a wonderful paradox

Christianity is a religion of paradox. I've often felt at odds with songs that seemed upbeat while speaking of the horror of the murder of God. but we are a people which can sing of a great oxymoron, the wonderful cross. we rejoice that through betrayal, injustice, beatings, torture, disgrace, and lynching, God has brought about the salvation of His people. that He reconciled the world to Himself, pouring out His mercy on the sinners, the unjust, the ill-deserving, by pouring out the wrath and judgment that we have earned on His innocent, perfect Son. that Jesus would willingly and gladly bear it, scorning the shame of the cross for the glory of His name and the praise that would be bought with His precious blood. that "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us". that "Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God." and so i will sing of the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, so that i might live with, through, and for Him. praise the Lord for His amazing grace! Amen.

a long workday

there's a lot you can learn from spending 12 hours stuck in a steel plant in delaware.

action - reaction

"and immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of simon and andrew, with james and john. now simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. and he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them." -mark 1:29-31

i was reading this passage just now, and it came to my mind how striking it is that peter's mother, after being ill enough that she was probably bed-ridden, as soon as she is healed, starts serving Jesus and His group.

Jesus has done so much for me, has poured out so much grace into my life, and yet i don't generally even do as much as peter's mother-in-law. i was brought from death to life, from darkness to light, and yet i rarely really serve. may this conviction not die with merely writing it here.

God, help me to serve you better, to want to do so, that i may rejoice all the more in your greatness.