Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023

“Happy Easter!  How Am I Supposed to Respond?”

Whew!  We made it to Easter!  No more Lenten sacrifices, at least, not until next year.  Everything is finally back to where it’s supposed to be.  Eat what I want to eat.  Drink what I want to drink.  Jelly Bellies for an appetizer, Key lime pie for my entrée, and a frozen beverage to wash it all down.  What does Easter mean, other than the obvious stomach ache, sugar crash, and hangover that are sure to come? 

I know what Easter is Supposed to mean.  I know that Jesus’ emergence from the tomb is Supposed to mean that God is bigger than death.  It’s also Supposed to mean that no matter what sins I’ve committed (and they are aplenty), I am forgiven.  I also know that my old self is Supposed to die away because of God’s love and mercy, and I am Supposed to begin a new life. 

God’s gift of Easter is really a big deal.  It means that God loves us a whole lot.  It means that God has forgiven us of all our stupidity and that we no longer have to be slaves to what we’ve done.  Sure, we may still have consequences for our sins, but God’s promise is supposed to free us so that we can become better people than we used to be.  I’m Supposed to be better, but what does that really mean?

For one thing, celebrating and believing in Easter indicates that we are thankful for God’s work and we are going to be more faithful people.  It indicates that we are going to love God and other people much better than before.  Can we set aside the hurts?  Can we forgive the wrongdoing?  That’s what God did at Easter.  Easter means that the love and forgiveness God gives us is an example by which we are Supposed to be willing to love and forgive others. 

Easter is Supposed to make life better because of the LORD’s incredible gift.  We are Supposed to open it, use it, and give it to someone else.  That’s how we’re Supposed to respond to Easter!  Hallelujah!

 “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.”  (2 Cor 5:17, CEV)

 Lent Day 46, Holy Saturday, April 8, 2023

“No TV or Electronics”

Today, the final day of the Lenten Season, we recognize the silence that occurs while Jesus Christ lies in the tomb after his death.  Darkness.  Silence.  Sorrow.  All of these and more are represented in the tomb. 

We know that Easter will arrive tomorrow.  The Good News is really, really, close!  But since we’re not quite there, and especially because many of us have worked diligently on our Lenten sacrifices this season, our final Lenten Challenge is to connect with the silence and refrain from television, the internet, or other electronic forms of entertainment.

It’ll be easy to cheat on today’s devotion.  Do E-bikes count?  What about E-vehicles?  Can I read my book on my tablet?  What about this devotion?  I’m a pastor…can I work on my computer to prepare for my Easter message?  Of course, you can do these things.  The spirit of today’s Challenge is to reflect on the sounds of silence. Today, look for ways to experience the silence and stillness of that Holy Saturday.

The stillness of the tomb, sealed by an unmovable obstacle, must have created a feeling of great despair for all of Jesus’ followers.  The birds probably chirped outside.  The waves still rolled in on the seashore.  The wind continued to weave its way among the trees.  On that Holy Saturday two thousand years ago, it probably seemed like a normal day for those who didn’t know about Jesus.  Likewise, when those folks would awaken on Easter morning, they still may not have noticed anything different.  But for those that had followed Jesus, everything was different.

We are different!  If you’ve taken the time to read this far into Lenten Devotion, it’s likely that, like me, you are well aware of the significance of the closed tomb.  We also recognize the power of the tomb when it opens tomorrow morning.

Today is Holy Saturday.  Avoid the artificial distractions that too often catch our attention.  Read a book.  Take a walk.  Jump in the water.  Enjoy a meal with a friend.  Take some time to enjoy and experience God’s special blessings that don’t require a power outlet, phone charger, or whatever it may be. 

Today is the day that the LORD has made.  It may be Holy Saturday, but we can still rejoice and be glad in it!

“This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.  This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it!”  (Psalm 118:23-24, NLT)

 Lent Day 45, Good Friday, April 7, 2023

“24-Hour Fast”

The 24-hour fasting day has returned for its’ second time during the Lenten Challenges.  The first appearance this Season was a week ago (Friday, March 31, 2023).  If we succeeded last week, we can do it again.  If we blew it last week, this is the day of redemption since we’ll get a second chance today.

In case you didn’t know, Good Friday (today) is probably the most popular fasting day of the year.  Lots of folks will be practicing some form of fasting today, as well as making other sacrifices.  We are at the first day of Easter weekend when Good Friday is identified as the day of Jesus’ death, Holy Saturday represents a full day in the tomb for Jesus’ body, and Easter Sunday is the day of Jesus’ resurrection.

It’s because of the events of this upcoming weekend that we practice fasting.  For today’s Challenge, we are removing food from our diets for 24 hours, but all beverages are allowed.  Some of us are medically required to eat; in those cases, do something that puts a dent in the day, like praying for 30 minutes (without falling asleep) or reading an entire Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John).

The purpose of today’s Challenge is to call attention to the sacrifice God makes on our behalf.  Pain, suffering, and death were Jesus’ experiences on Good Friday.  The least we can do is make a sacrifice significant enough that it causes us to think about the greatness of God’s love and mercy.  If God didn’t love us that much, there would be no reason for a Good Friday.  Instead, we’d just go about our business of being selfish and ungrateful, ignoring the needs around us to fulfill our own wants and needs.

But not today.  Today, we remember what God did for us.  Begin your 24-hour fast and give glory to God!

“That is why the Lord says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.’  Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and passionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He is eager to relent and not punish.”  (Joel 2:12-13, NLT)

 Lent Day 44, Maundy Thursday, April 6, 2023

“Share a Meal”

On Maundy Thursday, we are Challenged to share a meal with someone.  Lots of things will qualify for this Challenge, so remain open to what God provides.

We arrive at this Lenten Challenge to reflect upon the breaking of bread together in celebration of the Last Supper, often remembered and observed on Maundy Thursday each year.  Jesus chose to share his last few hours of freedom by sharing a meal with his friends.  Likewise, when we share meals together, we are making ourselves vulnerable to each other and to the power of God.  Sharing food with our friends, family, and neighbors is a meaningful way to spread the love of God.

Since the publishing of the Lenten Calendar some weeks ago, natural disasters around the country and world have created a greater need for basic food provisions for lots of people.  Food banks in our communities need food.  As a result, we are expanding this Lenten Challenge to also include the provision of non-perishable food items to local churches, organizations, institutions, and individuals that we may encounter.

Yes, the sharing of food is the sharing of our body’s most basic needs.  We don’t need much more explanation.  Find a way to share a meal with someone.  We can have a meal with family and friends or we can collect some non-perishables that can be distributed to those in need.  If you are attending the Chapel's worship services this weekend, please consider bringing non-perishable food items with you.  We can do it! 

Share food!

“He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”  (Luke 3:11, CEB)

 Lent Day 43, Wednesday, April 5, 2023

“Pray for God’s Will”

The Lenten Challenge for today is simple for us, unless, of course, God’s Will is different from our own.  Yes, on the last hump day of Lent, we try to focus on what God needs.

Pastors, ministry organizers, church staffers, and missionaries have a unique viewpoint of God’s Will.  For us to answer God’s Call into vocational service, we’ve had to let go of our former plans.  Some of those plans were simple, far-fetched ideas, while others served as our life’s purpose for many years.  Accepting God’s Will for us is a daunting task. Sometimes, it looks like an impossible mountain to cross.  Other times, we don’t want to even try to cross it.

“Letting Go” is the first step in following God’s Will.  If we’re not willing to let go of our plans, traditions, opinions, goals, dreams, and the like, then we’re not going to be open to God’s Will.  If we’re not open to God’s Will, then we may never become a part of some of God’s greatest works.  That’s what makes God’s Will such a difficult subject to address.  Sure, we can pray for it, but unless we are truly open to whatever God says and does, we’re not quite sincere in our request. 

Today, let’s Pray for God’s Will in our lives.  Praying for someone else is always needed, but today’s prayer for God’s Will is a specific call upon our call as a child of God.  In other words, today’s prayer isn’t for someone else.  It’s for you…and me…

“May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10, NET)

 Lent Day 42, Tuesday, April 4, 2023

“Give to Church, Chapel, or Ministry”

Today’s Challenge - Give to a Church, Chapel, or Ministry - is intended to help us consider the work performed by God’s people for God’s people.  Those who dedicate themselves to vocational ministry dedicate their lives to becoming the extension of God’s work on earth.

Ministry includes all the churches and chapels that meet on a regular basis to help others gain knowledge, and inspiration, and serve in all kinds of community-related areas.  Churches have been the foundation of the community since before the establishment of this country, so finding a good prospect that needs our money won’t be difficult.

