Why does the Easter Drama always move me?
This past weekend was a real highlight. 5 services at
Midway, one on Good Friday and 4 on Sunday. Met a lot of new people, worked with
a great Guest Services team to make sure things were organized, and helped pray
for people at the end. We have had a dramatic re-enactment of the crucifixion
each year for about 20 years. Once again I saw the same scenes that our cast
& crew have rehearsed. And once again it sent a chill down my spine and stirred
up a lot of emotion. On the surface that might seem surprising. After all, I already
know the story and I’ve seen this particular drama dozens of times.
Generally I never read any other book twice and never like to see any movie if
I already know what happens. So I was wondering, why is this story different?
There’s at least a few reasons that stand out to me:
- The Story of the Cross is Alive! The Word of
God, His message, is alive. It’s not static, unchanging information. It
is active, relevant, used by the Holy Spirit to affect us, and penetrates to the
core of our soul if we allow it. In Hebrews 4:12 we read “For the Word of
God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart.” The drama includes words from the Bible and is
faithful to the message so the Lord uses it to bring judgment and conviction.
Any Christian with any sense should feel anger, guilt, love, and gratitude when
they are reminded about the death of Jesus. Hope should enter us as we think
about the resurrection of our Lord.
- The Story of the Cross is Powerful! As the
Apostle Paul so truly said, “For, the message of the cross is foolishness
to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of
God.” (1Cor 1:18) If you are being saved, if you have the Holy Spirit, If
God is your Father and Jesus is your brother (Heb 2:11-12), then you have the
ability to understand this message. As a believer I experience the power of the
cross to defeat my own sin, expose the deception of the world, and protect me
from the power of the Devil.
- The Story of the Cross is My Story! Everyone
likes to talk about themselves. This can be self-centered, but in some ways it
is normal and healthy. Plato said, “The unexamined life is not worth
living.” That’s not exactly biblical but it is a wise saying. Our kids
love to hear the same stories over and over about their birth, first words, and
early years along with stories about their relatives. The stories of their life
are not all that unique but they give them context, understanding, and
identity. In a healthy family it should give them a sense of significance and
security. The gospel story has completely changed me so it is my story.
Galatians 2:20 tells us “I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me…” There is a clear dividing
line, a fork in the road, in my life when I came to truly understand and accept
the gospel message 25 years ago at age 18.
Let’s remember this story
all year long. We will teach it, share it with each other, explain it to people
who have not clearly heard the gospel, recall it when we take communion, review
it in the Bible, and apply it in everyday life. We never get past the cross. I
believe it was Martin Luther who said that “Christians need to get saved
every day.” Not that we lose our salvation, but we need to remember who
we are and whose we are every day. So hold on to the story. Unlike other
stories, it isn’t just entertainment and it won’t get old. The gospel
is alive with power and it is our story!
Spring
There is just something special about
spring that make me feel good. I remember when I was 12 years old sitting
on a chair in our dinning room on a Saturday afternoon just wasting,
the sun was bright, the sky was clear and the breeze coming though the
window was perfect and I thought to myself wow this is nice. Strangely
enough my older brother was listening to a song on the radio called
summer breeze. I love the look of a tree full with leaves hovering over
a side walk and the bright color of flowers with a grass as its background.
Spring is nice. It seems to invite me to come out and play or a while.
24/7 Joy Filled Prayer
I
had a wonderful sense of anticipation all day for the all night prayer
at Tri Taylor. The closer the hour came the more excited I became. When
I got to the church all I could think about was the candle coming from
Bridgeport. I had this awesome feeling of responsibility of keeping the
prayers going forth. It was a relay that could not stop. It was our
turn to carry the mantle of prayer. I was glad when I saw a small group
of brothers and sisters from Tri Taylor already there setting some
things up for the prayer meeting. I kept watching the clock as the
minutes kept creeping closer to eight p.m.
Eight p.m. arrived and we started with a song of praise and went into
worship. It was a just guitar and percussion, nothing big, we wanted
everything to be simple and personal. As we continued to sing to the
Lord it was amazing how I had already sensed the Holy Spirit with us.
It was sweet and gentle. I felt at ease as I rested in Christ presence.
I saw Pastor Luke in the front row with his hands in the air and then I
saw the flame. I was in awe. For real. It was cool. Pastor Luke came
forward and shared with us some thoughts and gave us a charge. We then
lit the Tri Taylor flame and off we went to continue the prayers of the
saints. Pastor Paco came a little later in the evening with a few of
his children and prayed with me, it was cool. We had a wonderful night
of worship, prayer meditation and thanksgiving.
Pastor Mark and Pastor Freddy came the last hour to join a small group
of us as we closed this leg of the prayer relay and take the flame to
it’s next destination.
Pastor Danny Lopez