24 Hours

We are in week three of "24 Hours That Changed the World", a churchwide study we are doing through Lent. It has been really insightful so far.

It is causing us to slow down and actually enter into one of the most known stories of Christ followers. To enter in to the story and put ourselves in the shoes of Judas or Peter or the Sanhedrin, and reflect on how this story is very much our story has been a refreshing experience.

I was reading this morning on the topic of being condemned by the righteous and I was really struck by how 71 of the "spiritually elite" known as the Sanhedrin could conspire to humiliate, condemn and crush the exact one they had been waiting for.

But Jesus doesn't help his cause (intentionally). When they ask if He's the messiah...His response is I AM. (Claims to be their God). Then he says that he will destroy the temple and raise it again in three days (Claims power over the house of God). Two things you just don't do in 1st century Jerusalem.

The Romans don't want an insurrectionist leading a movement in their territory. The Jewish leaders don't want their authority, their God or their temple called into question. You can sense the tension of why this leads to a cross.

And Jesus is still a threat to the way we live our lives 2000 years ago. Following him has cost. What's it costing us?

24 hours that changed the world

It seems like every week, Sunday rolls around.

There was a good deal of effort, creativity and brainstorming that went into our One Prayer series that began the second week of January. But with March 6 come and gone, so is One Prayer. And now we are pressing in to Lent with a series called 24 Hours that Changed the World. It's based off a book by Rev. Adam Hamilton. It is an in depth look at the last 24 hours of Jesus' life leading to the cross.

It culminates with Resurrection on Easter Sunday. This series has the potential to continue the momentum that has already begun in 2011 for our church, so i am excited.

I'm also challenged. How do we implement continued effort, creativity and brainstorming week after week to leave people challenged, inspired and transformed?

The answer is that the effort and creativity must come from God. Because when they do, so will the challenge, inspiration and transformation.

All we must do is yield.