Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
As I write this article, I am on a bus headed to the airport in Israel, to fly home from the most incredible experience I have ever had. Just hours ago, I was praying inside the Garden Tomb of Jesus before sharing in communion worship with brothers and sisters in Christ. How could I dream of any moment greater than that moment? How can my life ever be the same after walking the path of Christ and His disciples the last two weeks?
The answer is simple, my life will never be the same again. I will never read scripture or sing a hymn without a new understanding and a new realization of what I am hearing and saying. I will never preach a sermon on Jesus without picturing the places I have been and the way I sensed His presence. I will never understand the power of what Christ did without the new light shining upon it that just got ever so much brighter.
I don’t share this to brag or make you jealous, but I share this to remind us that we are ever changing and growing in our understanding of our lives as disciples. We are all walking in the footsteps of Christ, following His example and His teachings. We are all being changed by experiences that we have on a daily basis and after each day we will never be the same.
The great understanding is that we have a choice to make. This week saw two sites that both claimed to be the spot of Christ’s death and resurrection, and we each had to choose what we felt was the real spot. Not by facts or evidence, but by the way we were able to connect with a spot and feel the presence and power of Christ.
Are you choosing each day to feel the presence of Christ and to see His face around you? Are you looking for the facts and formulas to understand Him, or are you letting go and letting God touch you in a real and meaningful way?
By the time you read this, we will be just weeks away from Easter; just weeks away from Golgotha and the empty tomb. What path are you walking to get to those moments? Are you so focused on life that you are shutting God out, or are you creating intentional moments to let your Savior in?
I would lead another group of pilgrims to the Holy Land in a heartbeat, but you do not need to go all the way to Israel to be near to God. Push the pause button on responsibilities and distractions and focus your heart and your mind on the path to Calvary and the one who chose the cross for you.
Shalom! Pastor Stacy