Let's Get Ready For Holy Week!

The rest of this week, I plan to blog about Jesus. For those of you who read the blog and don’t share my faith, I’ll likely get back to more light-hearted rants next week. But this week – the final week of Jesus’ life on earth -- I just can’t help myself.

This week, it’s all about Jesus.

I’m part of a church that really knows how to celebrate Easter. We fast during Lent, put on passion plays, light candles, and roll out the red carpet on Easter Sunday. My kids are so excited they can hardly contain themselves. Sure, they love the candy and Easter eggs, but they know that Easter is about something much more important -- an eternal sacrifice and a risen Lord. (Besides, my girls are pretty freaked out by the Easter Bunny – just like Tooth Ferry Terror.)

For me, it’s not really about the ritual of Easter. It never has been. It’s a celebration of a person. It’s about mourning the loss of your best friend, only to find out that he’s not only alive – he’s right here in your midst.

And he laid his life down for you so you can be by his side for all eternity.

This week is the most important week in Christian history. Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday. Jesus leaves Bethany (where he has just raised Lazarus from the dead), stops in a little village to pick up a donkey that had never been riden before, and enters Jerusalem.   This is the only time Jesus rides on an animal during his public ministry.  Up until now, he walked everywhere (pretty interesting, huh?).

He must be up to something.

The road from Bethany to Jerusalem is only about two miles, yet this final week of Jesus’ life takes up more space than all the other events of the four New Testament gospels (combined). The plot thickens, Jesus enters Jerusalem to face his accusers, and ultimately faces death.

Will you join me on the journey?

Confessions Of A Rule Breaker

I’ve never been very good at following rules. After all, rules are made to be broken, aren’t they?

Fortunately, I serve a very patient and gracious God.  Which is why I really didn’t have a guilt trip over the fact that I broke my “no-coffee” rule during Lent.  That’s right.  After I had the nerve to post my coffee fast on the blog (with my friends and family cheering me on), I slipped up during the 40 days of Lent.  And I didn’t even feel guilty about it!

It was one of those weak moments.  It was also premeditated.  I had to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to drive out of town, and I told myself the night before, I am going to have a cup of coffee tomorrow.  Sure, I could have prayed for strength.  I could have driven right by the Starbucks.  But I didn’t.  Instead, I thanked God for that cup of coffee as I savored each sip.

I don’t think a cup of coffee has ever tasted better.  I felt like King David eating the consecrated bread from the temple.  When the Pharisees scolded Jesus’ disciples for picking wheat on the Sabbath, Jesus made it clear that he was more interested in our inward character than our outward appearances.  Sure, we can appear to be “holy” if we’re going through the motions and acting “religious” but Jesus explained that even King David justifiably broke the rules:

Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?  In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.  And he also gave some to his companions.

Then he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.  - Mark 2: 25-28

In other words, the rules are made for my benefit, not God’s.  I don’t think God really cares if I broke my made-up rule of no coffee during Lent.  Yes, it was an exercise in discipline for my benefit, not his.  I do think God cares about the state of my heart, and I’m more than grateful that he has brought me into a relationship with him through his risen Son.

Besides, I could never follow all the rules.  Thank God I don’t have to!

(Remember, for all you coffee lovers out there, we’ll have a Starbucks gift-card prize on Friday’s blog – details to follow!)

Easter Bunny Drama

I had completely underestimated the Easter Bunny.  He really isn’t that scary, is he (or she)? Isn’t he supposed to be furry and nice?  With all that candy and fun, who would have thought the Easter Bunny would rain terror in the hearts of my girls?

A couple of weeks ago, Anna mentioned to me that she thought the Easter Bunny was pretty creepy. I brushed it off, thinking she would get over it.  I almost came out and told her, Mom is the Easter Bunny, but in a moment of weakness, I decided to hold out.  After all, this is probably the last year before she figures it out on her own.  And I didn’t want her to ruin it for Abby.

The night before Easter, the tension started to build.  At 6:00 p.m. Abby announced that she saw the Easter Bunny in our dining room.  Then, Anna found a plastic egg under a chair in our living room – certainly, it didn’t get there by itself!  The Easter Bunny was already sneaking around, and it wasn’t even night time.

Anna and Abby were in tears, and they begged me to let them go to bed right away.  I took them up around 7:30 p.m. and they started in with the questions.  Is the Easter Bunny already in our house?  Will he come to our room?  What if Nick doesn’t get in bed soon – will he ruin our chance to get candy?  How big is the Easter Bunny?  Does he drive a car?

