Hearing the Music

Taking Delight and Giving Grace

I am grateful for wisdom I have received throughout the course of my life from faithful women and men. One such mentor to me has been Steve Garber whose paths have crossed ours in various ways for all 33 years that Lisa and I have been married. These are his words on marriage and they still ring true.

A long time ago I was asked by a young man what I thought made for a good marriage. Those weeks of my life I was immersed in the heartaches of friends who were stumbling badly in their marriages, and so the question had a rawness to it, a knife’s-edge to it, and my mind went ranging over what I thought about the meaning of marriage. I told him that good marriages, healthy marriages, ones which were more happy-than-not for both husband and wife were ones in which the choice was made to take delight and to give grace… day by day by day. I still think that is true.

Take delight and give grace. As Lisa and I get ready to facilitate some conversations on marriage with 15 or so couples this weekend from a sister ministry, I am deeply grateful that she has done that for me, moment by moment, year after year, stumbling along in our love for each other as we have. We have been married long enough now to qualify as "older heads" and our marriage counsel is much the same same as Steve's, take delight and give grace. 

Of course, it is the good news of the gospel, drawing us in again, and again, to the truer truths of delight and grace. Through the finished work of Christ, through the Easter potentiality that is woven back into creation, we are invited to have delight and grace be the lens through which we see the world and all our relationships within it. This truth does not negate the struggles we have, but rather speaks to the deeper truths on offer through faith in Jesus.

We will talk about this faith as we look at Hebrews 11 this week. Our Hebrews' Preacher has laid out his main points, Christ has given himself willingly as the perfect, all sufficient atonement, therefore believe in him, rest on him, just like the saints of old did. He is worthy!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

His Week. Our Weeks.

Sometimes things just hit you. Each week I begin with the salutation "Happy Friday", marking our time through the week, encouraging a level of felicity. Today however, is not just any Friday. It is THE Friday that we call "Good". And it is not just any week. It is THE week that we call "Holy". It was the last week that Jesus walked the earth before THE EVENTS that would change everything.

The week started with a bang. Monday: Jesus cleaned house. His Father's house that is. "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). Tuesday: like a prophet announcing doom, Jesus declares that not one magnificent, Herodian stone that constructed the temple would be left on another. "Stay awake! For you do not know when the master of the house will come" (Mark 13:35). Wednesday: the Sanhedrin has had enough (Mark 14:1,2). Jesus is drawing a crowd. People are listening to him. People are ignoring them. He must be stopped. Hello Judas. The trap is set (Matthew 26:14-16). Thursday: bread "This is my body. Given for you." A cup, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Poured out for you." A plea, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death .... My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:38,39). A trial? Not really, more of a sham. A verdict, “I (Pilate) am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:24–26).

And so we come to Friday. Driven to the place of the skull, the hardened soldiers (or were they just boys?) took stakes and ran them through his wrists. They joined his ankles and hammered a stake in. They pushed the plank down into its hole and lifted up the Son of Man, suspending him between heaven and earth.  And there, a mess of fluids, every breath a fight, he prayed that the mocking crowd and hammering hands be forgiven. Like a figurehead on the prow of a ship, he blazed a path through death and hell, landing on the shores of Paradise itself, beckoning the believing thief with these words, "Today you shall be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)." But before he would reach those shores, it got dark, oh, it got very dark. "My God, My God. Why have you forsaken me ...."  And so we wait. Saturday: ended in death, in a tomb, in darkness. But that darkness couldn't swallow the light that was about to explode Sunday when justice and mercy kissed. For in that darkness, the Prince of Darkness overplayed his hand and walked into the trap that the King of Light had set. For a willing sacrifice, with no sin of his own to atone for, could satisfy the deep justice of God and unleash mercy on a world in desperate need. "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14)." 

His week. Our weeks. Though we keep reprising the Holy Week roles of Peter, James, John and the rest of the disciples with our feckless, sleepy-eyed devotion, the finished work of Jesus surges through the empty tomb into our very bones animating us to new life. Each week of ours now begins with resurrection and pulsates with the promise of life. From classrooms to cubicles, from the bedrooms to the laundry rooms, Jesus reigns. Yes, we still struggle mightily, but we bring this truth to the struggle -- He is risen!

I look forward to Easter Sunday. We will move from considering weeks to considering a day as we take up the claim of 1 Corinthians 15:4 that Christ was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. Here is a cliffhanger for you, “What is so special about the third day?”  

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

Clean Water

We were under a “Boil Water Advisory” for several days this past week. A water main break caused concern for water safety in parts of Northeast Grand Rapids. 

Perhaps it was because I was helping my daughter with her 2 year-old and 6 month-old sons that it felt extra stressful. After every diaper change—wash your hands; every snack, meal, messy play—wash his hands. And then all the usual things that take water: dishes, food prep, teeth brushing. 

My daughter and I are both nurses so we have overactive imaginations when seeing water with potential E. coli gushing out of the faucets. Multiple times we boiled stock pots full of water, not just for the required one minute rolling boil but five minutes for good measure.

On the fourth day, I went to Bible study and we talked about hospitality. It could be something as simple as meeting a friend in the park to talk and share a snack. This idea was shared at the Soup’s On evening as well.

On the way home I stopped at Huff Park to pick up a free case of bottled water provided by SpartanNash. City workers, firefighters and police officers were all lined up to fill the cars rolling through the line. A Salvation Army food truck was providing food for the workers as well as warm drinks. (It was 27 degrees out with flurries!) They were offering a cup of warm water (coffee, tea) in Jesus’ name.

“Thank you! Thank you! Stay warm! God bless you!” Why did I feel tears and emotion? I know there are multitudes in this world who don’t have access to healthy water. For forty-five years I was the one giving the cup of water to the thirsty.

Seeing the workers and the organizations behind this gift and their hospitality, I felt seen. I was humbled and grateful. They gave me hope.

Soon the Public Safety Alert sounded on my phone. All clear! The advisory was lifted. I was at my daughter’s. We celebrated with a glass of water straight from the faucet.

Photo by manu schwendener on Unsplash