good friday 2026

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 

the author and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy set before him 

endured the cross, scorning its shame, 

and sat down at the right hand 

of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

for the joy set before him

he was willing to 

endure the cross

and scorn the shame

but what was that joy

what made it worth the agony

and the shame and the humiliation

what had so captured his heart

that he was willing to 

go to such great lengths

to redeem it all

it was you and me

we were the joy set before him

we consumed his thoughts

and we filled his heart 

as he hung upon that cross

so on this good friday

let us fix our eyes on him

our author and perfecter

our lover and redeemer

our savior and our friend

so that we might be 

his joy again today

 

becoming pluto

the descending way is the path to life

following the time-worn footprints

of the one who stepped down from his throne

to make his home among the broken

and invites us to do the same

will i choose his downward way

will i lay aside privilege and preference

will i take the low road into obscurity

will i embrace humiliation and suffering

so i can become one with the forsaken

will i stop demanding to be

the absolute center of the universe

i the sun and they merely the planets

revolving around my own persona

can i shift from being the sun to becoming pluto

can i make the move from subject to object

will i become a small part of his glorious universe

revolving around the one who is the true center

he the son and i just a dwarf planet

on the outer fringes beyond neptune

held in a beautiful orbit by the 

gravitational pull of divine love

he is offering me an invitation

to become less rather than more

but will i accept his call

or will i continue to fool myself 

into believing that i am 

the center of gravity

the gap

any attempt to

lessen the gap

between us and God

is destined for failure

because the truth is

the more we get

to know who he is

the bigger he becomes

the greater our need

and the larger the gap

which is not a bad thing

she has been 

forgiven much

for she loved much

but he who has been

forgiven little loves little

the bigger our need

the bigger the gap

the bigger the cross

the bigger the love

that's kingdom life

a yes orientation

“I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) 

Walking with God means to be continually willing to say “yes” to him.  Mary is a great example of that.  In fact, she has often been described through the ages as someone having a “yes orientation” to God.  That sounds beautiful, but what does it really mean?  What does it look like?

First and foremost, having a “yes orientation” to God means that we need to listen carefully to what he’s asking us to say yes to and not assume that we need to be doing anything and everything.  Sadly, many of us make that assumption without ever asking.  It makes me wonder how many times we are saying yes to something God has not even asked us to do?

What God was asking Mary to do was very specific and, thus, Mary’s yes was very specific as well.  And in order to say yes to what God was asking of her, she had to say no to many other things.  That’s the way life with God works.  He speaks and we listen.  He asks and we answer.  He leads and we follow, not vice versa.

We get into trouble when we assume.  We run ahead, thinking our plans and activities and agendas are God’s without ever asking him.  Don’t make that mistake.  Don’t just assume.  Ask God, listen to what he says, and then be like Mary—say yes! 

alive: encountering the risen jesus

 

Eastertide is coming quickly.  If you're looking for a companion for the journey of resurrection, here's an option: Alive: Encountering the Risen Jesus

the holiness of the ordinary

the sun paints the morning sky

filling its daily canvas with hues

of pink and orange and red

a masterpiece on display for all to see

an open invitation for all who choose

to say yes and to stop and to look

there is beauty in daily life

profundity waiting to be unearthed

like treasure hidden in a field

each day a showcase of mystery

each moment an invitation to engage 

the holiness of the ordinary

which is not ordinary at all

but it must first be recognized

in order to be seen 

and it must be seen 

in order to be fully appreciated

but that takes time

it is hard to pay attention on the run

it is difficult to notice in a hurry

slowing down is a key element

savoring only happens slowly

if we want to fully taste

all that the now has to offer

it will require something of us

but are we willing to give that something

anxiety

it doesn't take much

to send me down 

the rabbit hole

to start the chorus

of voices within

holding me captive

to their what ifs 

and oh noes

creating one

worst case scenario

after another

once the wheel is spun

it takes forever for it

to come to rest again

almost impossible to stop

i have become its victim

helplessly watching

breathlessly worrying

it has its way with me

until finally it chooses

to release its grip

then the wheel finally stops

until the trigger is pulled again

it doesn't take much