Hosanna! God save us!

Hosanna!

It echoes through the ages. 2000 years ago as a crowd of people shouted a refrain written by King David a thousand years before. And even today we repeat these words.

Hosanna!  God save us!

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Matthew 21:9 NIV

The shouts sound out from an excited crowd that is slowly making it's way down the Mount of Olives and is entering the city of Jerusalem. 

Hosanna! 

People from all over the country have come up to the city to celebrate and today is the day they will be selecting their passover lamb.

Hosanna! 

Perhaps there are different people in the crowds,  parents concerned about their children and details of the holiday, rural folk overwhelmed with crowds and sort of chaos, some that are excited and anticipating all that is coming. 

Yet there is a tension, Jerusalem isn't exactly free. The Romans are still here and they are watching, making sure that things don't get out of control.

Hosanna! 

God save us!

Save us from this oppression as you saved Israel from Egypt so long ago.

Hosanna! 

God save us! 

Save us from our struggling, from the hardships, from the foriegn nations,  save us! 

Hosanna!  God save us! 

Perhaps we are crying this too. 

God save us! Save the vulnerable from sickness. Save our communities from this pandemic.  Save our nations from economic disasters. Save those who are working on the front lines. Save those who are grieving. Save those who feel like they are going crazy. 

Hosanna! God save us! 

But then Jesus pauses on his descent down the Mount of Olives and weeps.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

Luke 19:41‭-‬42 NIV

Did the people understand what was happening? Did they think that this king, riding in on a donkey was going to save them from the Roman empire and heavy taxation? 

Did they think that this miracle worker was going to save the sick and suffering from their pain here on earth? 

Did any of them realize what he was coming to Jerusalem to do? 

Hosanna! God save us!

There was nothing else that could save us from the penalty and guilt of sin. Only God could do that and Jesus, being fully God, was the only one who could save us. 

Just as the passover lambs in Egypt saved those who were in each house, Jesus is the perfect passover lamb whose blood saves all.

Hosanna! God save us! 

As we cry out those same words this year. 

Do we realize what is real of importance? 

Are we crying out more for God to save us from a virus? God save us from chaos and need. God save us from uncertainty and loneliness. 

God, thank you that you have paid the price and saved us from sin. 

And through all of this chaos, need, uncertainty and loneliness I long for God's  redemption and trust that He can save us from all this, yet even through all this, I will praise His name, for through Jesus Christ we are saved!

Hosanna! God save us!

Psalms 118:22‭-‬29 NIV

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 

the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.  

The Lord has done it this very day; 

let us rejoice today and be glad.   

Lord , save us!  Lord , grant us success!  

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord . 

From the house of the Lord we bless you.  

The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. 

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.  

You are my God, and I will praise you; 

you are my God, and I will exalt you.  

Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; 

his love endures forever.

Have Peace - you will suffer

When we think of the resolutions we make, they are positive. We want to be better, stronger, greater, ect. Most of us don’t make resolutions like, I want to suffer more, or I want troubles, but in the Christian life, we are told that we will have troubles.

So how do we reconcile this idea that we should strive to better, that we should desire to the best that we can with the gifts and talents that God has given us and the fact that we are going to have trouble?

The burden of the resolution often results in failure sometime later. The gyms are full in January and by March…. They are almost back to the normal crowd. But Jesus told his disciples that all these troubles would come – so that they would have peace.

You’re going to suffer! Have peace… it doesn’t quite sound right….

Working at a Christian camp from time to time we were encouraged during difficult times that when God is working in such significant ways, we shouldn’t be surprised that the devil puts up a fight. So yes, if we are doing God’s will, we will have trouble! Take courage, you’re on the right path!

Perhaps the fact that we will suffer can help us shape our goals and resolutions better. I will strive to maintain a healthy body so that I  can glorify God and maybe learn better self-discipline in the process. But I know that I will age and my body will break and I look forward to the new body I will receive in heaven.  I commit to managing my money more wisely – so that I can be part of Christ’s Kingdom coming here on earth.  I commit to spending more time with family and friends instead of screens because God loves people, not pixels.

