Easter Sunday – An empty tomb

Mark 16:1–3 (ESV) - When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”  Lots of people refer to Easter as “Resurrection Sunday” - and…

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Saturday – empty space

In three out of the four Gospels after the burial of Jesus on Good Friday, there is no mention of anything that happens on Saturday. Matthew talks about how the Jewish religious leaders, still manipulating Pilate, convince him to seal the tomb and place a royal guard around the entrance to the tomb for fear of the disciples stealing the body (which will become very important later as evidence for the resurrection), but other than that, not one of them…

Good Friday – A million reasons why

Mark 15:1–2 (ESV) - And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”  Blasphemy. Speaking sacrilegiously about sacred things. That was the charge. Of course God was an incredibly sacred thing, and He had,…

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Maundy Thursday – Just stay awake

I really like to sleep. If I am being totally transparent, I have struggled with anxiety and intrusive thoughts for the majority of my adult life, and sleep is a bit of an escape. It takes me to a place where the worries and the thoughts I just can’t shake can’t touch me, even if just for a few hours. When I am asleep, I don’t have to carry the burdens of my day, I can close my eyes and…

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Wednesday – A party with perfume 

I am not one for perfume. Sure I like things that smell good, but I have yet to smell a perfume that doesn’t have a twinge of “fake” to it. My wife uses a lavender soap, and that works just fine. I don’t walk through department stores much anymore (the internet is a great place to shop), but when I do, I am nearly knocked unconscious by the overwhelming myriad of smells that take up residence at the perfume station.…

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Tuesday – It’s a trap

There’s a scene from the Star Wars movie, Return of the Jedi, where a Mon Calamari veteran soldier called Admiral Ackbar yells out a very famous line. Yes, I realize I just lost over half of you, but please, try to stick with me. In the scene the rebel fighters are attacking something called the ‘Death Star’ which is the main ship of their largest enemy, the Evil Empire. As they approach, they are attempting to determine whether the shields…

Monday – What did that tree ever do to you?

I’ve never really cared much for figs. I guess when they come in the form of a Newton, they seem to be tolerable, but in any other situation, I think I’d rather eat a prune. To be completely honest with you, if not for the story in the Gospels, I wouldn’t even have been able to tell you that they grew on trees. They’re silly little fruits that most people prefer to eat all dried up and shriveled. That should…

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Palm Sunday – Not a throwaway line

There’s this one verse at the end of the story of the Triumphal Entry in Mark 11 - that seems like it might be a throw away line. Honestly, I’ve probably read the story tens of times, and I can’t remember thinking anything of it, in any of the times I have. Maybe it’s because it seems inconsequential, or maybe it’s because the story feels over already; but in any case, like all of scripture, it’s probably there for a…

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Woah. (Come back to me)

Every day when I pick my kids up from school, I play them an “after school” song. Honestly, I kind of stumbled in to both of them, not choosing them on purpose. I plan on picking out a new one each year. My hope though, is that whenever they hear them, for the rest of their lives, they will remember car rides home from school with their dad - who loved them enough to pick something special just for them. …

Daddy’s grown up guy

I honestly couldn’t tell you when it was; the first time I saw you as a young man instead of my little boy, but I think I could hazard a guess.  Perhaps it was the morning of the first day of school. 6th grade, a locker full of stuff, ready to switch classes for the first time and study things that require you to comprehend and think on your own. As you carried in the backpack you borrowed from me,…