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Random Thoughts,

Silent Saturday

Today is traditionally called Holy Saturday, Joyous Saturday, Great Saturday or Black Saturday.

Jesus is dead, buried, gone. His body lays motionless in a guarded tomb. God is mute, as Pete Greig said in his book. There is silence. Confusion. Fear.

A strange sense of nothingness permeates those who were close to Jesus and put their hope in Him. The disciples must be asking, “What happened?” Nothing made sense. No answers to their countless questions. Images of Jesus on the cross haunt them. According to the Gospel of Matthew, even Judas had killed himself before they could interrogate him.

For …

Random Thoughts,

Good Friday – The Cross

Today is Good Friday (or Great Friday, in the Orthodox tradition). Jesus is tried, executed, buried, and descends into hell. It’s a sham trial, of course. And a brutal death on the cross. I wrote more here about the descent into hell if you are interested.

The cross has always been inconvenient. Every skeptic has asked, “Why did Jesus have to die?” The truth is that every believer has asked the same question. There are answers to this question, of course. Some deeply theological, some simplistic answers you might offer a child. My favorite is from Hebrews 2, which says …

Random Thoughts,

Towel and Basin Thursday

Today is traditionally called Maundy Thursday and has focused on such things as the sleeping disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, the anxious Jesus praying fervently, and of course the Last Supper that Jesus had with His disciples. The Last Supper has become communion, a sacrament in the Church that reminds us of what Christ did for us. It is central to the Church no matter which denomination.

Even though the old word “maundy” can literally mean “washing”, in my non-liturgical faith tradition you don’t see enough attention paid to the act of Jesus washing the feet of his …

Goble Properties, Random Thoughts,

Silver Wednesday

The Wednesday of Holy Week was the calm before the storm. Jesus continued to teach in the Temple and preparations were made for the Passover, but the day was uneventful otherwise. The Last Supper, the washing of the disciples feet, the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the arrest of Jesus … all tomorrow. On the surface, Wednesday was quiet.

Of course, it was not quiet at all. Evil men were plotting. The Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead. The Pharisees agreed. Somebody went to the bank and pulled out some extra cash, thirty pieces of silver, just in case the opportunity …

D'Oliva Olive Oil, Family, Random Thoughts,

Olive Grove Tuesday

Jesus spent a lot of time in an olive orchard this week. What is often called “the Olivet Discourse” was probably a Tuesday evening discussion with His disciples, sitting together in the grove as they viewed the Temple and busy city of Jerusalem across the valley.

That particular olive grove has a spectacular setting and has one of the most photographed views in Israel. I was first there in 1975, staying in a hotel atop the Mount of Olives. A few years ago I returned again with my church. Though bustling with tourists and over developed to handle the crowds, …

Belize, PathLight, Random Thoughts, The SOLD Project,

Pigeon Monday

Today is Pigeon Monday. Or at least that’s what I call it. Hopefully I’ll start a new trend. It would seem that Jesus had something against pigeons. That’s evident from the story of Him tearing up the Temple grounds.

On the Monday before Passover, Jesus entered the Temple grounds and unleashed some fury. It was always one of my favorite Bible stories when I was a kid. The vision of the Messiah overturning tables, driving people out, blocking people from bringing anything through the Temple … it was all so exciting compared to the meek and mild stuff I was …

Family, Random Thoughts,

High School Friends and The Untold Story

“How fast do you think it will go?”

It’s impossible to know how many teenage boys have asked that question. Sometimes it is heard as a challenge, perhaps even a taunt. But when I said it to my friend Randy back in the mid-70’s, it was a genuinely honest question. I really wanted to know how fast his car would go.

The question started an adventure that I was sworn to keep secret. Randy was afraid his parents would explode if they found out what we did. I was sure my parents would. And since our friends would talk about …