So how does your faith impact your resolutions?

Are the resolutions we make a way of once again dying to sin and picking up our cross and following Christ?

How will you react when you can’t keep your resolution? When we fail? When we grow old?

John 16:33

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I Resolve to Pray

As we begin the new year many make resolutions. Be more healthy, save money, study more, be happier or something else. Resolutions are a fresh start. The old year has finished and we are looking forward to something new. As Christians, we too look forward to something new. God is continuing to create something new in us, and we don’t have to wait until January 1^st for God to start His work.

This new year, I resolve to pray. Not because I don’t already, but I have become distracted. And when I don’t pray I am less aware of how God is working in me. In Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica, he writes, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” My resolve to pray isn’t just before I eat or before I sleep, it is a resolve that prayer might be something that is woven into the way that I live.

              Yes, I am going to fail at this. But the grace of God is incredible that I don’t have to wait to next year to start again. Pray continually. And when I realize that I have become distracted, pray again. And through all of this may I see, just a little more clearly, the hand of God working.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Why it doesn't matter who I vote for... at least for my faith.

Why women shouldn't drive cars.

Women shouldn't drive cars because it is illegal for women to drive cars in Saudi Arabia. If someone from Saudi Arabia was here or in your presence you might offend them by having a female driver. So women should drive cars.There may be a really good reason for women not to drive cars. I don't understand all the reasons why that law was given, but I trust the law makers, and that it is generally good to follow laws. So women shouldn't drive cars.
But what about in other countries? Well it is a pervasive idea that women should drive cars, so for a better world we should steer clear of this one, and women shouldn't drive cars.

        Sounds ridiculous? Yup, because it is. As a Canadian, with absolutely no plans to go to Saudi Arabia, I do not need to worry about being a woman and driving a car.  But as a woman, and if I am interested in going to or moving to Saudi Arabia, I ought to consider that I won't be driving a car, and my behaviour might require some other adjustments too.

        As long as I have no plans on going there any obeying of their laws is accidental, and in by no means declaring that I am of Saudi Arabia. Even if I was to follow all their laws and customs, know their history and speak highly of Saudi Arabia. I still would not be a Saudi Arabian.

         Similarly, to demand that someone, who is not a Christian, live by Christian laws, will not work. God is interested in hearts, not actions. God is interested in adopting sons, not entertaining well behaved visitors. 

         Should I not be concerned about what non-Christians are doing? No. God calls us to love everyone, and that includes non-Christians too. And part of our obedience to what God has called to, has some really good things that make our lives better and we can share that with those who don’t believe. For example, children obeying their parents is something God teaches us, and children obeying their parents is something that can really benefit our unbelieving friends too.  God sends rain for both the sinner and the faithful, and the faithful one can stand there and declare that!

So, it doesn't matter who I vote for. Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democratic. 

My faith is not evident or dependent on the way I choose to vote.

        As a Christian, I understand God's love for me and I accept His payment on my behalf, because I could never get by on my own, and receive salvation.  That is what makes me a Christian. 

       Out of that, out that understanding and love I choose to obey Him. To follow His laws and love who He loves is the outworking of my faith.  It is by that, that the world will know to whom I belong, and by that I can point the world to God.

          It is natural to want the world to fall into line and support our moral and godly character, but it is not necessary to being a Christian or even a community of Christians. It doesn't actually help, because our moral and godly character doesn't do anything in regards to salvation, that is the role of faith. But, demanding that others live by and support the same morals, despite them not actually believing what Christ has done, demands them to uphold a law to a country they don't belong to and are not planning on going to visit.

         So how does this work into voting? Well, it isn't simple.  In our democratic countries we are called to participate in government rather than simply obey.  It would be easy if God demanded that we respect those in authority that are Christian, but He tells we are to obey all those in authority. 

