How Can I Remain Silent?

This morning I went to an Easter sunrise service at Willamette's stadium! And right now I'm standing in my friend Mel's kitchen, waiting for the resurrection rolls to get out of the oven!

The service was great! This sweet lady named Doris, who reminded me (in looks and actions) of my Grandmommy, sat next to me during the service. It was chilly and I had only a sweater, so she pressed close against my shoulder to keep my left side warmer. I let her borrow my Bible when she asked, which thought was the sweetest thing. I took sermon notes (like always) and she thought that was very cool. She was so excited about the sermon and the resurrection that she kept whispering to me and she wanted to stand up and shout and dance! She was so precious and sweet!

The sermon was great. Rev. David Thommen preached about our response to the resurrection from Mark's account (chapter 16). He said the account was not just to inform us, but to compel us as well. The resurrection of Christ is the greatest news imaginable! The resurrection is significant because of several reasons, these just being some:

- 1 Peter 1:3 ensures new birth

- Rom 4 ensures justification

- Rom 6 ensures our sanctification (being made holy)

- 1 Cor 15 ensures our future bodily resurrection

- Rom 8 ensures a new creation (new earth)

Our response should be two-fold:

1) the resurrection account demands belief (it's a historical fact, recorded with eye-witnesses and time and place markers!)

2) action: go and tell!

How can we be silent about this? What will you do?

I also never got to post anything on Good Friday. I thought I'd just post little bits of songs and verses that stood out to me from the two services (one chapel and one church) I attended.

"For it is in our sin that God encounters us. God is God of the broken."

"Your cross has placed in me my worth"

"Unlimited mercy"

"Because of grace, because of Your mercy, I stand here unashamed"

"As a result He brought you into His own presence and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him - without single fault." Colossians 1:22

"Forever my love, forever my heart, forever my life is Yours"

"I was carried to the table, seated where I don't belong. And I was swept away by His love. I don't see my brokenness anymore, when I'm seated at the table of the Lord!"

He is risen!!

What is your response?

1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

And Now Some Pictures From Easter!!

After track on Saturday Kate and I headed up to Portland to spend Easter weekend with Corie! That night we went to Ikea and watched a movie.

On Sunday morning we went to church and then came back and made Easter Brunch! Resurrection Rolls, green-bean casserole, chicken, and rice! It was yummy!

After church and brunch we went to the zoo! It was so fun! It was pouring rain too! Corie made us hot-chocolate (home-made!) after the zoo cause we were cold!

This is the lion at the zoo!

This is Kate and I riding horses at the zoo!

I love the zoo! My favorite animals are the wild dogs, the sun bear, the otters, and the polar bears! I like the giraffes and elephants too...

I was gonna post this on Easter...but it didn't happen...

[NOTE- this post is not for the faint of heart. It can be gruesome. But is is real.]

Now that I am more aware than even my attempts of righteousness are just filthy rags, and more aware of how grotesque and horrible death by crucifixion is, I am in so much more awe and thanks of the sacrifice Jesus made for me. In chapel on [Good] Friday they read to us from Death by Love by Mark Driscoll. It spoke of the crucifixion in cultural and traditional terms and really detailed how horrifying this kind of death was. The word "excruciating" was actually invented to describe the intense pain because of crucifixion. This kind of death was only reserved for the most detestable criminals, because the Romans didn't want "just anyone" to suffer so much. Before being nailed to the cross, one would be scourged, a process literally meant to tenderize the flesh by ripping skin, muscles, tendons, and even bones off one's back. Many died just from this beating. Upon the cross, on would be mocked, spit-on, and jeered at... The one being crucified would be in such intense pain that it would be a struggle just to breathe, and one would loose complete control of all bodily functions, so usually blood, feces, urine, and saliva was running down the body and pooling at the foot of the cross. Death usually came by suffocation, sometimes after days of struggling to lift one's chest enough to breath. This is the death that my Savior died for me. Even in all this unimaginable pain, Jesus didn't open His mouth. He didn't defend Himself. He didn't call for revenge. He didn't save Himself. He took my sin and my penalty upon Himself. My sins caused this. But now I have life! And I have His righteousness!

God I cannot even understand why You Son would willingly die the most awful death in the world just for me! For someone who will fail Him and get distracted away from Him and fall so short! I'm so amazed by You love! You love is self-sacrificing and unconditional! And if it wasn't for Your love, I'd been lost long ago!

"Lord You gave my life for me, so I will give my life to You."

"You did it for me. You did it for love."

"...That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure."

"...broken for the sins of the earth..."

"Oh my God, what have we done? We have destroyed Your son!"

Of course the most amazing part is - He is alive! He has risen! And now I can be dead to my sin and alive in Him!

Thank You for the cross...thank You for the cross...

{Lent}

What is Lent?
Lent is the 40 day period of fasting before Easter. Sundays are skipped in the fasting-count because they are a mini-celebration of the resurrection of Christ, and thus you feast and not fast. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17th, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 4th.[Unless you are part of the Eastern Church, including Greek Orthodox, then you count Sundays, and thus you don't start until Feb 22, or Ash Monday.]

Why is Lent?
The purpose of Lent is to prepare yourself spiritually for the celebration of Easter. It is a season of reflection, soul searching, and repentance. Many choose to give up something to practice "fasting." Fasts can eliminate distractions, allow you more time to focus on Christ, help you to identify with the suffering of Christ, or simply be part of disciplining your body to get used to not always getting what it wants when it wants it.

Why is Lauren telling you this?
Well, I am giving up my blog and any other "unnecessary" Internet time. (AKA: only school-related Internet time is allowed.) So starting on February 17th, I will not post until April 4th. But I will still see you on Sundays! {Yes, I'll still post on Sundays!} My purpose is to discipline myself with time use and eliminate distractions. I should have opportunity for longer devotions by having more time...

Maybe you will be challenged to give something up for Lent?