Holy Week

What is the purpose of a blog entry? Of course that varies. The central purpose for my blog entries is to try to consider where God is with respect to my contemporary topic, while at the same time, being mildly entertaining, thought provoking, and maybe even inspiring. My blog entries actually serve that purpose for myself. I hope that occasionally I connect with a reader and God’s purpose is fulfilled.


As I write this it is Holy Week. Holy Week is so complex to me emotionally and spiritually. It’s a difficult week but it’s a wonderful week. Someone once expressed to me the question, “Couldn’t God have found a better way rather than to become human and die a sacrificial death for the creatures God created?”

Well, I believe God knows all, is all-powerful, and works for good. Since I believe that, I also accept that this is it. That this IS the best way God could have arranged things. So I believe that when God created us, God knew God would also have to die for us. Why would God create something God had to die for? It’s all about love. God desires to love and be loved back. But it’s not that simple either. God wants more than that. God wants to love and be loved back by creatures that love each other as well.

For the record, I don’t believe that God consciously controls every very detail. If God did, then love would not be a choice. I believe that God delights in seeing us make choices, especially decisions of our own to follow Christ. But to allow God’s self to be “surprised” by our choice to love, God also has to permit us to make those decisions outside of God’s control. And that means sometimes God will be “disappointed”, as well as surprised.

But I wonder if it’s even appropriate for me to tell you what I believe, because I’m afraid that I might influence you to believe the same thing, just because I said it. That’s really scary on many fronts. What if I’m wrong and I mislead you? That’s one reason it’s important for you to listen to people and decide for yourselves where you discern God’s truth. Otherwise, it’s not really YOUR faith at all, it’s mine, or whoever’s you decided to believe for the sake of believing the same thing as they did.

You must own your own faith. Contrary to St. Augustine’s point of view, I believe that I cannot beat my faith into you. You must come to know God on your own terms. Otherwise, I don’t even believe God will accept it, even if you were to say all the right words. Saying the right words for the wrong reasons isn’t love.

So, I hope by the time you have read this, that you are looking forward after Holy Week with a renewed zest to come to know and love God, for your own right reasons.

I feel led to share a secret with you. A little tradition I share with God. Sometime after the Good Friday service, I find a moment to go to the landing behind the sanctuary door by what used to be the men’s choir loft. On the wall above that landing is a painting. It depicts what I perceive is that same very moment, following the crucifixion. John is leading an exhausted and distraught Mary to her home. Three crosses are in the distance. The sky is menacing. It is a sad picture. But it captures the essence of that moment in time. From then until Sunday morning we live in darkness. Wondering why Christ had to die.

But as Tony Campolo says, it’s Friday, but Sunday’s a-comin. It’s Friday, but Sunday’s a-comin. It’s Friday, but Sunday….. Sunday’s a-comin.

Easter people – Sunday is here ! Praise God almighty, Jesus Christ is alive and the very Holy Spirit of the Creator of the Universe lives in you! So Love God! Love People!

Until next month, Happy Hiking, and God Bless,

- allen