Category: Easter

  • Resurrection Sunday

    Resurrection Sunday

    Jesus repositions us from a victim to a victor in my suffering, transforms my wounds into a witness and turns death into a doorway leading to eternal life.

    It’s a powerful thing to consider how Jesus’ resurrection reframes our understanding of life’s difficulties. Words like ‘suffering’, ‘woundedness’, and ‘death’ often bring feelings of oppression, hurt, and loss.

    However, the resurrection of Jesus offers a new perspective, turning these experiences into paths of redemption.

    Firstly, Suffering Doesn’t Define Me, It Refines Me.

    Like refining gold through intense heat to reveal its purity, our trials can purify our faith, building perseverance, character, and hope. Through Christ’s resurrection, our suffering can become a reflection of our risen Savior, moving us from victim to victor.

    Reflect:

    1. In what areas of your life do you currently feel defined by your suffering?
    2. Can you identify a time when a difficult experience ultimately led to personal growth or a deeper understanding of yourself or your faith?
    3. How might shifting your perspective from “why me?” to “what now?” change your approach to current challenges?
    4. What does it mean to you that your suffering can reflect the image of Christ?
    5. What is one small step you can take this week to view a current struggle as an opportunity for refinement rather than just a source of pain?

    Secondly, Wounds No Longer Need to Transmit Negativity to Others, but Can Be Transformed into a Witness.

    Jesus’ wounds led Thomas from doubt to faith. Similarly, our wounds can become testimonies to God’s presence and healing. We connect through vulnerability, and our stories of overcoming hardship can offer hope to others.

    Reflect:

    1. What are some of the “wounds” in your life – past or present – that you might be tempted to hide or feel ashamed of?
    2. Can you think of a time when someone else’s vulnerability or story of overcoming hardship resonated deeply with you?
    3. How might you begin to see your own experiences of woundedness as potential points of connection and witness to others?
    4. What does the idea of being a “wounded healer” mean to you?
    5. Who in your life might benefit from hearing a story of hope that has emerged from your own pain?

    Thirdly, Death Becomes a Doorway to Life, Not a Dead-End.

    The resurrection transforms death from a finality to a passage into eternal life. This understanding shifts our focus from solely earthly concerns to an eternal perspective, freeing us from the fear of death and empowering us to live intentionally.

    Reflect:

    1. How does the concept of death as a “doorway to life” impact your perspective on your current life?
    2. What are some of the “treasures” you are currently focused on accumulating in your life? Are these earthly or eternal?
    3. How does the resurrection challenge any fears you might have about death?
    4. What does it mean to you to “live with the end in mind”? How might this influence your daily choices?
    5. In what ways can you begin to prioritize “stockpiling treasure in heaven”?

    On this Easter Sunday, the invitation extended to us is profound: to believe in the transformative power of the resurrection in every aspect of our lives – our suffering, our wounds, and even in the face of death. Jesus’ question, “Do you believe this?” is a personal one, inviting each of us to embrace this new reality.

    closing prayer

    Heavenly Father, on this glorious Resurrection Sunday, we thank you for the victory over death through Jesus Christ. Help us to see our suffering as refinement, our wounds as witness, and death as a doorway to eternal life. Strengthen our belief in the power of the resurrection and empower us to live as victors, sharing hope with others. Amen.

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  • Living in the Shadow of the Cross

    Living in the Shadow of the Cross

    The life that brings true fulfillment is a cross-shaped life, a life of letting go, giving up our own way, and looking out for others, for those who are hurting and in need.

    The cry of Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” reveals a depth of abandonment we can scarcely fathom. This perfect unity of the Trinity fractured as He bore the weight of our sin. Utterly alone.

    Consider the journey to the cross: rejected by the crowds who once hailed Him, denied by Peter in a moment of fear, abandoned by His closest friends in Gethsemane, betrayed by Judas, one of His own. 

    Yet, in the midst of this, Jesus, knowing what lay ahead for each of them, knelt and washed their feet – an act of profound humility and service. “I have given you an example,” He said, “Do as I have done to you.”

    His suffering mirrors our own experiences of pain and brokenness. He understands our weaknesses. But His response was not one of retaliation or self-preservation. Instead, He offered a different way: the way of the towel, not the sword.

    We live in a fractured world, prone to conflict, selfishness, and fear. But in Christ, we are called to a different way of being, a “cross shaped life.” Our relationships become the proving ground of this transformation. Do we build walls with accusations and defensiveness, or do we kneel in humility, seeking to serve and understand?

    Jesus, though divine, embraced the lowest place, reversing the world’s power structures. We are called to the same attitude: humility, considering others before ourselves. This counter-intuitive path, the way of losing our life to find it, leads to true life and flourishing, both for ourselves and for those around us.

    A cross-shaped life is one where we are “there” for one another, attuned to the needs of those around us. It begins in our closest relationships, where we choose empathy over blame, appreciation over criticism, and vulnerability over defensiveness.

    The character of God, revealed in Christ, is cruciform. As we approach communion, let us examine what we hold in our hands: a sword of self-interest, or a towel of service? Let us lay down the former and take up the latter, allowing Jesus to guide us into a life shaped by the cross.

    Reflect:

    1. In what areas of your life do you find yourself more prone to picking up the “sword” rather than the “towel” in your interactions with others?
    2. Think of a recent situation where you felt rejected, abandoned, or betrayed. How might reflecting on Jesus’s experience in those moments offer you comfort or a new perspective?
    3. What is one practical way you can “take up the towel” in one of your relationships this week, demonstrating humility and service?
    4. Consider the “You never/You always” statements or defensiveness you might fall into. How can you replace these with more empathetic and understanding communication?
    5. What does living a “cross-shaped life” truly mean to you in your daily actions and choices?

    Closing Prayer:

    Heavenly Father, we thank you for the profound example of your Son, Jesus Christ. We are humbled as we reflect on His suffering, His love, and His radical act of service. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have chosen the way of the sword, causing hurt and division. Grant us the grace and courage to lay down our pride and defensiveness, and to take up the towel of humility and service. Teach us what it means to truly live in the shadow of the cross, shaping our lives after the pattern of Christ’s selfless love. May we be instruments of reconciliation and grace in our homes, our communities, and the world. Amen.

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