This year I wanted to find a way to observe Lent in a way that would help me walk with Jesus in a deeper way. During the month before Ash Wednesday, while I was recovering from hip replacement surgery, I had lots of extra time to read and study. One of the resources that I found during this time was a video by the Bible Project, “The Tree of Life.” I can’t explain the impact that the video had on my relationship with Jesus. As a result I decided to begin this project on my blog. This was going to be my special way to observe Lent. So on the day after Ash Wednesday, February 27, I began the project. I didn’t really have a plan or any idea how the project would work, just a desire to share what God was teaching me about him through trees. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Today I will end my Lenten Project in a world that is very different from the world of Ash Wednesday. In a world suffering under the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, we face difficult days ahead. Our daily lives barely resemble our lives of a month ago. The virus has taught us that self-sufficiency is a false God and that we are our brother's keeper. We are searching for someone to trust. We have a God who can be trusted. We also have a God who suffered for us, who faced the darkest of days. In the week ahead we will look again at the last days of Jesus. We will see the most important tree story in God’s word. We will see Jesus riding on a donkey with people throwing tree branches to welcome him to the Temple. He knew it was now time that he would become the new Temple. He spent the last Passover with his disciples seeing the tree that was ahead. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:13-19, NIV We will see Jesus betrayed and abandoned and alone. We will see him carry his cross and die on a tree, the most important tree in the Bible. Because Jesus died on this tree we have a new life. We have hope. We have a loving God to trust even in our darkest days. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” One of the traditions of my church is to take the tree that we covered with the shroud of death on Maundy Thursday and on Easter Sunday cover it with flowers that everyone brings from their yard. As our symbol of the cross transforms from a symbol of death to a symbol of life so Jesus transforms our lives. This year we will have to postpone our Easter celebration, but we will still celebrate new life together when we have walked through these dark days and can meet again. May this upcoming Holy Week and Easter be a special time for you to experience the suffering of Jesus, to rest in his love, and to trust him to walk with you in the days ahead. Prayer
Lord Jesus Comfort us, strengthen us. Thank you for your great sacrifice of love. Amen
2 Comments
Cyndi Harrell
4/4/2020 12:02:54 pm
Thank you so much for this Karen. This season has been so important to me this year. I need it so desperately. I was so looking forward to sharing it with the church. Since it’s not possible thank you again for this.
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Karen
4/4/2020 07:20:13 pm
Thank you Cyndi. This year when we finally do get to meet again and celebrate Easter, our cross will have even a deeper meaning for all of us.
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan