March 31st 2012

During the Passover meal they wouldn’t just use any sort of bread, they would use a special kind of bread called Matzah or unleavened bread was used, but why is this so important?

Read Matthew 26:26 and journal your thoughts

Whenever we read the Scriptures we usually see that yeast is viewed as a bad thing. This raises the question; what is so bad about yeast? Why is it that it is almost always seen as this negative thing? Today when we think about adding yeast to dough we think of opening a small packet and pouring this powder into the batch, but in their time and culture it looked very different. For the ancient Jews, yeast was added by taking a small piece of old bread and adding it to the new bread. Eventually the yeast from the old bread would be mixed throughout the new batch.

Now the ancient Rabbi saw this as a parallel to humanities sin. At one point we were pure, but now there is this old, rotten, nasty piece of us that is passed from generation to generation. While the leavened bread was seen in relation to our sin, unleavened bread was seen as pure, whole, it was seen as the way we should be.

So when Jesus holds up the bread and says “this is my body”, he is making a direct reference to this bread. Jesus is saying that he is like this bread that is untainted by the old, nasty, rotting bread of the past. That he is pure, he is what we should look like.

Today meditate on what it means that Jesus was like the Matzah, and meditate on what it means then when we live like Jesus

**NOTE: All the journals this week were inspired by Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg. I cannot recommend this book enough!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AKPFT4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engedrescen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002AKPFT4

March 30th 2012

What is it about sitting around the dinner table that is so important in our lives? It’s almost like there is this connection between us when we simply sit and eat. But was there significance to sitting at the table and eating in the Jewish culture?

Read Matthew 26:20-21 and journal your thoughts

Have you ever been in one of those moments where something just wasn’t right? It is not even something you can really put your finger on. There is just a weird vibe and all you know is something’s. Not. Right. No matter which Gospel you read, the Last Supper has this strange sort of vibe to it doesn’t it? We understand this because we know what’s about to happen, but most of us reading this get that this must have been a pretty strange scene.

What makes this scene particularly strange is when we understand the cultural significance of sharing a meal together. For the ancient Jews sharing a meal was a sign of peace, trust, and forgiveness. In fact if two people were fighting they would share a meal as a sign of peace between them (Genesis 31:45-55).

Take a moment and reflect on the implications of sharing a meal in the story of the Prodigal’s Son (Luke 15:11-32).

As sacred as simply sharing a meal was, the Passover meal was especially sacred because they are sharing a lamb that has been sacrificed to God. Traditionally a Passover lamb had to be completely consumed so nothing was left, and usually a lamb could feed at least 15 people. Now if at a traditional meal peace had to exist between everyone at the table, then what does it look like when an animal sacrificed to God is involved? At the Passover meal, peace had to exist between you and everyone else at the table, and between you and everyone at the table and God. Considering Judas’ actions, could this explain the tension at that Passover meal?

What does this understanding of the Passover meal mean for us when we share communion? So often we hear of sharing communion as having peace between us and God. So before communion we have this time of reflection so we can confess our sins before God. But what does this understanding of communion imply? We should also have peace with each other!

As we go into Holy Week, may you discover peace in all your relationships.

**NOTE: All the journals this week were inspired by Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg. I cannot recommend this book enough!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AKPFT4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engedrescen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002AKPFT4

March 29th 2012

This week, as we go into Holy Week, we are going to look at some of the questions surrounded this whole event.

What is the deal with Mary and the perfume?

Read John 12:1-8 and journal your thoughts.

For most of us whenever we read this passage we tend to read it looking backwards. We know that Jesus is going to die in a week, and Jesus makes this point in verse 7 about being prepared for his burial. So many times we stop there, Mary is just preparing Jesus for his burial. But here’s the problem, Jesus knew it was coming, not Mary. So what is going on here? What is Mary really doing here?

Turn to 1 Kings 1:39 and journal your thoughts

Normally, when you think of the process where someone becomes a king, we usually picture this whole crowning ceremony. I’m sure right now, you can recall endless movie scenes of this very thing. In the Jewish culture their process was different. Instead of having a crowning ceremony they anoint the new king with a strong smelling oil so that he would smell like a king, then they would essentially parade him among his people.

Now re-read John 12:1-8, then check out John 12:12-14 and journal your thoughts

Did you catch it? The very next day was the Triumphant Entry! Mary isn’t planning on his death, that’s the last thing on her mind. Mary recognizes who Jesus is and anoints him as a king! The next day they are going to march him among his people, who would have smelled him and also recognized him as their king.

As you mediate on the events of Holy Week, please note that the fragrance of this perfume/oil would have stayed with Jesus throughout his last week (yes it was that strong).

**NOTE: All the journals this week were inspired by Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg. I cannot recommend this book enough!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AKPFT4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=engedrescen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002AKPFT4

March 28th 2012

Part of living a life of humility is living a life of gratitude. Are we truly grateful for the things that God has given us or do we take for granted the gifts we have received?

