Genocide and the Human Condition

I know...we like to go to church to be inspired and have our spirits lifted...to get what we need to deal with the challenges and the baloney we face everyday. We go to church to get a sense of hope. I totally get that. I also get why it was so important to talk about the heavy things we did this morning.
It is easy to want the glass to be half full, to wish that humans ultimately want to see the best for each other. But the reality is that most of us would admit that people just aren't nice to each other. Sometimes, we are just not nice to ourselves. We certainly aren't nice to creation.
And so we start by calling people names...and then it gets more deep and intense and we start devising ways to put people in their place, and the next thing we know, we disconnect our emotions completely and cannot be empathetic to who they are and what their situation may be. We spend more time caring about what Charlie Sheen will say next, then, for instance, the plight of women who are trafficked in the sex trade. It's easier to care about whether Manny took banned substances than care about the genocide happening right now in the Sudan.
That's the human condition. We're all capable of doing bad things. We do bad things. We sin.
Jesus suffered and died to help us see we can live a different way.
While it was heavy and tough to hear, it brings home the point all the more: by grace our hearts can be changed for the better. Our hearts are changed for the better.
Let's make the human condition-- grace condition.

Map of the 24 hours...

This is one of the maps I shared with this week's message. It really brings to life the area that Jesus and the disciples traveled around during those last 24 hours.

Watch and Pray....

When Jesus went to the garden, he told his disciples to watch and pray with him.  This beautiful Taize chant helps set to music these profound words. The words are: "Stay with me. pray with me, watch and pray, watch and pray..."

Gethsemane

This next week we will focus on Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane. This past week we experienced the Passover Seder with Jesus and the disciples in the Upper Room. After the supper was over, they took what was about a 25 minute walk to the foot of the Mount of Olives to the Garden there known as Gethsemane, "the Olive Press." It was rocky and filled with olive trees like the one pictured here. It was likely around 11:30 when they arrived. Jesus came here, the scriptures tell us, to pray. He went to pray about the agony he felt about what was to happen to him.  It is comforting to you that even Jesus prayed about his fear, anxiety and agony in the face of death?

DaVinci vs. History....

One of the many interesting things we learned today during the message had to do with the misconception many of us had about how the Last Supper looked in comparison to had it probably was. We have this misconception thanks to the amazing work of Leonardo DaVinci. I've long been a fan of this man whose genius had to be divinely inspired. But the fact of the matter is, much of how he conceived the Last Supper had more to do with his own ideas and context than what probably went on.

Here's DaVinci's Work:
It's dramatic and engaging. Jesus is forefront and in charge. And, it's daytime. They are seated at a table. They have leavened bread on the table. We won't even go to the "Dan Brown" related issues! While this painting stirs the imagination and helps us think about this important meal, it probably didn't go down this way.

Most likely, the Upper Room was set up for the Passover Seder around what's known as a triclinium. Here's an ancient fresco of a triclinium: 
The Passover Seder usually happened at sunset. And, around a table lower to the ground with cushions to recline upon. It would be U-shaped so that servants could easily serve the meal to the guests. It was the Feast of Unleavened Bread-- an important part of God's command to remember the story of deliverance from Egypt by not only remembering the story but also recreating the meal of the Passover.
Does it make a difference to us how Jesus and the disciples ate? It certainly gives us a different perspective in how they would have talked and dined. And, with Judas at Jesus' right, the seat of honor, it also gives us insight into how Jesus treated those who betrayed him.
The Last Supper becomes for those of us who follow Jesus a place where Jesus proclaims to us: "I am the one to set you free."
I hope this week you will pray about the things you need deliverance from...whether pride or self-importance, greed, addiction... whatever it is....that you will seek that freedom from the one who becomes the Pascal Lamb for us, Jesus.

Ash Wednesday at Hope

I really appreciate that we have two options for people to participate in to begin the season of Lent. The community service is traditional, solemn and helpful to many. For a few years, starting back when Rev. Nicole was pastor, trying to offer an alternative experience has allowed for the chance to do things "outside the box." This year we decided to do something a little different.

Our youth group was central to our planning. While it was intended for all generations, we knew that there were many youth attending Hope who had never been to a Sunday service. One youth didn't even know where the "church" was. So this was a great opportunity to reach out to them and in turn, invite the congregation to interact with the youth. They all did so well together! It may have pushed and challenged us beyond our usual comfort zones, it also invited us to come together in a meaningful way. We used the NOOMA video, "whirlwind" as the centerpiece of worship, and had hands on discussion about it. We offered prayer stations and ashes to those who wished to participate. EVERYONE joined in enthusiastically. It was a really neat way to start Lent off at Hope!

A New Blog For A New Season...

Greetings! The purpose of this blog is to be a place for more reflection about the message series we will be exploring together during Lent. It is based upon Rev. Adam Hamilton's 24 Hours That Changed the World. Each week our worship and message will be focused on this series. We will have the opportunity throughout the week to discuss it more here. I hope you will visit often and comment!


I will be linking this to our Hope UMC, Torrance Facebook page, too!