No Bus for Us

My friend and Ministerial colleague, Paul Dazet, introduced me to this quote that directly applies to this time of year, "There are two ways to get up to the mountaintop called “Easter” - one is a journey up the mountain experiencing the wilderness, the temptation, the palms, the cross, and the empty tomb. The other is an air conditioned tour bus that drops you off up top." 

Difficult is rarely fun, but it regularly hugely beneficial.  In years past, I have had people ask me why we take Lent so seriously at Living Hope. I hear what they are saying.  Lent truly is a time that I too would rather skip.  It is a time where we are are asked to slow down long enough to allow God to clearly identify sin and its impact on us personally and systemically.  Lent is a time in which we are directly asked if we trust Jesus enough to engage in the discomfort of repentance, fasting, submission and sacrifice.  I do not know about you but those are not words I would put on balloons and bring in for a party.  No, I too, would rather take the air conditioned bus to the party called Easter.  

The problem is one cannot truly appreciate or receive the gift of Easter, without walking the difficult trail up the mountain that led to it.  For centuries the Church has said Christ's sacrifice is more than worthy to ask us to devote 40 days (not counting Sundays) to face the dark side our salvation. Will you?  Will I?  Will we?

If we will give up our place on the bus and choose the difficult trail up the mountain, we will surely sweat and perhaps even bleed, but when Easter comes we will not just speak of a resurrection, we will experience one.  
I invite you to reflect on Matthew 4:1-11 in preparation for Sunday.  Read it as many times as you can before Sunday.  Soak in it. Chew on it.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what it tells you about God, yourself, our world and what it means to live for Christ? 

I hope you will choose the difficult by joining us this Sunday.