         And as long as we have a human in the government, we will not have a perfect government. 

         And until Christ sits on the throne our country will not easily agree to live by the same standard that Christ calls His bride to live to.

In the meantime we are left choosing between imperfect candidates and participating in imperfect systems. 

But above all, Christ has given a standard to live by.

        First, love God. 

This is between you and God, between the church and God. Love God. With every part of you.  Despite what the government is or will be, love God. 

       Then we can start asking question about the candidates we have to choose from. Will any of them prevent me from loving God? Will they prevent other from loving God? Will they force me to do something that is against me love for God? In North America we have a pretty good chance that our freedom to love God will not be hampered, and if it is, there is something in place that we can do about it.

        Second, love others. 

Because God loved us we love others.  We look out for the widow, the orphan, the stranger in our gates. And while those are the vulnerable people of a couple thousand years ago, we have plenty of vulnerable people to look out for. The single parent, the foster kids, the poor families, the immigrant, the illegal immigrant, the refugee, the sick, the disabled, the lonely, the young students, the…  We love them, because while we were still sinners Christ DIED for us.  

        So now we can start asking questions. Which candidate will help us love others better? Which one will help take responsibility for those who are vulnerable? Which one will provide jobs for the jobless, hope for those in poverty, security to those in danger, healing to those who are sick, education to those who need a step up, help to those in need, justice to the marginalized?   What is the best way to do that? I don't have the answer. Is national security important so that we can continue to have a safe country to live in? Is economic growth important for providing jobs? Is a competitive education system the best for encouraging academics? Is immigration a beneficial aspect to our society. Who need the tax breaks? How do people access government support? What role do I play in it?

Beware of deception, are the issues that catch your attention or turn you away something that that candidate can actually do something about?  Can a student elected student president actually make every Friday of the school year a holiday? What is realistic? Is a policy addressing a specific issue working towards a solution or simply reacting to a problem? Are policies actually getting to the root of the problem? Are we trying really hard to place heavenly laws on those who aren't planning on going there.

    Our choice in government is not the only place where our love for others ought to be evident. It should work into our everyday lives and most importantly in our interactions with people we see everyday. But now and then, God gives us the opportunity to look a little bigger, and consider the nations we belong to on earth.

And for HEAVEN'S SAKE, don't take what is legal or illegal on earth as what God requires! The church ought to stand out drastically from what the world says, because our citizenship is not of here, but of heaven, and our laws are not earthly laws. As a church, let us not be consumed with the world wandering away from just acting like good Christians (their hearts probably left a long time ago) and be concerned about the hearts of believers.  Let us make disciples, and raise up a church that stands out and points to God because of our love and hope. And for the world that is wandering away, we need to pray for them, and reach out to them with the hope of Christ. 

Whatever comes, in life or in death, is sickness or health, in wealth or poverty, in security or danger, liberal or conservative, democratic or republican, I will live for Christ. 

A Quiet Day - A Holy God

Yom Kippur - The Day of Atonement

The Judgement Day.

Here is Israel Yom Kippur is a very quiet day. It is a very Holy day.
Israel as a nation, all Jews are repenting of their sins. It is a day filled with prayers and fasting.
The atmosphere reminds us clearly God is Holy and our sins stand in the way of that.

I've been thinking of it lately, our protestant Christian churches love to celebrate our closeness and the love of God.  It is a good thing. Christ died that we CAN be with Him.  We have a hope of life eternal. We have the promise of new life, and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

But I wonder if we can get too comfortable with it? If we can emphasis feeling close to God in so great a way that we neglect to remember that God is Holy. If we emphasis God's grace and love in such a way that neglects to identify and call out sin and that it has no place with a Holy God?

So how can I balance the tensions between Holy and Loving? How can we live in celebration and not forget the weightiness of our transgressions?  Can the picture of God as our Father help? A father who loves us, but not to forget a father that holds all authority. In working that out, we have the confidence of a father's unconditional love and the  motivation of father who has ultimate power.  And driven by the knowledge of God's holiness - we are driven to strive to be holy as He is.

