Cross Encounters

It would seem that I’ve got the words ’death’ and ’life’ back to front! But no, I haven’t. This is what Jesus is all about!

You better believe it! Just getting up in the morning requires it – as does believing in God – as does claiming that God doesn’t exist – as does driving a car, going to the doctor, and getting married. What do you believe and why?

There are two realities. The main one is that Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! The second one, not unimportant, involves why you are being told that Jesus is alive? If speakers want something for themselves by this message, then be on alert. Resurrection reality involves following Jesus and not the messenger.

No matter our physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual state, God’s Word speaks into our day and helps us live.

The Small Catechism is designed to engage our brain, heart, hands, and mouth because we can live with someone hidden from our senses. Christians live with Jesus through faith. The Small Catechism guides how read and respond to God’s Word and that’s worth a read, a prayer, a lifestyle, and a story.

We need to make sense of the world to live in it. Whom do we trust for this understanding? That depends on what you want to know! There is so much we can learn but when it comes to living with meaning and purpose then Jesus and his cross can never be ignored.

’Who am I?’ is one of the most foundational questions in the world. There can be many answers! However when we ask ’Who am I before God?’ then the followers of Jesus through the centuries learn that same answer – loved.

It is unnerving to contemplate when you put God and violence together. How would we survive against an angry God? And it seems we can’t escape either topic in this life. That is why the violence of the cross needs to be contemplated. What is it all about?

In Lent we are reminded not to ignore our eyes but also not to let sight determine everything – particularly when it comes to God and his glory.

While we are learning to live with masks in our world these days, Christians have always heard of and seen the face of God through Jesus and the means of grace.

We want to get things right but to do so we need to know what that actually is and, more importantly, why. For Christians, the Gospel holds the key to both the what and the why. But don’t switch your brain off working it out!

We really can’t communicate without words. And yet knowing who is speaking very much helps us hear and understand. What is the relationship between you who hear words and the speaker who says them?

What do you mean that there is no such thing?! We can say what we like! Yet words exist always in contexts and relationships, so whom should they serve?

What is Jesus doing in the water meant for sinners? Why is the voice from heaven pleased? Sinner? Son of God? What is going on? Oh ... it is about ME! ... Aha!

There is huge power in words. Unbelievable. Creative. Destructive. Self-serving. Self-giving. To whom do we listen and why?

We need more than a Christmas break to help us through life.

We want things to make sense and be understandable. It is good that we do to live safely and well. But when things don’t fit into our world, does that mean they are not true? Christmas can only be understood by what happens 33 years later.

Time might be sped up or slowed down in films, literature, and our imagination but we live it one second, one minute, one hour at a time. And no matter whether that moment is happy or sad, smiles or tears, God is with us all the time.

We tend to think good news is good news for all. However on reflection, this might not be the case. How intriguing that the good news of Jesus can be so difficult to both hear and share. How marvellous that people have faith in Jesus at all!

Sometimes we see it coming and at other times we don’t. Death is something we’d prefer ’over the horizon’ and out of sight. But it is always lurking. It can shrivel life and make people very afraid. However Jesus can help us deal with death when it comes close.

Whatever the future is – and it comprises the predictable and the unpredictable – the followers of Jesus know what they need to do – serve and love their neighbours.

What we think is ‘over the horizon’ shapes how we live now. God’s world is always teeming with life and he has gone to amazing lengths to share it. Life is more than just only between ‘me and God’.

When phoning, we want to speak to a real person. When with people, we want to be noticed, not brushed aside. So spiritual relationships can be tricky when they seem so one-sided. And they are – until one meets Jesus.

We want to be the judges not the judged but life doesn’t work like that. We are judged often about lots of things. What happens when God gets involved?

Being aware of our surroundings contributes to our safety and wellbeing and wisdom gives us our purpose.