Sheila's Dribs 'n Drabs

 It's Valentine's day! Yay! Let's dream of love and romance and all the things we need to make a relationship last... It's Ash Wednesday! Yay! Let's dream of love and sacrifice and all the things we need to make a relationship last... My mum (age 95) plans to walk five times around the garden each day during Lent. She's going to give up chocolate too. My pastor will give up after-the-sermon chats. And me? I know I'm dreaming of love today--the earthly love of a spouse caring for me when I've broken my wrist--the heavenly love of my creator who came to earth to live in a human body--the love that shines on a cloudy day, glints warmth from snow, reigns hope. For Lent, I'll try to remember I'm not in control (of the weather, politics, global warming, human sexuality, or anything else that everyone talks about). Neither is anyone else. I'll try to remember there's a God who will make it all work out. And I'll love my neighbor, whatever th...

Soldiers are good at knowing when people are dead. Guards are good at watching them. But God returns Him living and forgiving. Glory to God.

We left the church in silence, altar bare, no flowers or candles there. We shouted Crucify , once sang Hosannah to his name. Then resurrection came.

Every crowning of another becomes thorns in Jesus’ brow. I turned away. His flesh was flayed. My every sin’s a nail. He saves me now.

In the garden sleeping. In the garden weeping. In the garden sneaking back to wakefulness, we’re sorry, couldn’t stay. In the garden betrayed. Creeping away.

Everything’s ready. We sit to eat and pretend it’s all okay. Then Jesus washes our feet. Without him nothing will ever be clean or okay.

“One of you will betray me,” he said. We’ve all betrayed him too. His light that heals reveals and still he shares that final meal.

“Where are you going?” they asked. “I am the way the truth and the life.” “Can we follow?” He takes the punishment for us all.

We choose a perfect lamb for sacrifice. He rides a perfect donkey yet untouched by human hand. We cry Hosannah, else the stones cry out.