Easter Blessings!

This past week I received an email from a dear friend and congregant who said,

“Having a wonderful Easter feeling weekend after the drive thru yesterday and watching this week's church service. So much talent and work was involved.  It was fabulous!  Yesterday, seeing Church people live and in person gave me such a lift. You must be very proud of Amberlea. We are so fortunate to be members. Looking forward to the rest of the services this week.”

Yes, yes, yes!  It was an amazing weekend pointing us to the Greatest Story ever told about the Greatest Show!  Where God showed us in no uncertain terms God’s power over death, and the love of the Father revealed in His Son.  The work that has been done for you and me.  Hallelujah!

This is Holy Week and I hope that you will join me on Maundy Thursday (April 1) for a special Communion Service. Let’s recreate the Upper Room, the place where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his friends. Friends, who one by one betrayed him. 

Then on Good Friday (April 2) let’s gather to remember and reflect.  But beloveds, 

“Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning!”  (Psalm 30:5). 

So, join us on Easter Sunday Morning (April 4) as we celebrate the Risen Christ!

This will be our second Easter a part, and for me it will be hard. I miss the energy, the sound of raised voices praising God, your responsive faces, not to mention your hugs. The novelty of virtually everything “virtual” has worn thin for many of us. BUT GOD.  We have learned that Church is not the building. The church is you and me. And even though we miss being in Community we continue to be a part from one another because our love and care for each other runs deeper.  We are Easter people!

So, this Easter: 

We sing because we love God. 

We rejoice because we know that God is still on the throne. 

We worship because God loved us first.

We will praise before we see the miracle because we Trust God in all of it!

Easter Blessings!

The Lesser known...

I remember, when I was a very young Christian, a member of my family saying, “You know what I can’t stand about Christians? They are all hypocrites! They act all goody, goody on Sunday and then the rest of the week they act completely different”.

Those words have never left me.  

Have you ever felt like you like you wear a mask in certain areas of your life?  I don’t mean a literal mask, because we all know we need to do that.  I am talking about how we live our lives. How, perhaps sometimes we carve out a portion of our lives and choose to live it differently than the rest.  For instance behaving a certain way with certain people or certain circumstances.

We are called to live honestly in every part of our lives.

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”  Galatians 5:25

After Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea , the lesser known Joseph, went public with his faith. He is remembered for stepping out in faith to claim the body of Jesus. For three years of Jesus ministry, Joseph was a secret disciple. As one of Israel’s wealthy religious elite, it was dangerous for Joseph to associate with Jesus. It was not until Jesus’ crucifixion that Joseph was willing to risk a public association. 

And I wonder what he might have missed out on had fear and hesitation not taken over? What opportunities had he missed? What miracles and life change did he not experience out of fear of being found out that he was in fact a follower of Jesus?

I suppose the same question could be asked of each of us. What might we be missing out on?

What opportunities are we missing out on because we are afraid to commit fully to our faith?

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“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”  (John 10:27)

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Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Join us this Sunday, March 28th (Palm Sunday) for a very special service with our children!

In the Middle

Remember those days when we  could travel? I wouldn’t say that I love the flying part, particularly if I was assigned the middle seat. For me the middle seat is the worst.

And generally the middle seat is not a hot commodity.

There are window seat people on airplanes, and there are aisle seat people on airplanes.

I am a window person - Brian prefers the aisle but it is essential that he have the ability to lean over and describe all the geographical features below. That works well if we are in a two-by-two configuration, otherwise someone is not happy.

I dread the middle seat.  I was once travelling myself and I was sitting between two people who were clearly a couple. So I offered for them to sit together and they politely said in unison, “no thanks”. She wanted the window, he wanted the aisle and I spent the next several hours between them as they passed snacks and pens and glances to one another. I hate the middle seat. 

Isn’t it true that it is in the middle where we feel stuck?

Whether it is the middle seat of a plane or the middle of a situation.

When I began my doctorate the beginning was exciting, and the ending was a celebration. Oh but the middle —- right?

It’s in the middle, where it is equally as far from where we started as it is to the ending. It’s in the middle is when we’re most tempted to give up. It's in the middle that our fears can also overtake us.

But Jesus shows up in the middle.

Jesus showed up in the middle to calm the raging storm. Jesus showed up in the middle when the disciples were afraid for their lives, huddled in the upper room, after he was crucified.

Jesus showed up in the middle.  

And John 19:18 says,  Jesus is in the middle:

There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

The picture at Golgotha is quite striking. There were three crosses, and yes, Jesus is in the middle. Of course, our salvation could have been accomplished if Jesus had died alone. But that’s not how God designed it.

Jesus died between two criminals. They died as punishment for their crimes. And these two criminals really represent our condition, don’t they? They had sinned against God, like each of us — separated from God because of our thoughts, words or deeds. They picture what all of us deserve apart from faith in Jesus. Then there’s Jesus. 

Innocent.

It’s important that Jesus’ cross was in the middle. Why? Because Jesus’ cross proclaims salvation. It shows us the one who carried our sins. The cross is at the centre of God’s work of salvation. 

Throughout the bible that is exactly where Jesus is.  Jesus is always in the midst. Jesus is always in the middle.

And as you read this, my prayer for you is that you are reminded today that right in the middle of what you are facing; right in the middle of what we are all going through; right in the middle, is where Jesus wants to show up.  

As we approach the cross this Easter “What will you do with Jesus?”