Read Luke 17:11-19 and journal your thoughts

This is one of those verses that could be misinterpreted if we don’t really understand what’s going on. After a quick reading, it could seem like Jesus just wants credit for what happened. What we have to understand is in their culture the people practiced this act of blessing God for His provisions. For a very devout rabbi, it was not uncommon to bless God over a hundred times a day for the blessings he’s given them. For example, when they woke up they would bless God for allowing their soul to return to their body. When they got dressed they blessed God for providing clothes for the naked. Basically gratitude was deeply woven into their culture. So here, Jesus is not looking for gratitude for himself, but for God (verse 17).

What’s interesting about today’s text is that Jesus heals 10 people, and the only one of them who comes back to offer their gratitude to God is a Samaritan who from a 1st century Jewish perspective was like the lowest of the low. Yet he is the one who gets it, not the other nine. To be fair, the text does not say the other nine are Jewish, but it’s safe to assume that some of them were.

So the question for us is are we thankful for the things God has given us? We live in a culture where it’s hard to show gratitude when someone else always has something better. In fact, part of what fuels are economy is that marketing is driven by our own covetness. We want what others have, plain and simple and Apple keeps putting out new ipads and iphones. Ford puts out newer cars with cool new gadgets. So at what point are we content? At what point can we just be thankful for the blessings God has given us? When was the last time you thanked God for allowing your spirit to return to your body in the morning?

Today take some time to mediate and thank God for all of the little blessings He has given you.

March 27th 2012

How big is your vision for what God wants to do with you?

One of the most amazing aspects of the story of Abraham is where his story begins; as an old man. It is almost like the Disney movie “Up”, where Carl Fredricksen has lived this incredible life with his wife. After taking you through the story of their life, Disney embraces their time honored tradition of killing the female lead (I’m looking at you Bambi, Nemo, and others). Carl then embraces this calling on his life that for one reason or another he has put off. In a similar way, Abraham begins his adventure at a later age and look at what God promises him.

Read Genesis 13:14-16 and journal your thoughts

You would have to think that when Abraham and Sarah (Take that Disney) left, they were not expecting a promise like this. God’s promise would seem extravagant to just about anyone let alone a couple in their retirement years. So often the vision God has for our lives is so much bigger than we could ever imagine. At times this is what makes it so hard to follow God’s calling on our lives; because often it doesn’t seem to make sense. God called Abraham to leave everything he’d ever known at the age of 75.

What does God’s call on your life look like? What is God’s vision for your life? Could it be that even with all the choices you’ve made, and the circumstances of your life, God has some incredible vision for your life?

Today pray that God would show you His vision for your life

March 26th 2012

Maybe you have been journaling about the future, but when you look at what going on today it’s hard for you to see anything good in your future.

Read Jeremiah 29:11 and journal your thoughts

How many times have you read that verse? Let me guess, usually when you are going through a rough time. It’s one of those verses that we tend to use when we are down and need hope, we need to be inspired. But the question we need to ask ourselves is; do you believe that?

As you read this verse you need to remember that it’s being written to a nation in exile. Essentially they were slaves, not a very hopeful way of living. In fact you might say it couldn’t get any worse. And yet God took them at their lowest and gave them exactly what He promised; hope and a future.

Go ahead and journal what sort of things are keeping you from seeing hope in your future right now?

Now read Romans 8:28 and journal your thoughts

God is using all things for the good of those who love Him. Basically God may not like the bad things happening to us, but we can be sure God is going to use those bad things to do something amazing later on in our lives. Remember Daniel had to go into the lion’s den before he could experience the goodness that God had planned for him.

Today pray that God would give you the strength to get through whatever you’re going through, and to remind you of the future He has planned for you.

March 25th 2012

Are you one of those people who always have to be in control of something? Maybe it’s something big? Maybe it’s just some little thing, but it’s your little thing. What’s it like to give up that control? It’s hard, isn’t it? Almost like free falling, you’re letting go of something that made you feel stable and secure. Take some time and journal some of the things that you have control issues with. Could be something big, or maybe something as small as setting the thermostat.

Read Proverbs 27:1 and journal your thoughts

Some may be wondering what this has to do about control, but ask yourself; how can you brag about tomorrow if you’re not in control of tomorrow? As we talk about the future there comes a point where we have to admit that we are not in control. Seriously, we’re not. As much as we want to be, as much as we feel like we are in control of our own destiny, the fact is we’re not. Let’s have psychiatrist moment and ask ourselves; how does that make you feel?

We don’t like to not be in control, we like to have a plan so that we can know what tomorrow is going to bring. But trusting God is about not having control and trusting the One who is in control. Sometimes it’s so easy for us to be so scheduled, so committed to things that it’s easy for us to ignore God’s call for us to do something else. It’s easy to tell God that we don’t have time to help because I’ve got this or that to do. But sometimes God puts people in our paths so that our tomorrow looks nothing like we planned. It looks better.

Today pray that God would help us to give up control of our schedules and to be open to what He is calling us to do.