Hi Friends,
I'm preparing my talks for the upcoming women's retreat for Carmel Presbyterian Church, and in doing so, am contemplating the cross and all it means to us.
It's easy to lose the wonder, the awe, the "wow" of all Jesus did for us. It's easy to not be amazed anymore. But then, I imagine what it must have been like for Mary, standing there as the blood dripped, as her son groaned, as all her hopes and dreams died. I think of how she stood there, not knowing that she was standing at the crossroads of all history - at the moment when everything changed and her son would redeem us all. I ponder how the moment of hopelessness was really the moment of glory. And I discover that maybe it's always like that -- when all seems lost, God is about to move with a power we never dreamed of. That's what the cross means. All things are transformed for His glory. Even the hopeless places in my life. Even the darkest moment in Mary's.
Meanwhile, here are some questions to contemplate as you focus on the cross (these are questions the small groups at the retreat will be discussing together):
-- Besides forgiving your sins so that you can go to heaven, what else did Jesus accomplish for you on the cross?
-- Imagine your life if Jesus didn’t die on the cross. What would it look like? How would you be different?
-- Describe the person you think God wants you to be.
-- What needs to be hung on the cross to die for you to become that woman? What thought patterns, habits, activities, fears, etc. need to be nailed to the cross for good?
-- What do you need to embrace to become who God created you to be? What new thought patterns, habits, activities, hopes need to come to life?
And, here is a video of my favorite song, Vicky Beeching's The Wonder of the Cross. Watch and listen if you want your wonder renewed:
0 comments:
Post a Comment