Ministry also includes all the community service organizations that exist to become an extension of God’s hands into our community.  Food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters are great giving opportunities.  The same applies to organizations that provide clothing, housing, job training, and rehabilitation services.  There are a lot of them because a lot of people need help!

Plenty of God-centered projects, programs, and organizations need us.  Your local church is always a great giving option because they have already established relationships with many worthy organizations and programs and local churches can concentrate their efforts on something specific.

Giving to God should be easy.  It’s not.  That’s why the Bible talks so much about it: God knows it’s hard to let go of the financial resources with which we have been blessed.  Thankfully, God also knows that we don’t mean any harm when we can’t give.  He gets that, too.

Today is a day to be generous with those who need help.  Today is a day of giving, so give God another “Thank You” today by giving to some of the LORD’S special places! 

“Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor.”  (Provers 22:9, The Message)

 Lent Day 40, Sunday, April 2, 2023

“Invite Someone to Worship”

Why should we invite someone to worship?  Simple.  The LORD asks us to invite others.

God entrusts us with the joy and life that we’ve received.  In response to God’s blessings, we are supposed to pass those blessings to others so that they, also, may experience a personal relationship with the LORD.

Inviting someone to worship is not an invitation to a theological discussion.  It won’t turn into a detailed synopsis of one’s beliefs.  People who do not have a church or chapel home are not seeking answers to the meaning of life.  Instead, they are seeking something stable and constant.  They are seeking something hopeful, safe, and inspirational.  They are seeking the same thing that we are all seeking:  a place to be received and valued.

As we begin Holy Week with the traditional waving of palms to remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, consider offering someone an invitation to worship.  Your local church is beginning Holy Week today.  The best music is ready.  The best sermons and messages are prepared.  Local Churches will be offering egg hunts, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, special picnics and cookouts, and all kinds of other special things. 

Following a couple of years of messed up events due to COVID, our local churches are counting on us to offer invitations.  Sure, our invitations help increase attendance, but the reason to offer someone an invitation is not to add another number to the church roll.  The purpose is to give someone else an opportunity to have a positive and hopeful experience this Easter.

Inviting someone to church is a selfless act.  It is also courageous and humbling, and, even if the invitation is turned down, it is refused with the greatest of respect and honor to those of us making it.  Yes, people will be happy to be invited, because sometimes, all of us need to know that we are loved and valued.

Invite Someone to Worship this week!

“Come and see God’s deeds; his works for human beings are awesome: He turned the sea into dry land so they could cross the river on foot.  Right there we rejoiced in him!”  (Psalm 66:5-6, CEB)

 Lent Day 39, Saturday, April 1, 2023

“Do Something Extravagantly Nice!”

This Lenten Challenge is making a first-time appearance on our Lenten Calendar, although I must admit that I have really been excited about this one for a long time.  Since today is April Fool’s Day and the silly jokes are going to be in abundance, today’s Lenten Challenge is presented to specifically thwart the jokes people may receive.  Today, instead of fooling them, we’re gonna do it for real.  No tricks.   

Today’s Challenge is to do something extravagantly nice.  The “Extravagant” part can be defined in any manner that you wish.  This Challenge doesn’t have to involve any exchange of financial resources.  Instead, consider something that stretches you beyond your normal boundaries.  Also, the good deed doesn’t have to be completed for another person.  We can complete this task on behalf of our local church or chapel, school, township, or fire department.  We could do this for a police officer, a neighbor around the corner, or even our worst enemy.  This Challenge is wide open, as long as “we” (you) consider it to be extravagant.

Recently, I passed an overflowing trash can along the main roadway.  Cleaning up the mess and disposing of the trash at home would be one example of something that might qualify.  Another example could be providing a meal for someone that doesn’t expect it, or sending a NICE greeting card to a town commissioner or someone else in public office.  (Assuming, of course, that you normally don’t send them nice letters!)

Too often, we bypass opportunities to share God’s love with other people.  Today, we don’t have to preach to anyone or even raise our hands to be identified.  We can do something nice and not tell anyone about it.  Given the tragic storms that hit my hometown yesterday in Little Rock, Arkansas, opportunities will be in abundance.  Even prayers from far away can make a difference.

So, what will it be today?  The Challenge is open to interpretation.  The goal is to stretch beyond our normal boundaries and do something super-nice… just because!

Do Something Extravagantly Nice today!

“Generosity will be rewarded:  Give a cup of water, and you will receive a cup of water in return.” (Proverbs 11:25, CEV)