Look to Jesus,
who for the sake of the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, disregarding its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
– Gospel Acclamation for Good Friday (Hebrews 12:2)
Dear church family,
There are a lot of things that demand our attention. Many of us, from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep, sort through a barrage of information, people, tasks, and deadlines that all scream “LOOK AT ME!” At this very moment, how many messages do you need to return? How tall is the stack of mail on your desk at work or at home? How many people are counting on you to do something for them? How many times have you checked your e-mail or Facebook account today? How many TV shows or movies are on your “must see” list?
The positive side of living in our media culture is that we have access to all sorts of great information and social connections at our fingertips. We can get answers to questions, stay current on the news, share our ideas, and interact with people in a way that was impossible a generation ago. The negative side is a very real phenomena that psychologists call sensory or informational overload, where we have so much visual and mental stimulation that we can’t process it all, sometimes to the point where can’t even give our full attention to the person sitting right in front of us.
One might think that the answer to this problem is simply to do less, or to cut back on our intake of information— and perhaps some of us need to. But Dr. Pamela Rutledge, the director of the Media Psychology Research Center, suggests something different; she says that stories are the antidote to information overload. Stories help us make sense of all the information swirling around in our head. Stories take all those facts and images and sound bites that make up our lives give them meaning. Stories help us connect the dots between all those things that demand our attention and put them in the context of more important questions like “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose in this life?”
One of the many gifts of being followers of Jesus is that we have a pretty incredible story. It’s the story of a God who all throughout history has been in love with his people and time after time has carried them safely from death to new life. In the coming weeks, we will journey deeply into the heart of that story as we enter Holy Week—the week that changed the world. Through ancient words, songs, and rituals, we will make the old story new again. We won’t simply “remember” or “re-enact” what happened a long time ago to some other people; we will enter into the mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our own time and place.
We will be the ones who wave our palms and welcome him as king; we will be the ones who deny ever knowing him. Ours will be the feet he stoops to wash through the hands of our brothers and sisters, ours will be the sins that are forgiven, ours will be a place at the table where he shares his holy meal. We will be the ones who gather around the wood of the cross and dare to call that Friday “good.” But most of all, it will be us who stand in amazement at our own empty tombs, who light up the darkness with the light of Christ, and who sing with every bit of joy we can muster that Christ is risen—and so are we.
There are a lot of places we could look for meaning in our lives. Holy Week is our invitation to LOOK TO JESUS. Please make time to be a part of this saving story again this year. Details on our special worship services are posted here. I look forward to telling the story with you!
Yours on the journey,
Jon Niketh +
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