This is my chance to check in with you all between our two services. I wonder how you are feeling today?
If I'm honest, I'm feeling fatigued. I was unwell last week and still haven't quite shaken it off yet, I had some disappointing news earlier in the week and the situation both here and across the globe still looks pretty grim. I find that the temptation for me is to want to curl up and hibernate until things are looking a bit more positive and yet one of the major themes of Lent is about facing some of the tough stuff in life head on.
When I reflect on last week's readings and the the beginning of Holy Week this coming Sunday we can see that Jesus has positioned himself to boldly walk towards suffering, rejection, betrayal and ultimately, the cross. He continues on even when he feels fatigued, sad and afraid because he knows that this is his destiny. I'm not suggesting that our current hardships are our destiny but perhaps those feelings surrounding our current situation are a way for us to access the story of Jesus in a way that we haven't before. There is a difference between reading about grief and experiencing grief. There is a difference between reading about fear and experiencing fear. There is a difference between reading about the heaviness of life and experiencing it.
As we read the familiar stories again, why don't we use our experiences over the past year to gain a new meaning and perspective as we journey with Jesus to the cross. And remember, this is a story that doesn't end with death, it ends with hope and new life. That's a promise, even in the most challenging of times, that we can all cling to.
With love
Jess
If I'm honest, I'm feeling fatigued. I was unwell last week and still haven't quite shaken it off yet, I had some disappointing news earlier in the week and the situation both here and across the globe still looks pretty grim. I find that the temptation for me is to want to curl up and hibernate until things are looking a bit more positive and yet one of the major themes of Lent is about facing some of the tough stuff in life head on.
When I reflect on last week's readings and the the beginning of Holy Week this coming Sunday we can see that Jesus has positioned himself to boldly walk towards suffering, rejection, betrayal and ultimately, the cross. He continues on even when he feels fatigued, sad and afraid because he knows that this is his destiny. I'm not suggesting that our current hardships are our destiny but perhaps those feelings surrounding our current situation are a way for us to access the story of Jesus in a way that we haven't before. There is a difference between reading about grief and experiencing grief. There is a difference between reading about fear and experiencing fear. There is a difference between reading about the heaviness of life and experiencing it.
As we read the familiar stories again, why don't we use our experiences over the past year to gain a new meaning and perspective as we journey with Jesus to the cross. And remember, this is a story that doesn't end with death, it ends with hope and new life. That's a promise, even in the most challenging of times, that we can all cling to.
With love
Jess