Over the past few weeks, I have had a number of ideas about what I should write in this month’s newsletter, but one idea stood out above the rest.
In 2 Timothy 1:13-14, the Apostle Paul writes,
“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
Each of us is standing on the shoulder of spiritual giants: parents, grandparents, deacons, teachers, pastors, and numerous other individuals who have poured into us. Those who gave us a pattern of godliness and challenged us to grow to be more Christ-like. This month marks a significant transition for our church, but at the same time, everything is still the same. We are still Christ’s church, and we are continuing to follow the pattern of sound teaching that was entrusted to us. So naturally, we ask, “what should we do?” My answer is that we continue to follow Christ, and we continue pouring into the lives of others.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul writes,
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
My prayer is that each of you will boldly determine to leave a legacy. I was listening to a chapel service from Dallas Theological Seminary and the speaker stated, “If you are successful it becomes possible to leave an inheritance for others, but if you desire to create a legacy, then you need to leave something in others. Legacy does not disrespect the past. It honors the past by ensuring that the investment of the past yields dividends in the future.” We have been left a legacy, and as we move forward, we have the opportunity to continue that legacy into the coming generations.
Luke 22:19 states,
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
There are many ways we remember Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. We have holidays dedicated to remembering Christ’s birth and resurrection. We have a large cross that towers above our building, and some even wear crosses as items of jewelry. All of these ways of remembering Christ are good, but nothing compares to remembering Christ through the very ordinance he set up nearly 2000 years ago. Next Friday, we are going to gather together to contemplate Christ’s atoning death. We will sing, read Scripture, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We will remember that Christ gave himself for each of us. As we prepare for the Lord’s Supper, I thought it would be worth encouraging each of us to take the week to really contemplate Christ.
Have you ever arrived at Easter Sunday and thought to yourself, “how did we get here?” No, I don’t mean which streets did you turn on or what car did you drive. What I mean is how did we prepare ourselves to celebrate one of the most significant events in all of time? If you are anything like me, Easter usually comes in an already busy season, and you realize it is Easter weekend sometime on the Friday before Easter. This year, I want to invite you to dive deeper into the Easter story and experience a more meaningful week leading up to Good Friday and Easter morning. “How might we accomplish this?”
Christ’s journey to the cross, his death, and resurrection are transformative in the life of a believer. Luke 9:51 tells us that “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Jesus was purposeful and in full control throughout the entire process, and we should expect every aspect of Christ’s journey to the cross to have applications for our life today. With Easter at Southview coming next week, I want to encourage you to consider Christ’s own journey to Easter morning and reflect on how he paved the way for each of us to have our own relationship with God the Father.
This Sunday we are going to consider Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and work to understand that we need to accept Jesus as the Messiah he is, even though he is not the Messiah we expect. On Sunday afternoon we will have the opportunity to walk the Stations of the Cross. This portrayal of the Passion of the Christ is a wonderful opportunity for you to personally pray and contemplate Christ and his sacrifice. At the Stations of the Cross, you will find that the minute you step into the area and see the first station you automatically go into the mode of quietness and meditation. You have the opportunity to wear headphones to block out other noise and focus on contemplating Christ. What a great opportunity to start your week contemplating Christ and preparing yourself for the resurrection we celebrate on Sunday!
Following Stations of the Cross, we have the opportunity to worship God through Pastor Aaron’s Installation service. This service will give the opportunity to celebrate some fruits of Christ’s sacrifice. It is only through Christ that any of us can serve God and the ability to watch one of our own be installed as the new Associational Mission Strategist is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how Christ is working in Pastor Aaron’s heart, our church, and our entire association. We will meet at 3:30 at the Heartland Church Network building (Renewed Hope Church sanctuary) 2100 S. 51st St. Omaha.
Christ’s journey, death, and resurrection are the foundation of both the hope and joy the Christian experiences not only on Easter but year-round. The one who follows Christ can experience true rest, the intimate reign of Christ in their heart, adoption into God’s family, and the expectation of resurrection unto eternal life in heaven.
Throughout the week I encourage you to read the Gospel accounts of Easter week. There are a number of ways you could organize such a reading of the Gospels, and I have provided one option below. By setting aside a small amount of time each day you can see a variety of accounts of the week before Christ’s resurrection.
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