Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Mark’s description is again brief, even terse. But I suppose most deaths are like that – a last word, or prayer, or goodbye, or cry, and then a final breath. That’s it. So...
Greener Pastures
posted by DJL
Seth Godin recently pointed me to the following pictograph that depicts the difference between the way people think professional photographers spend their time and the way they actually do. (Godin, in turn, found it from SwissMiss, who found it on a photography blog, and so on. That’s the...
35. Mark 15:33-36
posted by DJL
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” There is some debate in Christian circles about Jesus’ cry of despair from the cross. Some, recognizing it comes at the beginning of Psalm 22, point to...
Monday/Sunday
posted by DJL
So here’s a suggestion that I think would almost instantly reverse the church decline we’ve all heard about, read about, experienced, and are tired of. I think Sunday is on the wrong day. You see, Sunday is on the weekend. And we’ve gotten pretty used to the weekends being, well, you...
Palm/Passion Sunday
posted by DJL
Dear Lord, Keep us with you as you enter the gates greeted by cheers. Keep us with you as you teach and talk and debate and overturn. Keep us with you as you sup and pray. Keep us with you as you give yourself and hurry the others away. Keep us with you as you stand accused with none to defend...