sorrowful but powerful: “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said. “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.‘” But then the next verse brings it back. Your response to Longfellow expressed through the ringing bells: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth good will to men.‘”

I’m remind of another song as I close this prayer: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.” But Jesus was pretty clear that, on this side of heaven, there will be a break in our peace with each other. He said that we would divide over him. So to some extent, I guess there is only so much I can do. But let me leave no stone unturned as I try to be one of your ambassadors on earth.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2023 in Hymns and Songs

 

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