An anchor for the soul

My heart is broken tonight for the members of our church family who experienced pain and loss this week due to a terrible car accident. I received news on Wednesday of an accident in Oak Ridge. First, I learned that Mike and Madison had been involved. Both were injured and were taken to the hospital. While at the hospital I learned that James was in the other vehicle and that he died in the crash. As the news of the accident spread to family members and friends there was a gnawing grief that hit us all. Often I have reflected on the powerful phrase that is found in the book of Hebrews that describes our hope in Jesus as an "anchor for the soul". The phrase seems to fit our needs at this moment. In times of pain and suffering and the questioning that accompanies it we need something to grasp. We need to be able to hold on to something or someone bigger and stronger than we are. In the face of sudden and terrible change, we need something constant. We need an anchor.

Thoughts about Easter

The Easter Season is upon us and next week is a time for followers of Jesus to think about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. How do we capture the significance of the week? For me, I enjoy taking notice of the testimonies that the Gospel writers have left behind for us to read. I find the challenges of "Holy Week" to be the same as most weeks. Devote time to focus on what is most important. There is a great lesson in the content of the Gospels. Especially, I enjoy reading John. Although the first few chapters cover the months and years of the ministry of Jesus, the final chapters are more about "moments" than months. Time seems to slow down. Notice in John 13:4 ... So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin.

As Jesus poured water into a basin, He was pouring signficance into the moment. I believe that there will be many God-given moments of significance in the coming week. My goal is to hit the pause button and allow Jesus to pour more of His life, His sacrificial nature into me.