We read in the Apostle’s Creed that Jesus “descended into hell.” Some Christians are unsure about this idea today. A couple years back Matt Chandler preached a popular sermon series on the Creed. “Even to this day,” he said, “there are large swaths of evangelicals who read the creed but leave out ‘descended into hell’ because we don’t believe He actually went to the place of hell and did that. Right? The Bible certainly doesn’t teach that.” The explanation I heard as a teen said the line referred to Christ’s agony on the cross. That’s the angle Reformed Protestants have... Read this post

If you find yourself in hell today – and perhaps it’s even a hell of your own making – let me remind you of Holy Saturday and the words of the Apostle’s Creed: “And he descended into hell.” If you’re in hell today, know Christ has gone before you and conquered the most terrible and fearful and darkest of realms. He rose again. He will yet raise you. And as you make this journey, even through hell, he is with you. “If I make my bed in hell, you are there” (Psalm 139). Do not fear. Do not despair. We... Read this post

On the seventh day God rested in the darkness of the tomb; Having finished on the sixth day all his work of joy and doom. Now the Word had fallen silent, and the water had run dry, The bread had all been scattered, and the light had left the sky. The flock had lost its shepherd, and the seed was sadly sown, The courtiers had betrayed their king, and nailed him to his throne. O Sabbath rest by Calvary, O calm of tomb below, Where the grave-clothes and the spices cradle him we do not know! Rest you well, beloved... Read this post

This service is very unusual, isn’t it? It’s uncomfortable. We are used to walking into this room with handshakes, hugs, high fives, and even a holy kiss or two. But tonight we gather in silence and in darkness. Why? A Question at Passover: Why is this night different than all other nights? We could ask this question of tonight’s gathering too. We could wonder why the darkness, why the silence, why the somber tone, and why all the focus on the cross? We need this focus desperately. Why? We forget how great our need is. We forget how great our... Read this post

Hunger “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have beheld you…” – Psalm 63:1 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; they shall be filled” – Matthew 5 Given that one of my life heroes is Julia Child it will come as no surprise that preparing and serving exquisite food for friends is a singular delight. So is eating that food! Imagine spending several hours preparing a menu, shopping for the... Read this post

C3 Lenten Prayer Guide First Week of Lent Dependence “Bow down thine ear O Lord and hear me, for I am poor and needy.” – Psalm 86:1 “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 5 “No, I’ve got this.” I will never forget those words. They were said by a man I visited in a hospital many years ago. He was about to endure open-heart surgery, and this was at a time when the outcome of such operations was far less certain – and far more painful – than it is today.... Read this post

Building with Burned Stones Nehemiah 4:1-3 March 5, 2017 Background and Review Nehemiah revealing Jesus: coming to us in our disaster to restore and revive us (Leaving the throne room, coming to our ruins, rising after three days to build). There is a Jesus-authored building project – the Church (Matthew 16). Peter tells us that you and I are ‘living stones being built together…’ (1 Peter 2) Does this surrounded by his enemies Restoration and Revival Renewed life and faith together with mending and renewal of service We are aware of the rising numbers who’ve given up on the Church.... Read this post

I believe gathering for worship is the single most radical act any Christian can make today. Answering God’s call to rise from mere individualism or the boundaries of family and identify in public with the Church of history, the Church of heaven, and the Church right now; to offer oneself in sacrifice to the One who for love sacrificed all on the Cross; to publicly acknowledge personal and institutional sin, one’s need for forgiveness, instruction, spiritual nourishment and renewal; to confess in public with others the truth of the ancient Faith so vehemently despised – this is truly a most... Read this post

  Hitting Pause: The Unexpected Gift of Ash Wednesday and Lent “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. Any fool can do it.” – James Taylor In his new book Thank You for Being Late New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman notes the struggle we all to have to keep up with the pace of change we are experiencing. The speed of our lives keeps accelerating in a never-ending battle to maintain awareness and efficiency in an age that continuously outpaces our ability to stay abreast of new information and changing demands. We’re tired. We’re even intimidated. We... Read this post

Arise and Build Nehemiah 2:1-12, 17, 20 February 19, 2017 Ernest Hemingway. With a group of authors over lunch, they bet him that he couldn’t come up with a short story only six words long. He took that bet, pulled out a napkin and wrote ….. ” For sale, baby shoes, never worn.” At one level, just a story about a man who loved his people and wanted to secure their future by seeing God’s will accomplished. Nehemiah’s entrance into Jerusalem’s ruins points us to God’s redeeming work in Jesus. Journey from the throne to the ruins Faceoff with the... Read this post