Weekly Article

Jesus:

      challenged, threatened, trapped

      misunderstood and mistreated

      interrogated and ridiculed

Betrayed

      Denied, abandoned, arrested, convicted

      Jesus was taunted, ridiculed, mocked

      spat upon, stripped, whipped

      all without defending himself

Crucified

      While the earth turned dark

      and the Temple curtain tore

      he gave up his life.

Dead and Buried

      Friends rescued his bruised body

      from the ugly cross

      wrapped it in linen

      and laid it in a garden tomb

      And us with him, our pain, our doubts

      our messes —

      misunderstandings, conflicts,

      denials, challenges, betrayals, unbelief

      fear, anger, hurt, failures

Sealed in the dark tomb

      Hidden from the Light to turn to ashes

And on the third day

      Light poured into the empty tomb

      The power of Death –

      and our daily little deaths –

      defeated

Christ is risen!

Word in flesh

And we are born into the Light

      Forgiven

      Transformed

      Eternally

Love empowered

      Easter People