It's life in a tension. But God has not left us with only remembering a Holy God - less than a week from today will be Sukkot - feast of tabernacles, a 8-day celebration of God dwelling with his people.  It's a beautiful tension.

Nest: day 28-35

The bird kept on growing. .. Then one day it just wasn't there anymore.

Still looking a little fuzzy

watching me

hanging out beside the nest...

empty nest

A Wander in the Garden

Sunday was a relaxing day - took some time to try to capture a glimpse of the beauty the is there in this season. 

The grape vines are full of promise!

Old pomegranates still hanging on. Just shells, emptied out by the birds.

New buds coming in

And lots of varieties of flowers in bloom!

A small lizard playing peek a boo on the stairs...

Aiming for the sunshine! 

Nest: Days 24-27

Day 24 - Eyes are definitely open, starting to get little feathers

Day 25 -  little more feathers, starting to notice when I am around

Day 26 - it keeps growing! it looks a little funny when it tries to puff itself up when I come to look at him, even tries to peck at the window sometimes

Day 27 - much more independent, I didn't see the mom at the nest last night. Mom does come by to feed. Also it is starting to get some color in it's feathers

Nest: day 23

Heard some chirping from him yesterday, looks like sleeping and growing ate it's main activities.

Nest: day 22

The bird's eyes were open a little and you can start to see the feathers growing on its wings

Nest: day 21

It had its eyes open just after the father bird left.
Apparently pigeons take turn sitting on their nests.  The mother has learned I'm not really a threat and won't f do anything when I come near. Maybe puff up and attack the window bit never leave.  The father... flies way if I get close.

Nest: day 20

Nest: day 17

One little bird today!

Yom Haatzmaut

Able to see the fireworks from my window tonight, hearing all the different conveys and celebrations going on too.
It is an interesting holiday, Independence Day, but the 24 hours before now were remembrance day.  You don't get the one without the other.

Nest: day 2

Another egg!

 

The mother on her eggs, 

Nest day 1

This morning I found a nest in my window. It belongs to a couple of pigeons I think.

A thought on time - Exodus 12:1

Passover.  It is one of the appointed times.  One of the festivals that God appointed for the people of Israel to keep every year. It reminds me of a conversation that we had early this year while reading the weekly Torah portions.

It was Exodus 10-13. The story of the final plague and the exodus from Egypt. And at the beginning of chapter 12, God gives the people of Israel their first command. He realigns their calendars. 

Not the first time God talked about time, in the garden of Eden, the first thing God created was day and night, and on the fourth day, planets and moons to tell time, and in the seventh day he made time holy,  the only thing in creation to be made holy.

At the first passover they are commanded to re-align their calendar with God's. Restructure their week, their year, their festivals and celebrations and time is no longer to calibrated by the Egyptian gods, the Nile and it's cycles, but instead it is to be calibrated to the moon, the sun, the movement of the planet and seasons, the objects that God created with the purpose to tell time. 

Today, the concepts of time are varied. Fleeting, precious, valuable, something to just get through or simply something you never have enough of. 

There is a whole genres of literature and entertainment based on things like space- time dimensions, time-travel and the like. 

But what we rarely call time - holy. 

Why? 

Is it because it might demand more of us? In an age of quick, instant, fast paced and individual interests to set aside time is a costly demand.  We manage our time very carefully. We know how long it takes to get from here to there, how long can we sleep in, how many time can really press snooze and still get where I need to be on time. We know how to effectively accomplish things we need to. We count the hours we work, and calendars and day-planners are often not far away. 

I've encountered the idea going without time. At camp it happened a couple time while out-tripping that we wouldn't look at watches or the time and just take the day as it goes. It is freeing in a way, but if God created time and order, what if it isn't about getting away from keeping time - but rather about what we are keeping time for. 

