Craig Finnestad

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Maundy Thursday Prayer

Dear God,

You washed the disciple’s feet.

You showed me how to serve.

You tell me to do likewise.

Let my life be like Your life.

Enable me to follow Your example.

Make me a foot washer—a bold and daring servant.

Help me be mindful of the many opportunities for service in my life.

Let my service be a blessing and inspiration to others.

Bless me as I seek to act more like You every day.

I want to be faithful to You.

Not betraying You. Not denying You. But faithful.

Give me grace when I fail and wisdom and perseverance to keep growing.

I want to be loved by You.

Accepting of Your grace and power.

Let me love others as You continually and fully love me.

Give me the ears to listen to and understand others.

Give me the vision to see others through Your eyes.

Empower me to serve others like You.

Let me take the bread learn from Your life.

Let me take the wine and embrace your forgiveness.

Let me show the world I am Your disciple.

Amen.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Jesus was relationally sad. The night before his death, Jesus shared his last meal with his twelve buddies. He looked them in the eye as he broke the bread for the last time. He held back the tears as he blessed the cup. Peter would soon deny him. Not once. But three times. Judas would betray him. Not just any betrayal. A betrayal that would cost Jesus his life. Goodbyes are never easy. Denials and betrayals are as tough as it gets. Heartbroken.

Jesus was emotionally spent. His trial couldn’t have been easy. The soldiers mocked him. They asked if Elijah was coming to save him. They even spit on him. The very people he came to serve and save ridiculed him. Dejected.

Jesus was physically abused. He took a beating. Nails through his hands. A sharp crown of thorns on his head. He was bruised and bloody. He hung on a cross gasping for air. Broken.

Jesus was spiritually searching. He cried out with a loud scream: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” He didn’t use the word Father. He used the word God. Not close enough to call Him Father. Only close enough to call Him God. Isolated.

And then three days later he rose from the dead. None of the Gospel writers give much detail as to what happened because the details don’t really matter. What matters is that Jesus is alive again.

Heartbroken. Dejected. Battered. Isolated. Alive again.

The betrayal was overcome. The dejection was destroyed. The brokenness was restored. The isolation was overwhelmed. Death was defeated.

We worry about tomorrow. We carry hurts from the past. We wonder if there is more to life. Our busyness consumes us. It seems hopeless that the future will be better than the past. We are sick of being tired. We are slowly dying.

The big stone was rolled away from the tomb. We don’t know if Jesus limped or leaped as he re-entered the world. We only know God raised Jesus from the dead. And we know that God was just getting warmed-up because He has been raising people from the dead ever since.

Our worries. Our hurts. Our fears of dying. Our fears of not living. Our busyness. Our hopelessness. Our fatigue. Our broken hearts. Our rejection. Our dejection. Our brokenness. Our loneliness. God invites us to experience resurrection in all areas of life. He invites us to experience new life so that we can be alive again. Sounds like an invitation worth accepting.

Happy Easter,

Craig