In response, I just said, “I don’t know, what do you think?”  As much as I love the magic and games, I really try not to lie to my children any more than I have to (especially not on major Christian holidays).  They pleaded with me to sleep with them, and to calm them down I finally convinced them I would guard their bedroom door, just to make sure the Easter Bunny didn’t barge in.

Anna and Abby barely made it through the night.  Between playing Easter Bunny and checking on them in between, I was completely exhausted from all the drama.

As much as I love Easter, I’m glad Easter Bunny drama is over – at least for another year.  I’ll have to admit, there’s something about a sneaky, overgrown, human-like bunny that just isn’t right.

It’s Monday, Thank God For Coffee!

It’s Monday, and Easter is over.  Back to the daily grind.  The good news?  I’m back on coffee.  And I’m loving every minute of it. 

Last week, I met a woman at a business meeting who announced she had given up Starbucks for Lent.  After the meeting, I approached her and said, I feel your pain!  We instantly bonded.  We talked about the addiction, the withdrawal headaches, the constant temptation.  We both missed the aroma, the boost, and even the employees who make our coffee and greet us every morning.

She explained to me that she gave up Starbucks to be more intentional about her life – to break her routine.  Every morning, without even thinking about it, she would robotically drop $3.  Morning coffee had become a ritual, something she needed to function.  Could she live without it?

I realize coffee is a luxury.  And I enjoy it now more than ever.  (In fact, in celebration of my return to coffee, I’m going give away a Starbucks gift card on the blog this Friday!)  Yes, coffee is back in my routine with a bang (and a buzz).  But like my new friend who gave up Starbucks for Lent, I want to be intentional about my routines.

As you settle into your routines this week, give some thought to being intentional.  Do you control your routines, or do your routines control you?

Why Did He Do it?

Prior to his death, Jesus had a handful of followers.  Maybe a couple hundred at best.  He had been rejected by the religious leaders, the powerful, and the elite.  And on Good Friday, his only followers outright deserted him. 

That’s right, on Good Friday, Jesus’ disciples were running scared.  One of his closet friends – Simon Peter – even denied Jesus publicly not once, but three times.  And when Jesus asked his disciples to watch and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, they instead fell asleep.  And worse yet, one of his own betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver.

Can you imagine what it would be like to have every person you know – every close friend and family member – abandon you prior to your death?

Most of us have at least someone in this world we can count on.  Someone who will never reject us or betray us.  Someone who stands by us, even when no one else will – a parent, spouse, friend, sister, brother, son, or daughter.

But not Jesus.  Jesus went to the cross alone.  And not only was Jesus completely deserted, he was facing a brutal, painful death. This would have been reason alone to back out and say, “enough is enough.”

So why did he do it?  Why not call it quits, throw in the towel, and beam up to heaven?  Surely, if he was God, he could have stopped the pain and torture.  He could have called a legion of angels to rescue him, or rained fire from heaven on his accusers.

But instead he chose to stick it out – even willingly. 

Why?  He did it for you and for me.  It wasn’t suffering for the sake of suffering.  It was suffering – the ultimate sacrifice of giving one’s life -- for your sake and mine.

Why would God allow his only Son to pay the ultimate price for nothing?  In considering who Jesus is, consider this – his death is meaningless unless it served a greater purpose.  Could that greater purpose be to bring you back to God?

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13

Coffee Or Jesus?

I decided to give up coffee for Lent.  For an addict like me, it’s going to be an arduous journey.  I know, if I was really doing this right, I wouldn’t publish my fast on a blog.

And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.  Matthew 6:16

I’m really not looking for reward or admiration.  So, at the risk of being in good company with the hypocrites, I’m going to need some accountability from my fellow bloggers.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday.  Although I didn’t grow up in the Liturgical Church, there’s something pretty special about observing the traditional calendar this time of year.  After we took the kids to church last night, we talked about how we’ll all mortal beings – from ashes to ashes.

No, I don’t believe you have to give up something for Lent or even observe Ash Wednesday to earn points with God.   And I don’t believe I have to decide between coffee and Jesus.  In fact, I haven’t given anything up for Lent in years.  I was one of those people who always thought the rituals of Lent were pretty silly.  After all, God isn’t impressed by seasonal celebrations when what he really wants is a love relationship 365 days a year, right?

I still believe that’s true.  But, truth be told, some of us need reminders along the way.  For me, going without coffee is a pretty good reminder that I need to pray, clear my head (once the caffeine headache clears), and prepare to celebrate my risen Lord.

So whether you observe Lent or not, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the Easter season this year (and please don’t offer me any coffee – especially not a latte with dark chocolate).