TEACHINGS
In this teaching we learn more about Jesus' favorite term for God - Daddy - and wonder why it hasn't stuck. There are historical and very human reasons why we are more familiar with Kingly God, a Judge-Holding-Court, and a an unmoved mover, which have also kept Jesus' term largely unpopular even now. Yet as Jesus followers, should we be following Jesus' lead and letting the term work into our way of being in the world?
This interview was given as part of a service to allow Pete to talk about the impact of sabbatical on his life and ministry, but also afforded the opportunity for newcomers to hear his broader story. You can also watch this interview on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Laruen Ng, Director of Leadership Empowerment, ABHMS.
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
As American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ (ABHMS) director of Leadership Empowerment, the Rev. Lauren L. Ng convenes a team of experts who cultivate faith-based leaders across the United States and Puerto Rico.
“I have a passion for innovative, alternative and entrepreneurial models of ministry and the emerging leaders who pursue them,” she says.
It’s invigorating, she says, to recognize potential among people of faith and to walk alongside those who show promise for ministry.
“I’m most excited about collaborating with emerging faith-based leaders across the nation,” Ng says, “getting to know them, their successes and challenges, and how we might support them in common service to our God.”
Flexibility, Ng contends, is key to such a ministry.
“We continually need to be open to fresh ideas and new directions, saying goodbye to things that don’t work,” she maintains. “I endeavor to stay receptive to the movement of the Spirit for the sake of this ministry.”
Ng has been actively involved in the denomination since her youth. And as a former member of ABHMS’ board of directors, she is no stranger to ABHMS’ ministry.
Says Ng: “I have witnessed firsthand the organization’s faithfulness to the call to cultivate leaders, equip disciples, and heal and transform communities.”
CrossWalk welcomes back to the stage Matt Real, Manager of Spiritual Care, Kaiser Permanente.
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Matt is currently the Manager of Spiritual Care for Kaiser Permanente in Roseville, CA. Previously, Matt was the Senior Pastor of American Canyon Community Church for over 15 years - a sister church of CrossWalk in the American Baptist family. Matt and his wife are delighted by their two kids, and love to road trip to National Parks and recently crossed the pond for a family trip to London.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage James Warnock, Hospital Chaplain (Retired).
Jim is well known in Napa Valley for the loving care he provided as Chaplain at Provident Queen of the Valley hospital here in Napa where he served many years. He and his wife are also key leaders in the field of suicide prevention, providing training opportunities through workshops focused on providing tools to help people know how to engage others who may be considering taking their own life.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Jennifer Matheny, Assistant Professor, Nazarene Theological Seminary.u
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
I have taught Biblical and Theological Studies at the undergraduate level for the past 8 years. Two years into this university teaching adventure, God began calling me to return to school for doctoral studies. I often describe this “invitation” similar to the dwarves (Thorin and Company) popping into Bilbo’s home (An Unexpected Party) in The Hobbit. Saying yes to this adventure in doctoral studies has given me the research space to seek interdisciplinary methods and reading strategies for some of the violent and difficult narratives in the Old Testament. From my years of teaching, preaching, and ministry, these difficult texts have been the ones that I have experienced as road blocks for many on their faith journeys. Thinking through ethical reading strategies with others has created welcome paths through some of this difficult terrain.
Journeying with students as they seek next steps in life and ministry is one of my greatest joys. In the classroom, my hope is to create a safe space for theological dialogue and equip students to engage in the tough questions of the text (and life!). My desire is that this educational experience in seminary will be a transformative and inspiring space of integration in all contexts that students are called to participate in Kingdom work.
My family has served for over twenty years in ministry, from youth ministry (Kansas, Missouri, California, Oklahoma, Canada) to church planting (Oregon) and church revitalization (California).
My husband Art and I have two children and we enjoy watching them play sports. Emma (rugby and basketball!), is currently in her undergraduate studies at Westmont College. Samuel, (basketball and soccer!), is in high school.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Kim Ferrario, Professor, USC School of Education.
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Dr. Kimberly Ferrario is a Professor at the Rossier School of Education. Currently, Ferrario teaches in the MAT TESOL Program, the MAT Credential Program, and the Organizational Change and Leadership EdD program.
Her research interests include sociocultural aspects of language and literacy development, assessment, teacher professional development, classroom discourse, writing pedagogy, and ways English learners can move from novice participant to legitimate positions in discourse communities of the classroom. Dr. Ferrario received the UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute Dissertation Research Grant to fund her study that focused on high school English learners’ opportunities to use English in their various school contexts and in their out-of-school lives. Findings from her study build toward a more comprehensive notion of legitimate student participation, and a research agenda that integrates in-school and out-of-school resources to help teachers support their English learners in the classroom.
Ferrario has 20 years combined experience teaching for a school district in the North Bay Area in California at the elementary level, as a reading specialist, and as a literacy coach/coordinator of professional development in language and literacy for K-12 teachers. Prior to joining the USC Rossier School of Education, she taught an academic literacy course for teachers and supervised student teachers in the credential programs for CSU Sacramento and UC Davis. She received her Master’s Degree in Language and Literacy in the School of Education at California State University, Sacramento and completed her Ph.D. in Language, Literacy and Culture at the University of California, Davis.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage James Brenneman, President, Berkeley School of Theology
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
James E. Brenneman is the president of Berkeley School of Theology, Berkeley, CA, one of the founding seminaries of the Graduate Theological Union. Prior to coming to Berkeley School of Theology in 2017, Jim was the sixteenth president of Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana (2006-2017). Originally from Kalona, Iowa, Jim grew up attending school and church in Ybor City, the Cuban quarter of Tampa, Florida. Jim is an ordained Mennonite minister and was the founding and lead pastor of Pasadena Mennonite Church (Pasadena8, CA) from 1986-2006. He also served on the faculty of the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont for 15 years, where he taught Hebrew Bible. He lived in South Pasadena, CA for 26 years prior to moving to Goshen, Indiana in 2006 , returning to CA in 2017. He and his wife, Terri J. Plank Brenneman, a clinical psychologist, have one son, Quinn Miguel Plank Brenneman. On December 31, 2006, Brenneman was selected by the Elkhart Truth to be one of the "Ten People to Watch in 2007".
CrossWalk welcomes back to the stage Andrew M. Davis, Program Director, Center for Process Studies.
Andrew M. Davis is a philosopher, theologian and scholar of world religions. He is Program Director for the Center for Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University. A native of northern California, he was born and raised among the towering redwoods of Occidental and the meandering woodlands of Santa Rosa’s Bennett Valley. It was out these natural settings that his passion for the questions of philosophy, theology and religion first emerged. He holds B.A. in Philosophy and Theology, an M.A. in Interreligious Studies, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Process Philosophy from Claremont School of Theology. An educator and advocate of cross-cultural knowledge and religious literacy, his studies have led him to a variety of religious contexts and communities around the world, including India, Israel-Palestine, and Europe. He received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Biblical Studies, the 2017 fellowship with FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) and the 2020 Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. He was recently nominated and elected as a fellow for the International Society of Science and Religion (ISSR). He is a poet, aphorist and author or editor of several books including How I Found God in Everyone and Everywhere: An Anthology of Spiritual Memoirs (2018); Propositions in the Making: Experiments in a Whiteheadian Laboratory (2019); Depths as Yet Unspoken: Whiteheadian Excursions in Mysticism, Multiplicity, and Divinity (2020); Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy (2020); Process Cosmology: New Integrations in Science and Philosophy (2021), and Nature In Process: Organic Proposals in Philosophy, Society and Religion (forthcoming, 2022). For more about Andrew’s work and research interests, visit his website at andrewmdavis.info.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Andrew M. Davis, Program Director, Center for Process Studies.
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Andrew M. Davis is a philosopher, theologian and scholar of world religions. He is Program Director for the Center for Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University. A native of northern California, he was born and raised among the towering redwoods of Occidental and the meandering woodlands of Santa Rosa’s Bennett Valley. It was out these natural settings that his passion for the questions of philosophy, theology and religion first emerged. He holds B.A. in Philosophy and Theology, an M.A. in Interreligious Studies, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Process Philosophy from Claremont School of Theology. An educator and advocate of cross-cultural knowledge and religious literacy, his studies have led him to a variety of religious contexts and communities around the world, including India, Israel-Palestine, and Europe. He received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Biblical Studies, the 2017 fellowship with FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) and the 2020 Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. He was recently nominated and elected as a fellow for the International Society of Science and Religion (ISSR). He is a poet, aphorist and author or editor of several books including How I Found God in Everyone and Everywhere: An Anthology of Spiritual Memoirs (2018); Propositions in the Making: Experiments in a Whiteheadian Laboratory (2019); Depths as Yet Unspoken: Whiteheadian Excursions in Mysticism, Multiplicity, and Divinity (2020); Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy (2020); Process Cosmology: New Integrations in Science and Philosophy (2021), and Nature In Process: Organic Proposals in Philosophy, Society and Religion (forthcoming, 2022). For more about Andrew’s work and research interests, visit his website at andrewmdavis.info.
CrossWalk welcomes back to the stage Audrey Ward, Author, Pastor (Retired)
Audrey Ward has served as an elder in United Methodist Churches of the California Nevada Conference for thirty years and served as the Pastor of the Saint Helena congregation in the Napa Valley for many years before retiring.. Her column, ''Regarding Children'' has appeared regularly in local as well as national papers.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Audrey Ward, Author, Pastor (Retired).
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channeld as an elder in United Methodist Churches of the California Nevada Conference for thirty years and served as the Pastor of the Saint Helena congregation in the Napa Valley for many years before retiring.. Her column, ''Regarding Children'' has appeared regularly in local as well as national papers.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Brother Muhammed Anwar, Imam for Napa Valley.
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Brother Anwar immigrated to the United States from Pakistan decades ago, and has been the Imam for Napa’s Muslim community for almost two decades. He also owns a towing business that he runs with his sons who also live in the area.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Rabbi Niles Goldstein, Congregation Beth Shalom.
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Rabbi Niles Goldstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Shalom of Napa Valley. Rabbi Goldstein, an experienced and dynamic Reform rabbi and educator, is also the award-winning author or editor of ten books, including Gonzo Judaism and God at the Edge. He was the founding rabbi of The New Shul, an innovative and independent synagogue in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, which he served for over a decade. Prior to his arrival at CBS Napa in 2017, Rabbi Goldstein worked in a variety of congregational, interfaith and academic settings while based in his native Chicago.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Will Nesbitt, MFT, Program Director, Mentis (Annual Meeting)
Will Nesbitt, LMFT, is responsible for oversight, management, and implementation of agency clinical programs in the areas of housing, school based, and therapy (both office and community based). Mr. Nesbitt has been with Mentis since 2019 working in the Satellite Housing Program and Permanent Housing Program and worked as a mental health therapist for students in the Boys & Girls Club in St. Helena and Calistoga. He was the area director for a faith-based non-profit for 7 years prior to working with Mentis. Mr. Nesbitt holds a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary. He has worked with a broad range of populations from adolescents to adults with mental health needs ranging from mild to severe. When Will is not working he is spending time with his wife and son, exercising, and training jiu-jitsu.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Wakoh Shannon Hickey, Author, Scholar, Chaplain, Zen Priest
Watch the teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Wakoh Shannon Hickey is an independent scholar specializing in American religious history, with particular interest in minority traditions and women leaders; Buddhism in East Asia and the West; religion and medicine; and interfaith engagement. She is also a priest of Soto Zen Buddhism and a professional chaplain with experience in hospital, university, hospice, and prison contexts. Her 2019 book "Mind Cure: How Meditation Became Medicine" is a religious history of mind-body medicine.
CrossWalk welcomes to the stage Douglas Avilesbernal, Executive Minister, Evergreen
Watch this teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
Doug has been the Executive Minister for the Evergreen Baptist Association of the American Baptist Churches since 2018, a unique model for churches in our denomiation and any denomination. When CrossWalk was encouraged to withdraw from our previous region due to our inclusivity, Evergreen and Doug welcomed us with open arms. He has been involved with intercultural and diversity work for over 20 years. He has been actively involved with American Baptist Churches USA’s work in this regard since 1999, beginning with a program called the Xtreme Team, which sought to immerse young adults in different cultures around the world for one month at a time, allowing them to live alongside Christians different from themselves and to learn what their world was about. That work led to a continued focus for him within the American Baptist Churches denomination around the issue of intercultural engagement. Among other assignments, Avilesbernal has led annual conferences for Missionary Children for American Baptist International Ministries, where issues pertaining to life in diversity are lived out in many different contexts.
In this teaching, we take a brief look at a post-Easter interaction between Jesus and the disciples, and then launch into unpacking two we manifest the life that belief affords. Jesus breathes on them, telling them to receive the Holy Spirit. A question: was there any less Holy Spirit in the room or in the disciples’ lungs before Jesus breathed on them? Of course not. What changed? Jesus’ words woke them up to the reality of the indwelling Spirit. Jesus then went on to say that whoever they forgave were forgiven, and whoever they didn’t weren't. Another question: do we really have the power to control God’s grace - do our words cancel it out? Of course not. How we speak, however, carries great weight, and can keep people from knowing just how unconditional God’s grace is.
Thomas missed the opening scene and said he wouldn’t believe it unless he could prove it with his own senses. Jesus showed up again and invited Thomas to do just that! Thomas was a bit embarrassed, no doubt! Jesus then said that those who believe without seeing are blessed. I think Jesus is reminding us here that belief limited to that which we can “prove” by our senses is limiting. Sorry, Missourans…
Finally, the writer seems to wrap up the book (a chapter early) noting that the Gospel of John was written to that by believing we would have life through the power of the name of Jesus. How do we do that, exactly?
The Gospel of John is organized differently than the other Gospels. It is organized by themes and theology more than chronology. CrossWalk’s stated beliefs revolve around the movements of John’s Gospel. The following offer those belief statement in brevity, as well as what we might do with them personally and corporately.
Every Step: We Choose to Live the Way of Jesus. If there is one word that describes Jesus and the Way of life he modeled, that word is love. Love of God. Love for all of creation. We dedicate ourselves to Jesus’ Way of love, freely committing to follow his lead. We choose to see God, biblical texts, ourselves, and the world through Jesus’ example. This covenant leads to great personal and global hope, and also leads us to flip the tables of the status quo wherever destructive beliefs and systems exist. This pursuit seeks the renewal of all things, resurrecting life from expressions of death. We celebrate this free choice, and lovingly encourage others to consider the same new way of life we embrace. What follows is what this covenant of staying in rhythm looks like… John 1-2
We stretch. To pursue a relationship with God is a choice to be continually stretched to new ways of thinking and being. When Jesus was with Nicodemus, John the Baptist, and the Samaritan woman at the well, he stretched their thinking with love and respect, even though it required them to let go of the familiar. Therefore, we choose to stretch as God grows in us, and we lovingly help others stretch toward God as God works through us. John 3-4
Personal Goal: Develop a rhythm of life-long learning to develop your faith.
Attend church! There are multiple benefits of simply attending a church service, being stretched in your understanding is one of them. Add an exercise to help you reflect on your experience: what seemed to stick? Why? What am I invited to do in response?
Podcasts, books, audio books, magazines etc. There are a lot of very accessible resources available to us today. If you need help knowing where to start, ask for help.
Seminars, conferences, retreats. These offerings – live or virtual – can serve to turbo-charge your faith development or act as a reboot to get you on track.
Theobabbling. Have conversation with someone else on the journey and discover what they are learning and share what you are learning.
Church Goal: We will continually offer opportunities for people to grow in their relationship with God through Sunday teachings and a variety of learning opportunities apart form Sunday. We will strive to see 70% of active CrossWalkers engaged in some form of learning opportunity.
We kneel. Jesus served humbly without discrimination. He served enemies of the state, touched untouchables, healed those who were broken, and fed those who were hungry. Therefore, we choose to share God’s love by kneeling to serve as Jesus modeled, bringing healing to our world. John 5-7
Personal Goal: Develop a rhythm of service to others. You’ll likely discover that you benefit far more than the people you serve – and it’s not because you’re lousy at service!
Attend church! There are always ways to serve through the church. Some ways require training or specific skills, others don’t. We always need more help with something!
Organized service. Find an organization that appeals to your passion or one that you like and help!
Lifestyle service. Some acts of service just show up throughout your daily life – your neighbor needs help with some, or a co-worker, or simple, random acts of kindness.
Church Goal: Continue offering our campus in the service of others in ways that are aligned with Christ. We strive to have 70% of regular attenders serve in some capacity over the course of a year.
We grace. Jesus was famous for lavishly extending grace to everyone, but especially to those who were feeling condemned. Be it an adulterous woman caught in the act, or a blind man convinced that he was beyond grace, Jesus acted with and spoke grace into their lives to free them from condemnation in all its forms. Therefore, we choose to lift those who experience shame, to love instead of judge. We choose to do this on an individual level as well as corporately, speaking into larger cultural issues where injustice, inequality and inequity need to be addressed. John 8-9
Personal Goal: Develop a rhythm of maintaining awareness about who are our mistreated, neglected, or unheard/unseen neighbors who need help gaining equality and equity.
Attend church! CrossWalk consistently reminds us that part of living the Way of Jesus is to stand with and for those who are experience mistreatment.
Stay curios. Embrace ignorance and bias as normative. We are all conditioned to see the world in a particular way. What might we be missing by rejecting other perspectives? Research broadly!
Lend your voice, hands, feet, and resources. People often get mistreated because they lack the power to challenge the people or policies that allow it. Your action is powerful.
Stand together. Get involved with groups that allow you to have a collective voice to influence change. CrossWalk is involved with Common Ground, and there are many organizations that you may be passionate about that could use your help.
Church Goal: Corporately stand for and with those who are being judged in our community in some public way that is readily identifiable. See people who have been left out of grace find grace through a CrossWalk ministry, identified by their feedback.
We incarnate. God’s love was perhaps most profoundly expressed in the incarnation when God entered the full human experience with us in the person of Jesus. He loved deeply by being intimately present with people in their grief, joy, shame, pain, filth, denial, and even their betrayal. Therefore, we choose to welcome God into our darkest corners, and as those who are being indwelled by God’s Spirit, we choose to live deeply with people in the same intimate places Jesus chose to dwell. John 10-13
Personal Goal: Develop a rhythm of engaging deeper community where “real life” is lived.
Attend church! Part of the benefit of attending a service on campus is that you are around others who resonate with CrossWalk’s approach. That Sunday greeting may turn into a friendship.
Attend a group. Deep community requires time to develop. Get involved in a group to see and be seen, to listen and to be heard. We need each other!
Start a group. If a group doesn’t exist that scratches your itch, maybe you need to start one!
Church Goal: See 70% of our people self-identify as having walked in deeper community in response to their faith.
We connect. Jesus’ Way kept him connected to the heartbeat of God. Jesus fostered an intimate, personal relationship with God by practicing a variety of disciplines (solitude, prayer; gathering for worship, service, and community life) that allowed God’s presence to guide and direct his steps. Therefore, we choose to be so connected that the image of God is clearly reflected in our thoughts, passion, and mission. John 14-17
Personal Goal. Develop a rhythm of habits that help keep you centered and connected to God.
Attend church! Yet another benefit of attending a service is that connecting to God is primary.
Daily meditation. Spend 10-30 minutes daily to focus your attention on God and walking in the Way of Jesus, connected to the Spirit, led by the Spirit, responsive to the Spirit.
“Date Night”. Carve out a couple of hours each week to keep your faith relationship vital. Saunter your way through a trail, spend extended time in contemplation, deep dive into music that connects you to Spirit, engage an activity that focuses on love, create something, etc.
Retreat. Periodically, make room for a retreat for a spiritual day, weekend, week, etc.
Church Goal: See 70% of regular attenders intentionally connecting with God.
The Cumulative Result: We Resurrect. Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates God’s power over death, and the possibility for new life now. After denying knowing Jesus three times, Peter experienced resurrection as the darkness of his shame and fear gave way to new life when he was reinstated in his ministry. Therefore, we choose to allow God’s power to bring new life wherever darkness resides, and we encourage others to do the same. On a grand scale, this is the end goal of everything we do, the result of the Way of God being honored in this life toward the hope that lies ahead. John 18-21
Personal Goal: Develop a rhythm of reflection to help foster and record our journey of life in the Way.
Attend church! Coming together weekly will serve as a booster shot for staying the course, and the elements of the service foster the renewing work of the Spirit in our lives and help you celebrate!
Frequent Examen. Daily or weekly, spend time reflecting/writing about how your experience living the Way of Jesus has gone. This simple act has remarkable power in helping stay on track and see growth as it comes.
Celebrate. When you recognize your growth, mark the moment! God is at work in your life!
Church Goal: See 70% of regular attenders identify an area in their life that has experienced resurrection, as well as issues/situations in our community.
In this teaching the menfolk were still hiding out together, perhaps in the same room where they shared the Passover meal a few nights earlier. Their fear was justified – Jesus was falsely accused, put through an illegal trial, found guilty from biased jurors, and was tortured and executed. As his followers, they assumed they might be next. No judgment here. The women wouldn’t likely be bothered simply by attending to Jesus’ body, so they ventured out:
But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened. - Luke 24:1-12 (NLT)
Easter is one the most important days in the Christian year as it affirmed some of the deepest hopes of humanity about one of the biggest sources of anxiety: is there "more" after death? What happened on Easter also radically transformed Jesus' followers' grief and fear into joy and courage, a clear indicator that their experiences of the risen Christ were real and extremely powerful. Their experiences also served to strengthen their belief that "the Way" of Jesus was valid, worth following, and was clearly endorsed by God. Instead of killing a sect of Jewish upstarts, the death and resurrection of Jesus sparked a movement that is still impacting billions of lives today.
Easter is a day that we look to as a reminder that death does not get the last word. There is “more” that awaits us beyond the grave which welcomed Jesus. Walking in the Way of Jesus gives us confidence that we will be welcomed, too. The more is stronger than death in all of its forms – a message that Jesus proclaimed throughout his ministry. Power to transform our grief and fear into joy and courage to live. Easter represents hope for tomorrow, but it also offers us hope for today. If we’ll have it, we will join Paul in saying Death, where is your victory? Where is your sting?
Maybe for you today, the threat or pain of death consumes you. Have hope! The experience of Easter was real and the result unquestionable. Whatever comes next is surely marked by love, acceptance, restoration, healing, and peace – if it wasn’t, Jesus wouldn’t be there. For those who have gone before us, we can be assured that they experienced all of those things. And we will, too. If that’s all you need to hear today, rest in peace!
But we don’t have to wait for our death for Easter to be relevant. I would suggest to you that Easter was happening all throughout Jesus’ ministry. People were in the shadows, hiding in their suffering and fear due to things done to them or things they’d done or atrophied life that can happen gradually for anybody. While Jesus was alive, he talked about the Kingdom of God being all around us, in us, and that he came to wake people up to that reality and its potentiality. We don’t have to wait for what comes after death to experience love, restoration, healing, and peace. We can access it now. Easter proclaims this. Can you believe it?
And yet, many people struggle to realize it, to actually see it happen in their lives. Knowing “Easter is a thing” is powerful and hopeful all by itself, but it doesn’t automatically mean that we will experience the power of Easter in our lives now. For that to happen, we need to talk about Bruno.
Disney’s animated film, Encanto, tells the tale of the Madrigal family in Colombia that suffered tragedy that led to magic that allowed life to continue. Subsequent generations were born with great magical gifts to help the community thrive. Bruno’s gift was of prophecy – truth telling about the true state of reality. He could see the writing on the wall related to Mirabel. The magic was to end with her, and with it, the house of cards that had survived until then would fall. Nobody was allowed to talk about Bruno – reality – because it was more comfortable to live in denial. Encanto is a true story – it’s our story – because we all struggle with trying to maintain our respective houses of cards by perpetuating the stories we create, sometimes neglecting or denying painful truths that need to be addressed before they address us. We all need to talk about Bruno regularly. Or else...
The disciples didn’t spend the rest of their lives in the upper room writing up Christian theology. Instead, slowly and surely and for the rest of their lives, they faced their fears with faith and faithfulness, and found the risen Christ – life resurrected – again and again. First they faced the fear that death won. They were fully aware of the source of their grief, but slowly and actively opened up to the possibility that there was more. Their realization of Easter turned into comfort, and courage, and speaking hope, and doing the things Jesus did, and eventually facing their own martyrdom, but with confident hope. Easter changed them. Easter helped them live into the presence of God that is here, right now, that will also fully welcome us, love us, restore us, and heal us in some way postmortem.
Yet we won’t experience much of this in the here and now unless we talk about Bruno, unless we are honest about the parts of our lives that have not been touched by Easter but are hiding out somewhere in fear. Ignoring and denying represent normal human behavior designed to protect ourselves from undue pain. Unfortunately, when left unchecked, this mechanism can result in much greater pain than we are trying to avoid. We can become the proverbial frogs in the kettle, who cannot detect the slowly warming water that will eventually rob them of their lives.
To talk about Bruno is to ask the question about your kettle, your reality, your mess, what’s not working, what’s not healthy, what needs healing. Sometimes we intuitively know this and can name those areas in our lives that need to be “Eastered”. Sometimes lights on the dashboard of our lives tell us: our marriage needs an oil change, or we need to replace the air filter that is choking our environment, or our engine light is on suggesting we need a tune up. Sometimes it’s even more obvious: people who care about us tell us bluntly, “this is unhealthy.” Sometimes it’s painfully obvious – the pain we avoid wrecks our lives in many forms of addiction, dead marriages, estranged family relationships, losing a job, terrible health, etc.
What’s your reality? What fears are you dealing with that keep you in hiding, from allowing your True Self to live? There are probably a handful of things messing with you. What are they? Can you bring yourself to talk about Bruno?
What can you learn from the disciples about how to bring Easter into your reality? How can you begin to wake up to a new way of living? What choices are you making to foster more of Easter and less death in your here and now? One thing is for sure: if you want your life to stay exactly as it is (and likely to get worse), change nothing. Let the suckfest continue. Eventually you will hit rock bottom and not be able to deny reality anymore. The good news is that Easter is always available and will always prevail, even if it only comes after our literal deaths. Please don’t wait that long.
What do we do differently? What is actionable, measurable, to help us “Easterize” our lives? Begin every day with a commitment to walk in the Way that leads to life. I believe this is represented and taught by Jesus. Usually this will mean that we will run into situations where we are forced to ask the question, “what is the Way that leads to life at this moment?” This means we need to build space in our lives to learn what the Way looks like, which is likely to include talking to others on the Way to sort things out, open ourselves to loving care, and help others figure it out as well. The Way that leads to Easter now and forever is going to look at a lot like Jesus, who found a rhythm that kept him connected to God, that stretched his thinking throughout his life, that served others as brothers and sisters, that lent his voice and action for the sake of justice and mercy, that was marked by humility and malleability. Begin your day committing to that. Build time in your life to continue to get nurtured in the Way
(BTW: attending church helps a lot). Note: we meet every Sunday, not just Easter! Monitor your walking in the Way by literally evaluating it regularly. Some traditions examine it twice a day. How about starting with once a week, reflecting on where we welcomed Easter’s hope over death’s sting? End each day with gratitude that you are in the love of God. Rest in peace until you finally rest in peace.
To the Yeahbutt family who hears words like this and comes up with lots of scenarios to challenge it... What about American slaves from centuries ago who suffered untold abuse – what was Easter for them? Or Ukrainian refugees? Or people dying of cancer? Or Dodgers fans? Even in dire, somewhat hopeless circumstances, Easter wins if we let it. Nobody can take away our power to choose our response to the Good News that Easter prevails. Nothing separates us from the love of God, not even the worst horrors we can imagine or inflict. The love of God that empowered and empowers Easter is available even as we suffer. It’s what enabled slaves to create and sing their spirituals while they hoped for emancipation. It’s what allowed prisoners in Nazi death camps to face their fate with hope instead of despair. There is a choice to make regarding Easter, and when we make it, it can make all the difference.
May you know that you are deeply loved and will be forever. May you know that there is more beyond the grave, and that the “more” is already here for the taking and the living. May you, in a thousand ways from here to your grave, experience resurrection from death as you live toward that final consummation. May you choose to Easterize your life, so that you might increasingly live, because nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Note: You can view this teaching on our YouTube Channel. Palm Sunday recalls the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem for his last Passover festival (Luke 19:28-40). Some call it The Triumphal Entry, as many of his followers lined the streets, laying their out cloaks out on the ground as a sort of red-carpet treatment, waiving palm branches like sports fans would with rally rags. The orchestration of the entrance carried a really important detail on Jesus’ part – his choice of transportation – which was not lost on his original audience. He rode a young donkey, a pack animal, a humble creature. He did not come in on a white stallion like some early form of the Lone Ranger to right wrongs. The borrowed donkey communicated that he came in peace, with peace, for peace, and his fans celebrated it as best they could with what they had. This begs a question: what does it mean for us to honor Jesus today? What does it mean for us to lay our cloaks down?
I saw an interview with John Batiste. He was nominated for eleven Grammys this past Sunday, and won five, including best album. There were several remarkable things that jumped out at me from his interview that I see as particularly relevant to how we engage Palm Sunday.
Twelve Notes. We all have twelve notes with which to play our song. We are all playing something whether we intend to or not. Are we aware of the song we are playing? Are we intentional about what we want to play? Are we happy with the tune? What would we change? Playing our notes with intentionality as Jesus followers is an act of laying down our cloaks.
The Music Plays Us. The music expresses us, even leads us. Batiste suggests a spiritual quality to music, speaking about how the music leads him, plays him, as much as he plays it. This makes me wonder what soundtrack is accompanying our lives, maybe leading our lives. This is different than choosing what to do with our twelve notes. This is more about listening to the tune and tone of the current music of our lives and letting it speak to us, teach us about ourselves, and express ourselves in ways words cannot. The Apostle Paul referred to a glimpse of this when he said that the Spirit of God groans with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26). How are we letting the music play us? This is an act of laying down our cloak.
Defiance. Batiste spoke of the decision he and his long-time girlfriend made to get married as an act of defiance. Suleika Jaouad is an American writer who wrote about her battle with leukemia she fought while in her 20’s. She is now battling a more aggressive form in her 30’s. Offering each other marriage vows was, for them, a statement that their commitment is for thick and thin, and that their hope is greater than the challenges they face. Their vow was a statement of hope for better days to come, of light from a place of darkness. When we pledge our allegiance to following the Way of Jesus, we are making a vow, saying that we believe in the Way even though it might feel like the world doesn’t recognize or want it. It is a belief that there are better days ahead. This is an act of spreading our cloaks. Marriage vows as an act of defiance. Batiste noted that “the darkness will try to overtake you, but just turn on the light, focus on the light, hold onto the light.” Reminds me of John’s Prologue (John 1:5): “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
The majority in the crowd that first Palm Sunday were like us. They resonated with Jesus along some shared lines, for sure. They liked his peaceful approach even though they probably found themselves in tension with visions of revolt as well. By laying down their cloaks, they were giving public allegiance to Jesus, a public statement that carried weight. Fans of Jesus took note and celebrated with them. Those who took issue with Jesus (as well of those who Jesus took issue with) did, too, implying that there was some level of vulnerability and risk just for their act of support that day. This was their act of playing their twelve notes in the moment, as best they could.
As the week ensued, I wonder how the music played them. As they recognized that Jesus wasn’t going to lead a violent revolt, and that his nonviolent approach wasn’t going to change anything quickly, how did such music begin to play them? Were they open to what was being played? More of a song of mourning and struggle than a victory march? Or did they willfully choose to reject it like Judas? How open are we to listening to the songs our experiences play, letting it soothe us, heal us, lead us forward?
This Sunday led Jesus to Good Friday when their heralded leader was executed. Not quickly. Not quietly, but publicly. While throngs of people looked on. Those who loved Jesus to the end and beyond: I wonder how their ongoing commitment to Jesus was an act of defiance. They chose not to take up arms and get themselves killed. They chose to remain the people of Jesus who followed the Way he taught, which was deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. They carried on in hope, against the threat of Rome and corrupt Jewish leadership. For a lot of contemporary Jesus followers, the ongoing violence expressed in myriad ways in our world can be completely disheartening. Palm Sunday invites us to say yes to this Way, to spread our cloaks as an act of faith, as a way of saying that even though it can appear that the darkness is everywhere, the light shines brighter, and we choose to be people of light.
Every day is Palm Sunday. What is your cloak? Where have you spread it?