"You're wasting my time...."  I have heard this phrase a lot. It is an attitude that I have found within myself. It goes hand in hand with "my time is valuable". The commonality - 'my time'.  

Who possesses time? 

Do I ultimately own the time that is given to me?  It is as if a kid is holding onto their allowance, buying candy and refusing to share it. As if they automatically forget where the money first came from. 

If time was the first thing that was called holy, is it not the most valuable gift that we can give back to God?  It is like the same lessons we use about money or possessions - that what we have is not really ours, but blessings from God for which we are called to be good stewards of.  

The difference - even if you don't have money - everyone has time. 

When God created the world - before the fight with evil even began - he ordained one of every 7 days to be holy. And in a world that struggles with evil constantly I struggle to give time, even part of the 7th back to God. 

And not giving as in hands off - do as you will with it time - but as time to stop, and rest. To remember that I did not create this time. It is not calibrated by my events or tasks. It doesn't bring attention things I think important, but rather, points to something, someone bigger.
It is a valuable blessing of which I am commanded and privileged to partaking, the time given to me, and the time given to those around me.  

Even in the time I 'give' to God, I find I can still be caught up in the busyness.  I let what I do define who I am, rather than seek to find who I am in Him. 

It is easy to point to the passage about worshiping God in every aspect of our lives. 

Yes, I believe we ought to do that. 

The word used for worship in Exodus is the same word for serve, or work, it is active or doing something. And just as the Hebrews left Egypt to go worship in the desert and once they were gone, there was no going back, the nature of our call to worship is life long. Paul changes the language and call us to be living sacrifices.
Yes, worship God in whatever you do - but do not do in order to take away from time with God. 

I can give money or things - I just let it go. But to really give time , it opens up a space in which something may happen. I may see something or hear something that I don't want to see.

 And so in a way I can see how that might be intimidating, but when we worship - it is not only what we give to God. 

When we open up that space, the time, the time that God has already declared holy, God is already there and although we might see something we don't want to, more than that, God meets us there because He has an undieing love and incredible faithfulness to those who He has chosen.

Easter in Jerusalem

So this is probably one of the busier weeks here in Jerusalem. The Jews are celebrating Passover or Pesach, the Western Christians are celebrating Easter Weekend and the Eastern Churches will be celebrating Easter Weekend this coming weekend.

There is always a long list of services or events to chose from in which to participate.

Thursday evening I joined Christ Church in their Maundy Thursday Service and walk to the Mount of Olives. On the way there we saw one of the Othodox groups going to the Church of all nations for a service. Their singing was beautiful!

Walking up to the Russian Orthodox Church's garden

The stars were bright 

Some flowers in their garden

Good Friday - I joined Christ Church again for their service. It was also the beginning of Pesach and our church does a Pesach Sedar.  This is a time to retell the story of the Exodus, and that is what we did. It is no coincidence that this holiday celebrating freedom comes at the same time as we celebrate Christ's victory over death.

 Sunday Morning - Catching the sunrise on my way to the Garden Tomb

I think this is one of the bigger gatherings on Easter Morning. 6:30am Sunrise service at the Garden Tomb.  Good worship and celebration time.

The trees catching the rising the sun.

The message was given by Rev. Simon Ponsonby from Oxford. 

We celebrated at school with an Easter BBQ - games, food and finished with worship together. 

But most importantly,

His is not here. 

He is Risen!

Palm Sunday

Celebrating Holy Week in Jerusalem

We joined hundreds of Christians in the procession down the Mount of Olives on Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus' entrance into the city on a donkey.

It is amazing to hear so many languages and songs all together.

Cloudy with a chance of mud...

The warm weather from the weekend didn't stick around too long....

A sand storm (Hamsin) blew in, very fine sand the makes everything hazy.

Plus a little bit of rain this afternoon... the fine dust is stuck to everything, like mud.

Now it is very windy.

I'm glad we got out to see the almond blossoms at Sataf this past weekend.

The flowers are very delicate and the petals probably won't last in the wind.