The new-ness of life - Easter and Easter week

Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025

"Christ is risen!" and the responses: "He is risen indeed!" How we love this high holy day of celebration.

The lilies open overnight into a cheerful bouquet.

We affirm the scriptural account of Jesus' death and resurrection in community. The kids put on a program - the Good News of what Jesus has done for us.

Several of us eat lunch together. We start with poutine and beef-laden fries.

I order rendang (spicy beef) noodles. Most of us take home leftovers.

I'm ready for bed when the sun goes down. We set the alarm for 11 PM last night to talk to our kids around the world. Because they live in Europe and USA, finding a good time is a challenge. It was well worth waking up to see them. But I didn't fall back asleep until after 4 AM ... and it's an early morning on Sundays. I crash out today before 7 PM.

Easter Monday

I write the final Lenten blog post for 2025. I've slept 8 hours when I wake at 3 AM. That's plenty so why bother trying to sleep longer? Meetings start at 4:30. Mom looks happy and alert online.

When I hang up the last call, it's out the door to walk with the dogs. Roosters, hens, and chicks peck at the garbage dump.

W and I marvel over the intricate 3" (7cm) seedpods scattered across the street.

The bougainvilleas hang resplendent from the neighbor's fence.

At home, 8 pods jazz up a candy dish on the entry table. The rest will get run over by motorcycles and cars.

The lilies open to match the current slipcovers.

I promise myself, "I'm going to edit," since I've committed to 3 projects. This morning, we head out the door for a new dog leash - the pet taxi says that Anton is coming Thursday. (He was expected 2 weeks ago. But Indonesian holiday traffic jams and tropical heat = an unsafe combo for moving animals long distances.) We get a few collars since our dogs' collars are wearing. We rip the fru-fru off the collars. Away with the fake bandana, a flower, and a puffy ladybug.

I'm done editing a friend's thick document by mid-afternoon. I completed W's edit last week, so there's one more on my desk: a 200-page book. I've been assured that it's in good writing - in good English, which makes editing faster.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Walks. Then editing. The thick academic material makes my head spin every half hour. Thank God for tea and mobility - I walk around holding a mug, looking across the garden to refresh my brain.

IbuA hads a family funeral Tuesday so she's not around to start baking. We're replacing many cookies and goodies eaten at movie night and elsewhere. Super-helper IbuS is hard at work, having learned kitchen skills from IbuA. She grinds out hundreds of delicious chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. I sneak a few as I walk through the kitchen.

We assemble recycling pails and other goods that are being loaned for a weekend potluck. IES Bandung loves eating together; we delayed the communal Easter meal until the coming Sunday when more people are in town.

The movie night utensils and trays? Yup - and we toss in new cutlery that will be washed and recycled. Indonesia is drowning in throw-away plastic.

We get a snapshot when Anton gets picked by pet transporter on Tuesday. He has a 2-day road trip ahead. He should arrive late Thursday, when our dogs are worn out from the hike.

How do you bring a new dog into an established pack? Our ease-in option has worked so far, though a dominant dog may challenge the others a few times before settling in. First up is confirming a neutral space where we can let Anton meet our creatures. Thanks, JP and Judy!

Thursday, before Anton exits the transport van, W will take our dogs on a walk. Anton can roam our yard to smell them and put his own smell everywhere. He'll be taken on his own walk before our dogs return. (A walk also helps the calming travel meds to dissipate in a dog's system before bedtime.)

"We can smell him! Where is he?" It's always fun to watch our critters trying to find the newbie. They'll sniff him in their territory and pee everywhere he has marked.

W will take our pack and I'll bring Anton to meet in our friends' fenced yard. Anton goes in first; then our dogs are let off-leash to say hello. If all goes as planned, we'll walk the pack home together. And that's that. (Plus a little wrestling over the next week or two?) A friend sends a crate our way so Anton can have his own cave. 

Goodbye to one home and hello to the next.

Read more:

*Bless God in the great congregation. Psalm 68:26

*This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord and was saved from every trouble. Psalm 34:6

*Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

*Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. Acts 2:46-47

*Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14

Moravian Prayer: God of comfort, you know our deep sadness and weariness. You hear our cries and see our heavy burdens. Because of your profound love for us, you offer to take our grief and pain, and in their place, give our souls a quiet stillness and a peaceful resting place until we are united with you in joyful bliss. 

God of all creation, we bow before you with praise and adoration. May your Holy Spirit work within us to keep our minds and hearts focused on you. As we live in community with others, help us to reflect your goodness and love so that our entire lives can be an offering of thanksgiving. Amen. Be it so.

Did you know Lent starts Wednesday?

An Ash Cross

Lent is 40 days long = 6 1/2 weeks (minus Sundays, which the Church counts as feast- rather than fast-days). Catholics prepare tomorrow with the feast of Mardi Gras. The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday. (Subscribe to my daily Lenten blog on the right or in a reader feed.)

Travel broadens the horizons, they say. One of the best spiritual surprises while living in England was how much I love Lent. It's a time of deprivation. Of reflective loss. Of putting aside.

But mostly, it's a communal season for joy and gratefulness during the countdown to the celebrations of Easter. Jesus left the wonders and perfection of heaven to live with us. In the Church calendar, we set aside 40 days for a deeper awareness of God's goodness. Protestants tend to get caught up in Christmas (the arrival of the heavenly babe) and Easter (Jesus death and resurrection). We sometimes forget to live out the model of God-among-us-in-Christ that falls between.

During Lent we consider how Jesus willingly suffered to repay our debts to God. How he bridged the gap between our heavenly Father and us by taking our sins from us. How His glorious resurrection demonstrates our hopeful future. (Ah... don't you love the anticipation of new life during Lent?)

Prayer is one of the focuses of the Lenten season. This year, I'm going to find the prayers of scripture and make them - one at a time - my meditation for a day.

What ways of praying have been meaningful or helpful to you? Please share them with us.

Read more:
*The ransomed of the Lord shall return, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 51:11 ESV

*Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:6-11 NLT

*In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:6 (NIV)

Moravian Prayer: Save us, O God, from the worldly distractions and petty obstacles that capture us daily. Release us from the bondage of grief and sorrow and self-pity, that we might ever enjoy the blessings you bring. Amen.

The quiet wait

Have you ever had to wait? You know something is changing. You're not able to read the outcome of what's coming. You hope it will be good, but the past is still with you - and you're not sure you're going to be able to negotiate the future.

The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter has become an annual day of reflection. Today I look out my office window at a forest of bare branches among the evergreens. Inside those trunks, life starts to stir. The cool nights and warming days trigger sap to move and buds to swell and open.

A few plants are early adapters. The Japanese maples have begun to unfurl; the witch hazel is setting out leaves after dropping its blooms; the sword fern fiddles are peeking out of last year's growth. But the big oaks, maples, and alders? They look deader than dead while their new energy accumulates.

Are you a quick sprout-er or does it take you a while to leaf out?

How do you negotiate the "between" day or days - when what's coming may not be confirmed but the past is too uncomfortable to hold onto? When you're being propelled into the future, whether by choice or circumstances?

1. Remind yourself that God knows the past, present, and future. He's able to help you into - and beyond - tomorrow. Be intentional in asking and listening for His help and counsel. For Jesus' disciples, hope had been crucified. The Messiah was dead. In contrast, God knew the glorious resurrection, the unanticipated wonder of Easter, coming in the morning!
2. Transition is a process. Give yourself grace as you explore, fail, reinvent yourself, and become more than you are today. Like the disciples, you may huddle behind a door in fear. Or you may be like the women, doing the chores of grieving to move on.
3. Let the past rest. You can't change yesterday. Resolve to move ahead with who you are and what you know. Yet don't let the limitations of the past determine the rest of your life.
4. Let the day unfold. Wait and watch. Transition is uncertain, scary, wonderful, awful, delightful, painful, healing, and many other experiences. Emphasize the emotions, actions, and attitudes that will move you forward.
5. Get a coach or mentor while you're negotiating change. Mentors show you what they've done. Coaches help you figure out what you want and how to get there. (NOTE: I have some "free" hours available for phone-coaching. Please contact me if you're interested in being coached. Your benefit: coaching. Mine: hours toward certification.) Trusted friends and family can also help you see where you are and where you're going.
6. Take steps toward the future. There are big and small steps in any change. Sometimes it means journal-ing dreams and hopes; sometimes it means making a phone call or sending an email; sometimes it means moving to another job, a new neighborhood, or another city. However, don't just blindly move. In a rafting metaphor, you have some control of the process: get your paddles and safety gear in the boat and make sure it's in good repair. Be purposeful about pointing the raft into the stream, and then let the current help get you there.
7. Evaluate whether you're moving in a good direction. Change course if you need to. Jesus' disciples spent listening to the risen Christ. The experience of Pentecost empowered them with resources and possibilities beyond their wildest imagination. If they had said, "We've never done this before. It's more comfortable not to think about what God's calling us to do," most of us (2000 years later) would never have known about Jesus.
8. The future is better than the past. God has taught you through family, friends, school, experience. What you know is important. Who you become serves and changes the world around you. Whether one or many are affected, fulfilling your destiny and following your passion is your choice. GO FOR IT!

What transitions have you negotiated? What about the new place surprised you, either in the moment or in retrospect?

Read more:
*You shall eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land. Leviticus 26:5 NLT

*And taking the five loaves and the two fish, Jesus looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. Luke 9:16-17 NLT

*Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, may we recognize you in the miracles of daily life: bread shared; a helping hand; a welcoming embrace. Feed us with your Spirit, so we will be inspired and willing to work toward your just and compassionate realm. Amen. 

Lent Day 40: Grateful

Early on Good Friday morning, I tune in to the YouVersion reader to hear Mark 14-15. Each year, believers read the Story, think about God's love, and say thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

This year it's particularly meaningful to me. I listen and imagine Jesus' Friday, which includes:

• a feast with friends
• warning those expecting promotion and political wins about hardships and sorrow ahead
• fervent prayer to endure and stay the course, if there is no other route forward
• rousing sleeping followers, who fade away instead of supporting you
• betrayal by an insider ... then watching trusted friends melt away
• healing someone who's coming to take you away
• looking a best friend in the eye after he swears up and down that he's never had anything to do with you
• hearing a mob scream for your blood
• a politically-rigged trial results in a death sentence
• humiliation by religious leadership, mockery with a purple robe and thorn crown; then being struck, beaten, beard yanked out, spit upon by foreign oppressors
• needing a stranger's help to carry your load
• 3 hours of excruciating physical pain on the cross, while your mother and supportive women watch and cry
• being shamed in public, knowing that shame will be applied to your family and friends
• calling out the Psalms to focus on God's plan instead of your human desires
• letting go of human desires and life itself, to do the work of God - the work that God could do only through you

I am in tears when the reading finishes. What amazing love! What a sense of mission!

What parts of Easter speak loudest to you? What in your Passion week readings brought you to a grateful pause?

Read more:
*Psalm 40:9-17; Esther 8:1-9:17; Romans 10:1-13

*When you said, "Seek My face," my heart said to you, "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." Psalm 27:8 (NASB)

*Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,  that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in thename of God’s one and only Son. John 3:14-18 NIV

*Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” John 19:5 (NKJV)

Moravian Prayer: We look at the cross, O Christ, and see your abandoned, broken, suffering face – looking upon us only with love. May we deeply feel your gaze, making us more acutely aware of the pain in our world and your love for all. Amen.

Lent Day 39: Easter weekend

Had a great day today. I finished up a week of coach training and spent the evening at a garden workshop, creating a terrarium (birthday gift from our kids). Ahead lies the awe-inspiring Easter weekend.

The next few days encompass one of the highlights of the Christian year. Oh the wonder of God being broken for us ... so that we can be made whole. In some parts of the world, people will harm themselves on Good Friday, as though Christ's pain was not enough for God. Some of us will fast and pray in remembrance of the sacrifice made on our behalf.

Then we'll have a day of reflection on Saturday. The quiet day. The day of waiting. The day to pause and consider how everything changes because of

Easter morning.

Hallelujah for the cross. And God be glorified in the resurrection. He makes all things new.

Hope you take time to ponder what was done for you. Who you are in God's eyes. Valued. Beloved. Cared for. Sought after. Washed whiter than snow. Given a new beginning in Christ. Holy. Acceptable to God.

I'm so grateful for Easter. What are some of your best memories about the celebration?

Read more:
*[Watchword for Maundy Thursday] He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful. Psalm 111:4 NLT

*My righteousness is near, my salvation has gone forth, and my arms will judge the peoples. Isaiah 51:5 (NASB)

*Jesus said to the disciples, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Luke 22:15 NLT

*[Jesus said:]  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." John 15:9-14 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Teacher, friend, and Lord, as we gather in our own upper rooms today, we know that your love is sure, though your way is not easy. Renew and nourish our bodies and spirits to be your people. Amen.

Lent day 39: Oh dreadful day

Today I remember
When they dragged you away
Spat on your holy face
Beat your innocence
Cursed your righteousness
And accused you of things you did not do.

It was for me
And those like me
That you endured the day
Oh dreadful day.

Oh terrible day
When the universe shuddered at our blasphemy
And God turned from you in turning toward us.

Today I remember
And pause to worship the bloody feet
The beaten brow
The torn back
The face plucked of beard.

Oh dreadful day
When angels wept at God's wrath
Satisfied by God's terrible love.

Oh wonderful, awe-filled day.
I remember and say
"Thanks be to God who gives us the victory
Through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Lent Day 13: If he had faltered even once...

I am reposing this with permission from Kevin. I couldn't say it better. More of Kevin's poetry at Desiring God Blog (click link below).

If He Had Faltered Even Once

Desiring God Blog

A poem to ponder during Lent:

They spit upon His meekness, 
And struck Him in the face. 
Their floggers swung with hatred; 
They stripped Him in disgrace. 
Deep worked the Roman anger 
That tortured Him, a Jew; 
Yet this His contemplation: 
“They know not what they do.” 

His people cheered “Hosanna,” 
Then had Him crucified. 
They freed corrupt Barabbas; 
To sentence Him, they lied. 
He hung outside their city, 
Where leaders mocked Him too; 
Yet this, the hurt He carried: 
“I would have gathered you.” 

No angels came to help Him 
When Heaven on Him fell. 
The Devil tried to reach Him 
Through ev’ry lie in hell. 
Unthinkable the anguish 
As Father crushed the Son, 
Yet this His firm conviction: 
“Thy will, not mine, be done.”

No selfishness, no hatred, 
No spitefulness was there. 
No unbelief, no cursing, 
No pity from despair. 
One sinful thought; one failure, 
And Love would not succeed. 
The ransomed souls of hist’ry 
Must His perfection plead. 

If He had faltered even once, 
In flames of hell would men abide. 
Then ponder Christ, and praise at length 
The strength of Him there crucified.

               -- K. Hartnett, May 2007
Kevin comments:

I wrote this one backwards, i.e. having the idea for the last four lines before writing the rest.  Verse one highlights Christ's physical sufferings; verse two, His emotional/mental and verse three, His spiritual.  The colossal irony that the very men who tempted Him to failure were among those He died in perfection to save captures my imagination - and praise.

Kevin Hartnett works for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, overseeing the science operations activities of the mission. He was selected in 2003 from a thousand candidates as the “Poet of the Year” by the Fellowship of Christian Poets.

Read more:
But now, this is what the LORD says—
   he who created you, Jacob,
   he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
   I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
   they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
   you will not be burned;
   the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
---------------------
Isaiah 43:1-3A     NIV

Not so fast

I thought today was Ash Wednesday. My body needs a rest from all the rich food we've been eating, and Lent is a good time to combine mental and physical health with spiritual disciplines. Since Lent fell on Feb. 17 last year, I figured today was the day for this year. Nope, we have 3 weeks to go until the memorial days begin.

As a Protestant, I didn't grow up with Lenten observances. Our church fasted Good Friday with a special service in the morning and evening. I seem to remember most of them being rainy and blustery, appropriately yucky weather for the darkness of the remembrance. Easter, which was nearly always sunny, started with a Sunrise Service at the local cemetery and progressed through several church services into the evening.

But no Lent. When I studied for my Masters degree, I prayed Catholic and Orthodox prayers for a season, familiarizing myself with other Christian practices. I reveled in the richness and beauty as the Spirit breathed into the old traditions!

Lent came alive that year as I accepted a new discipline of daily Lenten writing. As I read through the scriptures, I posted observations to an initial list of 150 people (before blogging was popular). The list grew into my blog, first on a now-defunct site, then at xanga, now at www.peacefulones.blogspot.com.

Some years I love writing, some years I dread the merciless demand of each new morning at the computer keyboard. As I read through those years, I marvel at God's faithfulness in opening scripture and allowing spiritual disciplines to shape my life. (Though today I'm glad I don't have to begin fasting nor daily writing because of a three-week reprieve.) 

I'm looking forward to meeting God again within the special attention that Lent offers, starting March 9 this year. I need the solitude, meditation, and examination more than ever, after the challenges of the past year. How about you? 

Read more:

*O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. Isaiah 33:2 NIV

*I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.  Let him bury his face in the dust—there may yet be hope.  Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.  Lamentations 3:19-32 NIV

*Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NIV