Palm Sunday

Kia ora whānau,

You probably have noticed that I conclude every update by writing, "keep your eyes on Jesus." That is not just a nice slogan for me. I think it is the key to us living the life God has called us to. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, I mean that we need to constantly find ways to turn our attention toward him. When we do that, we learn to recognise and experience his presence with us. Our life comes into focus. We do this (individually and corporately) through different kinds of prayer, engaging with scripture (reading, memorizing, studying), and worship. Then we began to notice him in the moments of our lives (even when he rides in on a humble donkey instead of a warhorse - thanks J-L). This is how the saints of old endured times of suffering, times of imprisonment, and times of boredom. It is how they kept their minds from descending into depression and hopelessness.

The Apostle Paul spent about twenty-five percent of his ministry years in prison or under house arrest. That was quite a bit more than a four week lockdown. What would he say to us? He probably would tell us that the secret is contentment: "I have learned to be content with whatever I have...I can endure all things through Christ who strengthens me." Jesus is always with us. We just need to look at him.

Lilias Trotter was a missionary to Algeria in the early 1900's and confined to bed often because of her health. She wrote a tract (Focused: A story and a song) that became the basis of the hymn that I grew up singing in church called, Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Here are her words:

Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, and the Divine “attrait”* by which God’s saints are made, even in this 20th century, will lay hold of you. For “He is worthy” to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.

Kirsty Resink, a saint in the making and my beautiful wife, has a different way of describing it in today's language: we just need to bubble with Jesus.

Holy Week in lockdown has been done before by many of the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. Let's follow in their footsteps and...

Keep your eyes on Jesus

Mark

*attrait means attraction or appeal