thethinplace.net

Despite my reservations, their insistence that Maundy Thursday was their favorite service of the year led me to walk into the Church on that Thursday evening and see what all the fuss was about and why this service had impacted them both so much. Maundy Thursday is startling, it draws us into the night of Christ’s betrayal, an evening that began with dinner around a table with close friends and ended with sweating blood in extreme anxiety, experiencing deep betrayal by a friend, and walking forward willingly to enduring a torturous death. That Thursday evening service reminded me of the great context of God’s provision in which led into Good Friday and in which Christ offered up the bread and the wine, telling of the body and blood that would be broken and shed for us. That Thursday evening service reminded me of the great context of God’s provision in which led into Good Friday and in which Christ offered up the bread and the wine, telling of the body and blood that would be broken and shed for us.

I fear being real with God when my emotions don’t fit neatly into a theological understanding of God’s sovereignty. I fear being real with God when my emotions don’t fit neatly into a theological understanding of God’s sovereignty. I don’t know what keeps God from intervening on my behalf when I boldly ask Him to show Himself in a mighty way, but I do know that when I am busted into pieces by this sinful-torn world, He is there weeping with me. I don’t know what keeps God from intervening on my behalf when I boldly ask Him to show Himself in a mighty way, but I do know that when I am busted into pieces by this sinful-torn world, He is there weeping with me.

If even that fails, widen the circle and bring in your entire church to help compel them to flee from sin and embrace the forgiveness and love that both Christ, and yourselves as the Body of Christ, stand ready to offer. Ultimately, Christ makes it clear in Matthew 18 and Paul echoes in 1 Corinthians 5 that we need to seek the purity of the Church, hopefully through repentance but also through exclusion if necessary. Galatians 6:1, ESV Be willing to do the hard work of restoration, because no matter when repentance occurs, restoration often is hard work, but also the work of watching yourself and protecting yourself from temptation. Be willing to do the hard work of restoration, because no matter when repentance occurs, restoration often is hard work, but also the work of watching yourself and protecting yourself from temptation.

The surety I had even a year ago has been replaced by me alternately looking around in confusion and waving my hands, trying to get God’s attention as if I need to remind Him Even when I am confused and unsure of the path ahead, the Holy Spirit works on my behalf, praying according to God’s will and interceding for me. My own strength is not enough, I need to rely on God’s perfect will for my life and Holy Spirit The reality that God has not abandoned His people in their weakness, but is still advocating for them through the Holy Spirit, redeeming them through the blood of Jesus, and ordaining each and every step of the way by the will of God the Father.