Day of Praise

Th, 04/17/14, "Day of Praise"

Hebrews 12:3 - "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."

I was maybe eight years old, so it was four decades ago. But I will never forget what I remember as my first Maundy Thursday worship service. There were thirteen men at our church, Holy Trinity Lutheran in Kingsport, Tennessee, who reenacted the Last Supper of Our Lord with his disciples. I especially remember Mr. Frank DeNobriga. He was a tall, big-boned man with a deep voice that filled our beautiful sanctuary when he spoke. Whenever I think of their reenactment, and I have thought of it frequently through the years, it stirs my heart to a warmth and love and thankfulness and inspiration for the amazing sacrificial love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I feel energized to keep looking to and living thankfully for Christ.

And that impact of one night, forty years ago shouldn't surprise. After all, God's promise, in today's Bible verse, is that we will not grow weary whenever we consider the events surrounding the death and resurrection of "him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself." (Hebrews 12:3)

Friends, today is Maundy Thursday. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Find a way to consider him. Emphatically. More than you usually do. Many churches like ours help you to do that with, if I may say so, some amazing and well-prepared and moving considerations of the Passion events of our Lord. If you live in the Birmingham area, just "reply" and I can give you more info. If you live elsewhere, find a church that does something to help you and your community "consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." (Hebrews 12:3)

May God continue to bless you with strength as you consider the loving sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson