Hi First name / friend,
Happy Holy Week! How was your Palm Sunday?
Easter is finally just around the corner, and it's been a pretty uneventful Lent in all the best ways. I've been very zealous to ensure that our family has plenty of downtime after ebbs and flows of activity, and it makes the moments when we do connect with the outside world that much more exciting and invigorating.
Currently, this also means that we don't do very many “Easter-y" things either. Not only am I handicraft-challenged, I just find that when I “force” our family consciousness to always be reminded “It's Easter! Let's do something Easter-related!” it doesn't seem to give the satisfaction that I was hoping for.
Maybe this is just me? I don't know!
But one thing that I can simply reflect on with our family: Our sins have been forgiven. And I have a new life because of Jesus!
Every year, I am struck anew at how simple the gospel really is.
I think sometimes, in our hubris, we try to make it more eloquent, complex, multi-faceted… And I'm not saying that the gospel isn't those things! But, if Jesus was speaking the truth that we need to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven… I mean, I'm imagining my elementary-aged children and eloquence isn't the first thing that comes to mind, friends!
But here's what they did teach me this week: pure delight in encountering Jesus. I've mentioned that we've been going through
Amon's Adventure by Arnold Ytreeide (
Amazon, Bookshop, AbeBooks, Alibris, Thriftbooks). And we were reaching the part of the story where Jesus enters the scene, and ya'll, the look on my kids' faces was priceless.
“He's going to meet Jesus!!!” they both exclaimed.
And as they quickly flipped through to the next chapter, they exuberantly confirmed “Yes, he really is going to meet Jesus!!!”
Friends, that's a whole sermon right there.
So in like fashion, I'm keeping this week's updates simple. I pray that the simplicity of the gospel kindles a child-like delight in Jesus in each of us this week.
God has forgiven our sins. And we'll join Jesus in heaven one day.
What more could we ask for, Amen?
